THE INTERNET is a wealth of information, be it real or fake and believing them is up to our judgment. But there are a good number of informative materials that could actually guide us in our pursuit of wellness.
An online publishing website, WebMD, gives news and information on health and healthcare subjects with reviews from medical professionals and fitness experts. One of their topics caught my attention as I can relate much to this.
Over time, especially if we’re the inactive types, our waistlines tend to expand leading to unwanted medical conditions if we don’t do anything about it. When our tummies expand, the most natural thing is for our weights also to increase and we also tend to add up on our expenses because we need some wardrobe change. The online article gives tips on losing and maintaining our weight.
* It is advisable to weigh ourselves once a week. Stepping on the scale keeps track of our progress or the lack of it. There will be changes on the numbers over a few days but most of it is due to water weight.
* For overall good health, they tell us to cut back on saturated fat and opt instead for polyunsaturated fats (corn oil, soybean oil, soymilk, tofu, salmon, mackerel, tuna) or monounsaturated fats (canola oil, olive oil, sesame oil, olives, avocados, nuts). These are the dietary fats that our bodies also need to function.
* Drinking water before meals helps us to lose weight faster because it makes us feel full and thus makes us eat less and keeps us hydrated. Studies show that adults who drank two cups of water before meals lost more weight than those who didn’t. Our water weight decreases when we lose it thru urination.
* It is wise to plan meals to make them fit into a balanced diet plan and likewise keep a food diary to keep track of our what and how much we had eaten. At least it makes us aware when we stray from our diet plans and allows us to correct our mistakes. Without the plan and diary, resistance is futile when tempted with our guilty pleasures.
* It takes 15 to 20 minutes for us to fell full because there is a gap between when we savor our food and for our brain to register that our tummies are stuffed. Taking it easy is the key, like putting down our spoons and forks between bites, and this gives our brains time to tell our tummies that we’re full. One study had subjects being told to eat slowly and resulted in fewer calories eaten and they drank more water than the group who were asked to eat as fast as they can.
* Carbs in processed foods are to be avoided like animal fat, junk foods and sodas. Instead take carbs from whole grains like brown rice, wheat breads, oatmeal, fruits and vegetables. Health experts say that we can go heavy on veggies as they are full of fiber and nutrition, have less calories and makes us feel full.
* We’re trying to lose weight so skipping meals is a no-no. The tendency is we get hungrier later and chances are, midnight raids to the ref happen. Missed meals make us less energized thus we feel lousy for an exercise, an important component to weight loss. Small, nutritious meals and snacks helps us to lose more. Breakfast is the key. Study shows that people who eat breakfast are much leaner than those who skip.
* We need to sleep more as when we lack it, it spurs hormonal changes that could make us hungrier. Sleep regulates metabolism and an extra hour of sleep cuts calories by six percent because obviously, we can’t eat while sleeping, unless of course we have that very rare talent.
As to our indulgence, it was advised not to totally drop them from our diets. It is best just to limit our favorite foods so as not to fall to craving and gorging. “Food restriction is not a long term solution to obesity”, says Dr. James Hill, an obesity researcher. With the above, here’s to a successful weight loss program to us./PN
