HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT

INTRODUCTION

I am not a scientist or doctor. The how to lose weight information presented here is a combination of my own thoughts/beliefs/reading/experience. It is not to be taken as medical advice.

Before commencing any weight loss plan seek advice if

1. in doubt
2. suffering from any complications etc
3. under the care of a doctor or any medical professional

The decision whether to act on this information is ultimately your responsibility.

MOTIVATION TO LOSE WEIGHT - WHY ?

Before embarking on a weight loss program or even looking for information on how to lose weight there is a very important question you should ask yourself. What is your  real, underlying reason to lose weight ?

If it as simple as

• wanting to look and feel better
• obtain the beach body you always dreamed of
• improve performance in a sport or hobby etc

that is great and it is something I can help you with. 

The reason this topic on how to lose weight starts with such a probing question is because

• the reason(s) for wanting to lose weight
• success of any weight loss program followed

often are influenced by factors internal to a person rather than the kitchen or gym. Although it is always beneficial to attempt to achieve a healthy bodyshape and size, any internal factors should be also be addressed (by yourself or with outside assistance).

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT - Fat or Weight Loss

Unless you are competing in a sport incorporating weight divisions the real issue is fat loss rather than weight loss. The body's weight mainly consists of

• skin
• bone
• tendons
• ligaments
• muscle
• organs, veins, arteries, nerves etc
• water
• fat

The ones capable of being increased or dercreased are muscle, fat and water. It is unhealthy to limit water. Muscle (lean tissue) is beneficial to health and appearance. Beyond a small amount, fat serves no purpose and is detrimental to both health and appearance.

FACTORS AFFECTING Fat Gain and Fat Loss

When looking at how to lose weight there are 2 phrases which aptly summarise fat gain/loss

• You can't out train poor eating habits                
• All calories are not equal

You can't out train poor eating habits

Most literature states that an excess of 3500 calories taken in over those used in surviving, sitting, activity etc will result in the addition of 1 lb of fat to a person's body.

Exercise will only burn calories per hour at a fraction of that amount.

Although exercises to lose weight help in losing weight and yield other benefits, a person's diet is a more important factor in how to lose weight (i.e. fat loss) and fat gain.

All calories are not equal

The human body does not react to all types of food and liquids in the same way.

It can take thousands of years for the human genetic code to adapt to changing circumstances. Because of this humans living today are essentially genetically the same as those who lived 10,000 - 40,000 years ago but live in a food environment to which they have not evolved to cope with.

The diet back then was based on hunter gathering. This meant it was mostly animal (meat, fish), plant, nuts with some seeds and occasional fruit (much less sweet than modern varieties). To the body this was protein, fat and high fiber carbohydrate respectively.

Agriculture first developed and spread approximately 10,000 years ago. Although crops such as wheat, corn etc contain protein and fat, the majority of their calories  derive from carbohydrate. These carbohydrate foods contain far less fiber than plants and vegetables. The amount of fiber determines the available carbohydrate which in turn is a major determinant of the effect on the body. 

Carbohydrates are glucose in various forms (e.g. simple sugars-cakes, sweets etc and starches-potatoes,bread,rice etc). Glucose is a basic form of energy and when carbs are digested the glucose is released into the bloodstream allowing it to be utilised for activity or stored for future use.

The body secretes the hormone insulin to store the glucose

• firstly in muscles
• secondly in the liver
• thirdly as fat finally if the first two are full

The greater available carbohydrate in low fiber carbohydrate foods (basically those types which aren't plants/vegetables) results in more glucose in the bloodstream and in turn, more insulin. Eventually after storing the glucose, the level of insulin in the blood returns to its pre food base level.

If low fibre carbohydrates are consumed

• in large amounts and/or
• for sustained period of time

this base insulin level will tend to be higher than if high fiber ones were chosen. 

Fasting to lose weight or exercising on an empty stomach allows the body to release stored fat for energy. The level of insulin in the blood (in response to ingested carbohydrate broken down into glucose) influences how much fat can be released. Also, if the glucose previously stored in the muscles (in the form of glycogen) is not fully used to fuel the exercise, much of the glucose will be stored as fat. Over time the fat cells will get larger as more glucose is stored in them. At some point their capacity will be reached and additional fat cells will be created.

