Fast weight loss means gaining it back

If we loose weight too fast it means that we have not changed our lifestyle to a healthy one and this is only a temporary phase of cutting down on calories. This is definitely not going to be a permanent way to eat and once we resume our normal habits the weight will come back with a vengeance. This is not something which we can sustain for long and if the weight loss is to be a permanent one we have to change our habits and have a healthy and disciplined lifestyle in future. The weight loss diet should be one where the kilos drop off slowly but surely and we get used to this controlled way of eating healthy food.

Fast weight loss makes the skin sag

Fast weight loss creates other problems for us which we are not going to like at all. The skin sags as it looses its elasticity and cannot cope with the reduced body dimensions and shrink back so fast. The skin becomes dry and wrinkled and sags giving one an aged look. The only way this problem can be resolved is to undergo surgery to get rid of the excess skin.

Hair loss because of poor nutrition

A weight loss diet which is near starvation brings about many deficiencies which cause the body functions to deteriorate and affect the working of the organs. The hair becomes lack luster and falls out in chunks and will take a lot of time and effort to get back to its natural condition again.
Instead of ill treating your whole system to loose weight fast it is better to do it in a healthy way and plan a weight loss diet with a calorie content which makes you loose just about a kilo per week. Make sure that your diet has all the essential nutrients and that you do not loose out on good health in the bargain. Eat a little more and burn off the extra calories with a good exercise regime and you will not suffer any set backs this way.

Insulin should be limited to burn fat

Insulin is discharged into ones bloodstream after each meal to give energy to the muscles. It is with insulin that calories are carried to the muscles via the bloodstream. If too much of insulin is released the amount of calories being transported to the muscles is too high and the excess number of calories is sent to the fat cells instead. Instead of giving energy to the muscles the calories not get stored as fat and this turns to flab in due time. This works at cross purpose to your weight loss diet as the more insulin in the body the more weight and fat will you gain. So if the insulin in the body is reduced you will burn more fat and loose weight.

Eat foods to limit the release of insulin

So the secret is to eat foods which limit the release of insulin into the blood stream and reduce the amount of fat which gets stored in your body. A good way to combat this is to exercise to burn up these foods which are higher in calorie content so that there is less of insulin released into your blood stream. A high fiber diet will help your body to limit the release of insulin into your blood stream and control your cravings for sweet and high calorie foods. Eat a lot of salads, fruits instead of fruit juices and multi grain products instead of white flour ones. Avoid white bread, pasta, white rice and sugar. Instead change to brown whole wheat bread, cereals, brown rice and products which have more than just one grain in it.

How insulin hampers your weight loss diet

When too much of insulin is released into the blood stream the person becomes overly hungry and to combat these hunger pangs eats higher GI foods which becomes a vicious circle and makes the persons blood sugars rise high suddenly, only to drop just as fast and create another bout of hunger and cravings. Lower GI foods give a feeling of fullness and the person does not feel hungry for a longer period which reduces the intake of food and calories and helps in weight loss. So it is eating the right foods which finally help your weight loss diet to work and not just counting calories and the amount of fat you are consuming.

How massage helps in loosing weight

A lot of the weight which we lose in the early stages of our weight loss diet is the excess water in the body. With massage therapy at this time we can loose this water retention faster and also remove some of the toxins which are in the body which also helps to detoxify the body. To detox the body is another way to help in the weight loss diet to lose weight faster. Though this again is only removing the excess water in the body and on its own may not last long, it is working towards a healthier you which will make you system function more efficiently. It has been established with research that the muscle tone is increased with massage which in turn helps in loosing weight faster. If the muscles in the body are strengthened they allow you to do more strenuous exercises and automatically to burn more calories. Often there is a lot of pain after a work out and a massage will help reduce this post workout discomfort.

