Losing weight is an issue for an increasingly large part of the population. The question is why do we get fat in the first place? Well, our bodies are designed to store energy in the form of fat. This is good, the human race would not have survived if this was not possible. To ensure that we would want to eat foods that would provide extra energy; humans have a special fondness for sweets and fats. Back in the hunter/gatherer days this was great. When we could get extra food energy we wanted to eat those foods that would give it to us. No problem! Until we settled down.
It still wasn’t that much of a problem, for starters, everyone was working hard. But in the last 30 years, we worked even less. It was discovered that when secretaries switched from manual to electric typewriters – the things we used before computers- they gained on average seven extra pounds. Once, we had to get up and turn on the TV and go back and set down. Our disposable income grew so we spent our food budget on more goodies. More food energy got stored. We bought more work saving devices. Small things, but they added up.
Theoretically it takes 3500 calories (kilocalories) to make one pound of fat. If we eat more than what we use up, it gets stored. Over time this can add up. We either eat less or we move around more. So if we find a way to cut out 3500 calories we will lose weight – right? Well, it isn’t as neat and tidy as that. When we cut back on calories after awhile something called, “diet induced adaptive thermogensis” occurs. Our body adapts so we can live and not gain weight on fewer calories.
This is where exercise comes in. It boosts our metabolic rate and helps us burn more calories. Again this is great in theory but it takes a lot of additional exercise to burn huge amounts of calories. It is an important part of the whole equation but unless you are exceptionally fit, you will not lose an extra pound each week by exercise alone. A combination is best. We all need a bare minimum of 30 minutes of exercise three times per week.
This sounds simple but it is not. Some people naturally gain and retain weight easier. These people have a more difficult time losing weight. Most people who have dieted have hit a “plateau”, a time when they could not lose weight regardless of how carefully they ate and exercised.
There is another theory on weight loss and that is the one espoused by the proponents of the low carbohydrate diets. These people believe that it is excessive carbohydrates especially those from refined flour and sugar that has caused the increase in obesity. This is fairly controversial, although, in general, even the more conservative food experts recommend that only a quarter of your food should come from carbohydrate dense foods such as potatoes, bread, pasta and grains.
The low carbohydrate diets start you off with meat proteins with some vegetables and gradually move to more carbohydrate dense fruits and vegetables. Eventually you get to eat small amounts of whole grain foods. This theory of weight loss is not supported by main stream food science. However, the limiting of refined carbohydrates is.
What does all this mean for you as a dieter? Well first and foremost you need to eat a healthy well balanced diet. Secondly you need to add more movement into your life. Don’t just think in terms of exercise programs when you do this. Try doing active house work for 20 minutes at a time without a rest break. Park further from the stores when you shop. Do your own landscaping and do it yourself projects. Believe it or not there are exercise programs that can be done while you’re sitting down (see Get Fit While You Sit) watching TV. Every bit counts in the fight to loss weight.