Healthy Diet for Long Term Weight Loss Success
Weight loss is all about burning more calories than you eat, but what’s the best way to do that? Knowing the basics of how to lose weight, how to exercise for weight loss and how to motivate yourself are essential for creating a program that works for you.
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you know it can be a difficult process. But, there are ways to make it easier. Understanding exactly what you need to do to lose weight is your first step
Despite what you may think, losing weight isn’t a mysterious process. In fact, weight loss doesn’t even have to involve strange diets, special exercises or even the ‘magic’ of pills or fitness gadgets. Want the secret to weight loss? Make small changes each and every day and you’ll slowly (but surely) lose those extra pounds.
Rules of Weight Loss
To lose one pound, you must burn approximately 3500 calories over and above what you already burn doing daily activities.
1. Calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate). Your BMR is what your body needs to maintain normal functions like breathing, digestion, etc.
2. Calculate your activity level. Use a calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you burn while sitting, standing, exercising, lifting weights, etc. throughout the day.
3. Keep track of how many calories you eat. Use a food journal to add up what you eat and drink during the day. If you’re eating less calories than you’re burning, you’ll lose weight.
Setting weight loss goals is probably one of the more difficult things to do when you embark on an exercise and/or diet program. How much do you need to lose?
That question is hard to answer and often based on your particular goals. If you’re losing weight for your health, your goal might be more modest, say 5-10% of your current weight. But what if you have something more specific in mind like a certain clothing-size you want to fit into? How do you set a reasonable goal for yourself?
The key to setting weight loss goals is to follow the standard of goal setting. It needs to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and tangible. Your first step is determining if you really need to lose weight.
Do You Need to Lose Weight?
If you talk to most people, you’ll probably find that everyone feels like they need to lose weight, even people who appear to be at a healthy weight. Often our weight loss goals are based on what we think we should look like rather than what’s reasonable for our bodies right now.
In general, a candidate for weight loss may have the following characteristics:
* A BMI of more than 25
* A Waist-Hip ratio of higher than .8 for women and higher than 1.0 for men
* An Abdominal Girth measurement of more than 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men
Of course, those aren’t the only clues that tell us we need to lose weight. There are those annoying indications like tight clothes, getting out of breath doing simple activities, or stepping on a scale for the first time in awhile. But, before you set goals based on what you think you should weigh, make sure you really need to lose weight.
Set Your Goals
If you’ve determined you do need to lose weight, your next step is to set a reasonable weight loss goal for yourself. You can base your goals on any number of factors, but a great place to start would be the general recommendations set out by the American College of Sports Medicine which are 5-10% of body weight or one to two pounds per week.
Carl Matson
February 14th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Have you considered Gastric Bypass Surgery for weight loss? Here's some tips!?
Gastric bypass: Is this weight-loss surgery for you?
Are you a candidate for gastric bypass surgery? Find out what to expect and the benefits and risks involved.
It’s always best to lose weight through a healthy diet and regular physical activity. But if you’re among those who have tried and can’t lose the excess weight that’s causing your health problems, weight-loss (bariatric) surgery may be an option.
Gastric bypass, which changes the anatomy of your digestive system to limit the amount of food you can eat and digest, is the favored bariatric surgery in the United States. Most surgeons prefer this procedure because it’s safer and has fewer complications than other available weight-loss surgeries. It can provide long-term, consistent weight loss if accompanied with ongoing behavior changes.
Gastric bypass isn’t for everyone with obesity, however. It’s a major procedure that poses significant risks and side effects and requires permanent changes in your lifestyle.
Who is gastric bypass surgery for?
Generally, gastric bypass surgery is reserved for people who are unable to achieve or maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise, are severely overweight, and who have health problems as a result. Gastric bypass may be considered if:
·Your body mass index (BMI) is 40 or higher (extreme obesity).
·Your BMI is 35 to 39.9 (obesity), and you have a serious weight-related health problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Gastric bypass surgery doesn’t replace the need for following a healthy diet and regular physical activity program. In fact, the success of the surgery depends in part on your commitment to following the guidelines given to you about diet and exercise. As you consider weight-loss surgery, make sure that you make every effort to exercise, change your eating habits and adjust any other lifestyle factors that have contributed to your excess weight
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastric-bypass/HQ01465
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastric-bypass-diet/WT00007
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastric-bypass-surgery/AN01378
I had gastric bypass surgery in April 2005. I started out at 268, now I’m 180 and holding, after 1 year and 7 months. These links will help you in many ways to make a decision if this is for you or not. I vote yes, because it made such a difference in my life. I was taking 8 pills a day, and after my surgery, I lost my diabetes. The way they do the surgery, takes your diabetes away. I no longer have to take glucophage, and I no longer have high Cholesterol or high blood pressure. I’m down to 2 pills a day. I went from a size 26-28 to a 16-18.