Other benefits of a massage

Apart from aiding your weight loss diet to give better results, a massage helps in tissue repair by enhancing the excretion of fluids which help with this repair procedure. It helps in breaking down scar tissue and in faster recovery and better fitness regime, if the injury is coming of the way of your fitness program. Regular massage makes the body more flexible which in turn helps you to work out better with fewer chances of injuries. The circulation is increased and improved with massage and this in turn improves your metabolic rate which allows you to burn more calories and improves the outcome of your weight loss diet. Often too much of training and exercise makes the body fatigued and a massage relaxes the body and allows your body to recover from the strain of training. Massage alone cannot make you loose weight and shape up, there has to be a combination of a weight loss diet, exercise and the right kind of massage for a complete fitness program.

How does the negative calorie food work?

These foods take up more calories while getting digested than what they have in them. Once you eat them and the food reaches your digestive system your metabolic rate increases and processing the food begins by using up calories. The body uses up a lot more calories to process these foods than what they contain. These fruits and vegetables contain more fibers and you have to chew them quite a bit before you can swallow them. Chewing the food itself is a way of burning calories. If your digestive system is working continuously this also increases your metabolic rate resulting in the burning up of more calories. So in your weight loss diet you should put a lot of emphasis on these negative calorie foods while making your menu.

Eating small frequent meals puts your metabolic rate up

It is better to have several small meals in a day instead of 3 large ones. By eating often your digestive system starts increasing the metabolic rate and this results in loosing more weight. Of course these small meals should contain only permitted foods and you have to avoid oil and excess carbohydrates in them. While on a diet it is better to eat home cooked food as you can be sure of what the ingredients are in the meal. Stuff like white flour and butter only increase the calories and even if the meal seems light there will be a lot of calories in it. You weight loss diet does not permit this.

Drink a lot of fluids

The best fluid is water as it increases your metabolic rate. Keep a one liter bottle of water next to you and keep sipping it so that even if you are not thirsty you will have the minimum quantity of water which is a must especially while you are on a weight loss diet. However, if you like to have fruit juices have the unsweetened ones and keep alcoholic drinks at a limited quantity.

Plan a weekly menu for weight loss

If you want to loose weight remember that you will have to be careful with your diet, count your calories and cut out on fats and sugary foods. Your intake of starch and fried foods will have to be cut down drastically and you must plan a menu which has green leafy vegetables, fruits which are not too high in calories like bananas and mangoes, have a fiber rich diet with a lot of lean proteins. Doing a daily menu may not help as you should make sure that you have the ingredients to last you a week and it is better to plan a weekly menu. This way you need not worry until the next week and also see how your weight loss is going or whether you have to cut down still more on the calories.

Make a note of all you eat

It helps to make a note of all that you eat in a day so that you can add up your caloric intake and will have an idea what you have to cut out on the following week if the weight loss is not going according to your plan. Your weight loss diet should contain less number of calories than what you are burning up so that there is a deficit of at least 500 calories a day which means you should loose a kilo per week.

Exercise to burn up more calories

A good way to burn up excess calories and to tone up your body is to exercise. You could join a gym, play games, go for regular dance classes or do aerobics. If you do not have a gym near your home then you could even try walking or jogging or get yourself a DVD of an exercise program and work out every day. Your weight loss diet will be a lot more successful if you combine it with vigorous exercise to tone up your body and build some muscles in place of fat.

Do not restrict your diet too much

You cannot restrict your diet too much as soon as you have had your baby for two reasons, one you are yet to recover from the trauma of child birth and two you are nursing the baby. So your weight loss diet has to have a high level of nutrition for both the mother and the child at this time. You can plan a diet which does not pile up the extra calories but gives you a good balanced diet with cereals, fruits, vegetables, meats, legumes, eggs, and milk. Ensure that you drink a lot of water and have regular meals. You should have a snack in between meals which is nutritious and does not contain too much of oil and sugar. Have healthy snacks like brown bread sandwiches with cold meats, baked foods and multi cereal foods. This will give you the energy to look after your baby and nurse it also. Your obstetrician may prescribe some supplements like vitamins, minerals and calcium which you should take after seeking her advice. Just avoid fat and too much of sugar and you will find your weight coming down automatically, more so because you are nursing the baby too.

