Beginning
Weight Loss Primer 101!
Weight
loss at its most fundamental, is very *very* simple. Yes, it all
boils down to this... burn more calories than you take in. Simple,
right? But if it's so darned simple, how come successful weight
loss continues to elude most of us?
Good
question.
For
the vast majority of people, I suspect it's simply because they're
overwhelmed with so much contradictory information it becomes difficult
to know where to start. High fat, low fat, high carbohydrate, low
protein and vice versa. What's one to do?
The
answer?
Stick
to proven, effective weight loss strategies. For instance...
The
most elementary strategy for successful weight loss is reduce your
daily caloric intake. Makes sense... if you are a chronic overeater!
But there's plenty of overweight people who are already reducing
their calories to desperate levels. If you are one of these, your
solution may surprise you. Yes, you may have to eat more!
Here's
the calorie-reduction caveat... you must reduce your calories, but
you can't reduce them too much. OK, I agree, that *does* sound confusing.
Bear with me while I explain...
We
human beings evolved on harsh desert plains, on glacier-covered
land-masses -- in virtually the most desperate and desolate places.
Of the 2 million years or so it has taken human beings to evolve
to this point, refrigerators packed with food have been part of
lives for much less than the last 100 years.
In
other words, your body has been programmed to recognize times of
severe caloric restriction as times of crisis. Makes sense. After
all, in those bleak days the person with the lowest metabolism and
greatest fat stores was the most likely to survive the harsh winter,
the drought, the disappearance of game, or whatever.
On
the other hand, the body recognizes times of plenty as a time where
it can let its guard down a little so to speak. So you need to eat
often and regularly, while at the same time keeping a handle on
your calories, as well as the ratio of carbs to protein to fats
(I'll explain why later). Yes, our basis rule still applies... eat
significantly more than you need and Voila! You get fat!
OK...
clear as mud, right? Eat more, but don't eat too much more - not
very helpful, I'll agree. Here's a good place to start...
Take
your weight, multiply by ten, and divide by 6. If you weigh 150lbs...
150X10
= 1500 1500/6 = 250
You
must eat 6 small meals of 250 calories (5 X 300 is OK too) one every
2-2.5 hours. This will keep your blood sugar levels balanced (always
a contributor to successful weight loss) and maintain energy levels
throughout the day!
Before
we continue, let's discuss calories a moment longer...
Beginning
Weight Loss 101 Prt II...