Most people struggle with paying for the surgery. Go to this site, it is a great support system for you, because it’s only people who have had gastric bypass. Every insurance program has been rated, and you’ll get tips on how to deal with your insurance company, as well as, surgery tips, food tips, and just support. http://www.obesityhelp.com/
There is a very good web site by a guy named Basil White. He’s a govt. worker and a comedian. He walks you through everything. Very interesting. He had the surgery and did well.
http://www.basilwhite.com/gastric/
Some other helpful links…
http://dir.yahoo.com/Health/Diseases_and_Conditions/Obesity/Gastric_Bypass_Surgery/
http://www.stapleclub.com/general_info.htm
http://www.locateadoc.com/articles.cfm/1454/1337
http://www.dhmc.org/webpage.cfm?site_id=2&org_id=28&morg_id=0&sec_id=0&gsec_id=35507&item_id=35508
http://www.mygastricbypass.com/
http://www.gwdocs.com/health/eHA-eHA_Content_C-Generic_Content_Page_Template_1131123706877.html
Good luck with your surgery and new life!
What do you think?
February 14th, 2011 at 9:06 pm
Gastric Bypass is a very dangerous surgery, You could die from this!
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February 14th, 2011 at 9:08 pm
wow i think i am glad i dont need gastric bypass surgery but best of luck to you.
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February 14th, 2011 at 9:10 pm
Yes, but then my cousin’s husband died two days after he had it done and all my friends that had it starting gaining the weight back about 18 months to 2 years after they had the surgery, so I decided to forget it and go low calorie low fat
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February 14th, 2011 at 9:12 pm
i love how the answer can’t be spam. yet the question is.
Gastric bypas is dangerous, and if people wern’t so lazy they wouldn’t get so fat.
-something i find ironic about the whole gastric bypass situation: If you are not lazy and choose to loose all the wieght on your own, your insurance company will not cover for your extra skin to be removed, but if you have gastric bypass they will. How messed up is that?
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February 14th, 2011 at 9:14 pm
My Dr. and I just discusses this last week. Not all people who go through that are going through it due to being lazy. I have limited things i can do as of exercise as i was a passenger in a car accident that almost broke my neck. My feet are bad and i can’t walk much or use a tread mill.
Dr. talked about this due to trying to help me lower my blood pressure, diabetes, high cholestrol, ect.
I will review all the info here and all the sites you listed and talk to my Dr. again. Thank you Ziggy for your information.
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February 14th, 2011 at 9:16 pm
I had a Gastric Bypass with a gastrostomy back in 1984. I presently weigh 125 lbs. I went from 261lbs.,down to 112 lbs., too skinny ! I love my weight now, after 22 years, I only gained back weight to 186, but I was on medication, that causes weight gain. I soon took it back off after going off my med. I am 5’4" tall and I wear a size 6, and some 4/5"s. I still can’t eat ice-cream, and sweetened drinks of any kind. I do have bouts of diarrhea, and some medications hurt my stomach, but over all, it was the best thing I ever did. Now if I could afford to have all my loose skin removed. I can’t work because it sags so on my legs, I get edema and severe muscle and feet cramps, and I have osteoarithis, so I really need to do something soon. Healthy otherwise.
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February 14th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
Thank you for providing some relevant information on a widely misunderstood topic. I have been giving thought to gastric bypass, after our third baby my weight has been hovering "much higher" than is healthy. I have been doing absolutly everything I can think of to try and take some of it off (I’m not asking to be supermodel thin, I’d just love to get to a healthier weight)
Your "question" has not swayed my decision one way or the other…but has simply given me more to think about.
This "question" actually isn’t spam…if it were spam it would be flogging the miracle of one company, website or individual (spam is used generally to generate some type of income…whether it be actual sales or web traffick or whatever…this doesn’t, it simply informs and offers far too many and to broad a spectrum of websites to be "working" for the good of any "one" except the good done for the "one" who posted the question, feeling a little better for a little bit after offering their P.O.V. for something that is obviously very personal and of value to them…if it’s not of value to you…keep browsing…plenty of other questions in Yahoo, if it is…take it for what it’s worth, weigh it against your own personal opinions & values and move on with whatever you learn from that.
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me
February 14th, 2011 at 9:20 pm
I’m sure you mean well, but you are doing a very dangerous thing by touting a very dangerous surgery! Bariatric surgery doesn’t need an ad agent to get business. And, the decision to have bariatric surgery is strictly up to the individual and their Dr. I have had the surgery and I, too, know the ins and outs of it. But I would never suggest to someone they should have it. It should be a last ditch effort before death and a decision not to be made lightly. We Americans have gotten so used to a "quick fix" for everything that we have forgotten how to really WORK to achieve an end. I include myself here. Obesity is unhealthy, for sure, but encouraging others to undergo a very risky and potentially deadly procedure based on your success is careless, to say the least. Shame on you.
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RN retired and been there.