Permanent Weight Loss: Fact or Fiction?

The Epidemic

Obesity rages across America like a wildfire out of control. It is estimated that nearly 70% of the population might properly be classified as clinically overweight or obese. The reasons for this are numerous; related to extravagant use of processed foods, sedentary lifestyles, reliance upon mechanical transportation versus physical modes of transportation, and generally poor diet and lack of physical activity. And yet, despite the fact that obesity has been deemed to be a bona fide epidemic in America, we see very few individuals taking steps to significantly change their lifestyles in a serious endeavor to combat the various issues contributing to their weight issues. In reality, most individuals find a variety of excuses as to the reasons for their weight gain and/or why they cannot seem to lose the weight. Mindset is one key to a successful weight loss and weight maintenance strategy.

Weight loss is a major concern to the majority of the American population, as well as an increasing issue for most of the developed countries. The reliance upon technology has led to sedentary lifestyles and poor diets, which are the two main contributors to weight gain. This concern has led to increasing awareness of healthier ways of eating and combining physical fitness with a healthy diet as a way to lose and maintain weight.

Weight Loss

Weight loss is any reduction in total body mass, either through a loss of liquids, body fat, tissue, or lean muscle mass. In the context of physical fitness, weight loss is a purposeful reduction in body fat designed to attain a healthier state of being. It should be noted, however, that there are unintentional types of weight loss, and some forms of dieting and attempts to lose weight are considered to be dangerous because they do not factor in the various nutritional requirements of the body, nor do they account for foods required for maintenance of optimal levels of hormones and chemicals.

Weight loss as it refers to fitness and health is any sort of intentional modification to change the overall body fat levels, appearance, and physical well-being of an individual. Therapeutic weight loss may decrease the likelihood of developing certain diseases related to poor diet and fitness, such as diabetes, degenerative heart diseases, high blood pressure, strokes, osteoarthritis, and even some forms of cancer. Obesity has been linked to a wide variety of health issues; the simple fact of the matter is that the human body was not designed for a sedentary lifestyle replete with a diet of simple sugars and processed foods. Our bodies need to maintain a healthy level of balance in a variety of areas to achieve peak operating conditions. Weight loss can only occur when the body is using more energy than it is consuming. When this occurs, the body burns reserves stored as fat, which leads to gradual weight loss. It is important to understand that healthy weight loss is never instantaneous; albeit there are certain steps one can take such as nutritional cleansing to enhance the rate of fat loss, but in general, one should aim for a gradual loss through enhanced physical activity and better nutritional choices. .

Healthy versus Unhealthy

There are a variety of ways to lose weight, but the best course of action is to take a natural route, provided that supplementation is generally required as most individuals lack the time or dedication required for the consumption of an optimal diet. That said, such supplements should not include unsupervised use of over-the-counter fat burners, faddish supplements with no clinical studies to support their claims or other highly-promoted but inevitably doomed-to-fail quick weight loss strategies. It is estimated that roughly 70% of Americans endeavor to lose weight through some form of fad diet, consistently regaining that weight and ultimately turning to professionals to help them meet their goals. In reality, weight loss is simplicity itself: consumption of a diet low in processed foods, sugars and fats, coupled with a regular fitness regimen.

In addition, the use of methods such as ‘crash dieting’ generally leads the individual into a “feast or famine” mode, during which the metabolism rapidly swings in one direction or another, causing quick weight loss followed by equally quick weight gain, as the body reacts to the ‘famine’ stage by storing fats more quickly once old unhealthy eating patterns commence. In order to break the cycle one must establish a healthy routine and consistently follow same, coaxing the body into a natural routine of healthy eating and increased physical activity.

Individuals can and do lose weight on diets, but it is important to understand that weight loss is individual-where one person succeeds on a certain diet, many others will fail. Such failure is not due to the individual’s lack of effort but rather is related to the biochemistry of the dieter as well as a panoply of lifestyle issues-from work environment, stress levels, Every individual is unique, and as a result each person has distinctly different requirements in terms of food intake and daily physical exercise. For one individual a high carbohydrate, low fat diet might be the right choice, but for another person, success might well lie in the opposite direction. It is important to understand that the actual diet itself does not matter as much as the right combination of diet and exercise for the unique individual. One avenue which many find to be successful is the metabolic diet in which the individual is specifically tested to determine whether they thrive in a carbohydrate, protein or fat dominant environment. As noted above, an equally important component is one’s determination and discipline. It is sometimes necessary to overcome emotional eating habits or other poor lifestyle choices and establish a desire to take control of this area of one’s life, rather than allowing infomercials and fad diets to create a seemingly easy but ultimately unsuccessful pathway to optimal health.

While using certain supplements and minerals to enhance the goal of optimal health as opposed to merely weight loss is recommended as an adjunct to a healthy diet, these are never intended to function as a substitute for same. The best way to achieve the perfect balance of health and weight is to eat natural foods and keep your body physically active. Learning the how and why of a particular diet is important, just as learning when to eat is important, because it affects digestion and energy levels. In addition, portion control is vital, both in maintaining weight loss and enhancing digestion, hence the recommended (albeit not for every individual) five to six small meals spread throughout the day, allowing a few hours in between each meal for the body to properly digest the previous meal.

The key to understanding healthy living is that is cannot simply be viewed as “another diet”. Rather it needs to become a new lifestyle.

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