If you are looking for a diet program, there are many diet programs to choose from, and some are better than others. Long term weight loss requires effort and patience. But if you are looking to lose weight quickly for a special event or for holiday shopping, short term quick-fix programs may be more appropriate. While you do not want to postpone weight loss forever, you must ensure that you are able to make permanent, lasting changes to healthy eating and regular activity habits.
Ask yourself some tough questions to help determine your readiness to make permanent, lasting changes. First, is it safe to lose so much weight in such a short amount of time? As with any medical procedure or operation, there can be potential complications. You may become sicker because of the surgery or malnutrition. Also, if the surgery is performed to correct an underlying medical condition, it may not always work the way it was intended. Sometimes, if the wrong nutrition or exercise is used, the results can be devastating.
Does immediate, dramatic weight loss have to be done to meet an upcoming event or holiday? Some people will take drastic measures to lose one or even two pounds per day, but the effects of these diets can be detrimental to your health. If you want to look and feel your best, a healthy, gradual weight-loss program is best. This will ensure that your body weight remains steady, and you do not put undue stress on any particular system in your body.
Is sudden, unexplained weight loss medically dangerous? Sometimes people who suddenly drop 10 pounds can suffer from internal bleeding, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. And it happens more often that you think. If you lose 10 pounds in a week without eating properly, you might be putting yourself at risk for life-threatening diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart attack. These are all illnesses that have much higher risks than losing just a few pounds.
Can a person really lose weight quickly without physical activity? Physical inactivity is not the only thing that contributes to weight gain, however. Many dieters who think they can lose a lot of weight quickly rely on extreme calorie restriction to burn calories more rapidly. But the truth is, most weight loss occurs due to increased metabolism.
What is the recommended amount of calories that you should consume each day? People who want to lose a lot of weight should lower their caloric intake below 1200 calories per day. Of course, this will vary depending on a variety of factors such as height, age, gender, and overall health. If you are taking prescription medications, make sure that your doctor has advised your diet as well, as certain drugs have negative side effects when taken in excess.
People who have diabetes are also encouraged to practice intentional weight loss. While diabetes is a condition, which causes the body to produce excessive amounts of insulin, most people with this illness have been successful in lowering their blood sugar levels by carefully controlling their diets. Since the vast majority of food consumption is controlled by the brain, deliberately lowering the amount of glucose consumed by the body allows the brain to better manage the amount of insulin needed to keep the body running smoothly.
A balanced diet will provide the necessary nutrients for an individual’s overall good health. The challenge for dieters is to find the balance of nutrients and activities that provide the maximum benefit without causing further damage to their body system. A good nutritionist can help guide you toward a proper dieting regimen. Weight loss and nutrition go hand in hand. A nutritious diet is the foundation for weight loss and nutrition, and the key to effective weight loss and nutrition.