If you've been struggling to get below a certain weight for weeks, even after sweating through countless sessions of high intensity intermittent training and enduring a weight loss diet - no doubt you have thought about reaching for that naughty cream cake or pastry. Another typical reaction is to get down about it, but that won't do. You need to make a checklist. So I have compiled one for you in the hope that I can be of some help.
First things first!
You are keen to lose weight. It is probably the one personal aspect you think about the most. But please remember that your heath is the most important thing. It is much more important than your weight. If you are exercising regularly and eating a varied and healthy diet, try not to become too obsessed with the weight issue.
Record all consumption
From the kids' leftovers to spooning the cake mix, sweets and snacks to regular meals. Record it in a little notebook as and when you eat them. Over a small period of time you will be able to look at what you're eating and decide what needs to be changed.
Check your body composition
You may have negative thoughts about your body and it may feel like it's impossible to get past the plateau, but your body could in fact be doing its job - building muscle and reducing fat. Muscle is more dense than fat so you could be looking slimmer while staying the same weight. Body composition, in health terms, is the most important factor, not necessarily your Body Mass Index.
Adjust your current plan to suit
It is good practice to alternate low and high calorie days and you also may want to try intermittent fasting. Now this doesn't mean going for days with no food. You could fast between breakfast and your evening meal which will give you 10 -12 hours of fat burning time.
Stay on top of your goals
Are they realistic? So many factors come into play while reducing our waist line. Research has shown that we each have our own set points, based on our genetics and other physiological reasons. The set point is our natural weight when not trying to lose weight nor gain weight. So it makes sense that when trying to lose weight we hit a point at which we struggle to continue losing weight because our metabolisms naturally slow to compensate. This increases appetite also as the body tries to maintain its weight.
Don't get stressed!
Studies have shown that stress and increased fat are closely related. In particular visceral fat which is found around the abdomen and internal organs. The trouble with this is that in addition to this natural occurrence, stress also makes most people want to eat more. So watch out for elevating stress levels. Exercise and meditation will help greatly.
Go for a thyroid test
It is definitely worth checking as low levels of thyroid hormones can cause weight management difficulties. Other symptoms include depression and fatigue. You can have the simple blood test once a year and I would highly recommend it.
Charlotte Debeugny is a published author and an authority on nutrition and diet. Visit her website, Nutrition in Paris for a wealth of nutrition and weight loss information, free exercise videos, fact sheets and more.
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