Have fiber to avoid constipation

After child birth many women seem to get constipated and find it a problem to have a proper bowel movement. This can be corrected with a proper diet. Include a lot of fiber rich foods in your diet and eat more of vegetables and fresh fruits. This will take care of the problem and soon your system will go back to its original form. A weight loss diet in the early stages after childbirth cannot be too restricted and you will have to make allowances for your condition which has to return to normal slowly.

Getting back into shape with exercise

As always you will have to take the advice of your obstetrician before starting exercise. If you have had surgery then it may take a little longer before you can exercise. Once the doctor gives you permission you can start with light exercises and build them up to more strenuous ones slowly. Your body took a while to change shape so now give it time to get back into shape helped along with a weight loss diet which will get you to loose fat and flab which you gained during your pregnancy.

Modify eating habits to loose fat

Modifying your eating habits is a much easier way of getting rid of excess fat but this will take time and you will not see any dramatic results too fast. However, once you change your eating habits and stick to them you will not gain this fat again and it is a much safer and permanent way of a weight loss diet. You would have to cut out fats completely and have a diet which has protein with no fat content in it, fiber, organic sugars and complex carbohydrates. These are carbohydrates which are converted into glucose more slowly than the simple carbohydrates and provide the person with energy right through the day without allowing the sugar level in the blood to fall too drastically and bring on hunger. Brown rice, muesli, oats, multi grain breads are foods which provide one with complex carbohydrates. This may not be possible without the advice of a qualified dietician who will give you a complete diet chart of what you should and should not eat. This of course is something which you have to resort to, if you are obese and not just slightly over weight.

Your protein content should come from lean meat like fish and poultry and the cooking should be done in a way where there is no oil used like baking, broiling, steaming or boiling it. Eggs should be boiled and only the whites eaten. This will give you your daily requirement of protein without any of the fat content. Avoid nuts and full cream dairy products. Not only is excess fat going to make you look more than your age it is also dangerous as far as your health is concerned.

Combine aerobics with the diet

For better results you should combine aerobics with the diet and this will give a faster weight loss diet result. Do not do very vigorous exercises while you are still over weight because this will put a strain on your heart. It is always best to consult your physician before starting out on a diet and exercise when you are obese beyond a certain limit. Change your eating habits, count your calories and have a regular work out routine and you will never have to worry about your weight again.

Exercises which help you to increase your muscle content

To increase your muscle content you have to utilize the larger muscles in your body so that you burn up more energy with rhythmic movements. These are aerobic exercises like cycling, swimming, jogging, brisk walking and aerobic dancing. When you first start out on these exercises do not overdo them because you will stress out your muscles and this will make it painful to carry on with continuing with them. Do your aerobics just thrice a week in the beginning and slowly work them up to daily power exercises. You could also take up some fun exercises like dancing which is enjoyable and gives you good company and also help you to work out without feeling bored. If boredom sets in people give up on it and tend to loose interest in it. So get your weight loss diet to be a fun time and do not give up on it.

Do aerobics in the privacy of your room

For those who find it a problem to keep up to timings at any of these group aerobic sessions, you can also get a video and do it on your own in your room. This way you can do the exercises whenever you are free and find time and will not miss out on too many classes. Start with half an hour of exercise and then work it up to an hour a day. If you find that you do not have an hour to do your exercise you can break it up into two segments, but it is better to do it at one stretch. Aerobics is not just good for weight loss and burning up fat but also boosts your mental health, bone density, reduces the chances of getting diabetes and also keeps your heart strong and healthy.