Fat, especially belly (visceral) fat, is increasingly being regarded as an active organ detrimental to the body as a whole. It secretes hormones which seek to starve lean tissue etc of nutrients and direct them to itself.

Drinks such as sodas have a negative effect on blood sugar and insulin. They also often hide high levels of calories.

The Glycemic Index(GI) is a way of determining the relative carbohydrate (and therefore usually the subsequent insulin secretion) content of foods. Choosing more low GI rated items than high GI items will aid fat loss and overall health.

The total amount of food should still be considered because massive amounts of low GI foods may provide far more than the calories needed to lose weight. That is the 

calories burned are insufficient to offset those taken in. The Glycemic Load attempts to combine the GI rating with quantity.

The time required to acclimatise to this style of eating varies amongst individuals. If they wish to

• work gradually upto the pure level 

  or

• prefer to choose their own point along the line between low and high GI rated foods

they may consider consuming middle ground food such as lentils, dahl etc. Despite being quite high in carbohyrdrate they are also high in vegetable protein and fiber and give a sense of fullness like high GI foods such as potatoes, rice etc.

In the short term people may experience transitional effects. These are usually due to the body changing from burning sugar for energy to becoming a fat burner. Endurance athletes who adopted this approach found that after a brief dip in performance they regained previous levels as a minimum. Even lean people have sufficient fat energy stores to provide fuel for exertions without the need for "refuelling" stops.

CONVENTION re HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT

Conventional advice on how to lose weight states that people should

• reduce fat
• reduce meat
• increase carbohydrate especially in the form of whole grains

The twentieth century witnessed a dramatic rise in 

• Overweight and obese people
• cancer and cardiovascular disease (heart and artery)
• the use of vegetable oils, especially corn (and its derivative high fructose corn syrup used in sodas and many processed foods)

Vegetable oils contain high levels of omega 6 fatty acids compared to the health promoting omega 3. A high ratio of Omega 6 to omega 3 runs counter to the levels we have evolved to live with and promotes inflammation within our bodies. Acute (short term) inflammation can help the body e.g. healing cuts, sprains etc. Ongoing (chronic) inflammation has been linked to health problems including obesity and even fatal situations like cardiovascular disease.

Dietary fat is not necessarily the enemy. People just need to choose healthy fats/oils - olive oil, coconut oil, fish oil/cod liver oil

As stated at the outset, I am not a scientist or doctor but to me these events are no coincidence. Such a connection seems more apparent when our genetic development is included.

CONCLUSION

The most effective and easy ways of how to lose weight are based on working with your body not against it i.e. lose weight naturally

. This entails

1) Right diet - foods/liquids which your body has evolved to handle:

• meat, fish, plants/vegetables, nuts (some fruit) - avoiding cakes etc and starchy foods (bread or any wheat based food, rice, potatoes, pasta etc) as much as possible.

As mentioned earlier, an individual may trade rate of fat loss for a degree of application of this approach. It will down to their preference.

2) Right fat loss workouts - weight loss workouts  following evolution 

• with a fight/flight pattern - sprinting, resistance workouts (bodyweight or weight training etc) where the high intensity and volume allows for the starting profile of the trainee (age, experience, time passed since vigorous exertion.
• allowing sufficient time (1-2 hours) afterwards for your body to assimilate the messages given to its genes by the chemicals and hormones produced through this natural form of activity.
• leisurely walking for relaxation

The right diet is the major contributor to lose weight but incorporating the right exercise has a synergistic effect, improving metabolism through increased lean tissue and providing other health benefits.

My suggestions on the subject of how to lose weight although simple may be challenging to accept and run contrary to mainstream views. The final decision is yours.

I believe that with perseverance the weight loss results will reinforce your willpower and determination.

Focus on how you look in the mirror rather than on weight charts. Body composition / body fat is a more reliable indicator than what the scales display.

I will close with words of a well known obesity specialist

• Eat sugar, store fat
• Eat fat, burn fat

The sugar referred to is glucose in all its forms including starches/complex carbohydrates.

For additional information click on " Why cant I lose weight "

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Site under construction - apologies for any gaps or apparent inconsistencies. In time as more information is added the whole site should "hang together".

Initially the focus will be on general information which should assist with achieving results regardless of the approach you take in working out.

Later I will provide more detailed information.