Weight training and a weight loss diet

When you are on a weight loss diet and want to burn fat and increase your muscle content then it is good to do a bit of weight training as this will help in getting rid of the fat and burn calories and build more muscle. It also enhances your metabolic rate and you burn up more calories. So get a good balance of good health and weight reduction with aerobics and weigh training together with a weight loss diet.

Some of the benefits of yoga

There are so many benefits that it would be difficult to give you the complete list in one lot. However, some of the problems which get sorted out with yoga are slowing down the process of aging, more flexibility and strength of body, less of anxiety and tension in the muscles, a heart rate which is lower, blood pressure control, relief from allergies and asthma, bringing thyroid conditions and diabetes under control, spiritual growth, reduced stress levels, a general sense of well being and even helpful in giving up smoking and other such addictive habits. All this apart it takes care of hair problems like falling hair, dandruff, skin problems like acne and dry skin, and keeps you looking and feeling younger both mentally and physically. A weight loss diet which means healthy food habits will only add to the benefits of yoga therapy.

What does yoga involve?

Yoga involves forming different poses with stretching of the body and controlling the breathing by making it slow. This relaxes and energizes the body simultaneously. There are different kinds of yoga which are performed at different speeds like fast movements which are like an aerobic exercise and slow ones which relax and rejuvenate each part of the body. For stress and mental well being there are spiritual forms of yogic poses.

Yoga for weight reduction

To reduce ones weight any form of exercise has to raise the heart rate, so even the form of yoga has to be such. The yogic poses for weight loss are held for a few minutes and then there is a period of resting in between the poses which helps in improving ones posture and building muscle. However, this is really not a cardio vascular workout. Yoga will have to be performed vigorously for at least 90 minutes for the purpose of weight loss and this should be repeated at least thrice a week. This form of yoga is known as the flow yoga or vinvasa. Some of the styles of this form of yoga are “ashtanga”, “power yoga”, “vinvasa yoga” done in a hot room which makes one sweat profusely. If you perform yoga along with a weight loss diet, which is not a near starvation one, you will be surprised at the amount of weight you can loose.

Yoga should be performed regularly and if you do not have time to go to your classes regularly, you should practice at home. The only draw back of yoga is that it needs a lot of dedication to show results and if this is something you have then you can change your whole system around and not only loose weight but also become healthy and get rid of a lot of ailments.

How many calories do you normally consume?

To know exactly how many calories you consume everyday keep a diary and jot down whatever you eat. At the end of the day add up the calories and you will know what your daily consumption is. In case you do not know the calories in each food that you have consumed you could always refer to the online charts which give you these values or find out from a dietician. The normal amount of calories required by each person depends on their metabolism and the nature of their work. If you have a high metabolic rate then your body will burn up the calories faster and you will loose weight easily. The same way if you have a sedentary job where you sit for long hours at the computer you will not burn up many calories. You will have to calculate your intake and output and see how many calories you have to cut down on per day to loose weight. With a chart where you have put down your daily intake of food you will know exactly what you can cut down on the next day and bring down the number of calories you have consumed this way. This is the best weight loss diet and you can loose weight naturally with this technique.

How many calories do you burn per day?

To determine how well your weight loss diet is working you have to take into consideration the number of calories in your diet and the out put of energy and calories being burnt. To loose weight you have to burn more calories than what is being consumed and this is what will bring about a weight loss. The lesser the number of calories you consume the more will your weight loss be, but you should not go below the resting metabolic requirement as this will interfere with the proper functioning of your system. These calculations will help in making your weight loss diet a success. If you find that the calories you are consuming are not too high, then you can increase the activities in your daily routine by walking, running, swimming, playing tennis or any other energetic sport or doing some aerobics to burn the excess number of calories which you have consumed.

Plan your diet and count your calories

To plan your menu and your daily caloric intake you will have to know the calorie content in each food. There are sites on the internet which give you details of the food values and caloric content of each food in detail which will help you in calculating and planning your daily men to loose weight naturally.