LOSING WEIGHT

According to the Daily Mail, Obesity rates in Britain are soaring with nearly a quarter of adults now classed as clinically obese. There have been several warnings regarding the severe health risks attached to obesity, but the nations midriff continues to balloon uncontrollably. Some of the main health risks include: Type 2 diabetes; heart disease; stroke; high blood pressure; osteoarthritis, sleep apnea; asthma; cancer; postmenopausal breast cancer; amongst many others.

Reasons for obesity:

The main causes of obesity are the crazy relationships we have with unhealthy foods, and also doing little or no exercise. Peoples lack of understanding of which foods to eat is a major determining factor in the subsequent result of weight gain. Also the sedentary lifestyle of a huge percentage of the nation contributes to the soaring rates of obesity and related illnesses.

Why it may not be your fault that you're overweight:

Sleep and Weight Loss:- Too little sleep increases your appetite. Lack of sleep leads to a lack of energy, thus causing an urge for high carbohydrate foods. Sleep deprivation alters levels of the hormones that regulate food intake and body fat, and will increase hunger and appetite.

Many modern medicines lead to us putting on weight. People who take beta-blockers which are used to control heart rhythm, treat angina, and reduce high blood pressure can often put on 3lb. Similarly, studies have shown that going on the pill can add 11lb to a woman's weight. It is not clear whether this documented weight gain is related to the progestogen content of the pill, or linked to an increase in appetite.

Mother's age during pregnancy - Older women are more likely to give birth to obese children, whilst underweight babies are more likely to become overweight in later years.

Choice of partner - Overweight people tend to pair with similar people and have overweight children. This is usually simply down to social predisposition and habits. Overweight parents are likely to have more fat cells which may be passed to their offspring. Also their eating patterns are likely to be tought to their children.

Central heating and air conditioning – When temperatures are too hot or cold, the body burns more calories to balance itself. It takes energy to keep cool when the temperature is hot, and also to warm up when temperature is cold. This energy usage results in calorie burn and increased metabolism. 'Comfortable' temperatures stop us from burning off fat. By all means when its too cold use your heater, and when its too hot use a fan.

Giving up smoking - Nicotine suppresses the appetite, which may keep you slimmer but when you don't eat your body doesn't get the nutrients it needs to boost immune function Giving up the fag without exercise can mean weight gain!.

How being overweight affects you:

• Health factors; - heart failure, stroke, hypertension, osteathritis, cancer amongst others.
• Self Esteem:- research shows that how you value yourself plays a role in how you eat and treat your body. For example, if you are one of those people who are so concerned about what other people think of you, or you're constantly comparing yourself to others, then your issue is more with self esteem than it is weight. You may think it's the weight because we live in such a weight conscious world where everyone is obsessed with being thin. But in reality, if you lost the weight, your low self esteem would help you find something else that's making you unhappy. You'll never truly be happy until you learn to love yourself in spite of what others think about you.
• Depression; - Being blue is one thing, but just like all bad things, it doesn't come alone: it may also get you fat
• Physical abilities; - being overweight puts extra strain on joints and major organs in the body. This could cause stress and inconvenience to the individual as well as injury.
• Your overall quality of life.

Important factors that can determine your success:

• Your specific reason for wanting to lose weight
• Your level of committment
• The existence or absence of a support system to aid you.

Four key changes:

1. What you eat
2. How you eat
3. Your behavioral patterns
4. Your activity level.

At befittoday.co.uk we help you set the right goals for you, and stick with it, even after your mistakes.

In order to lose one pound of fat, you would need to burn 3,500 calories .Whether you take in 500 fewer or burn 500 more calories a day, by the end of the week you'll be one pound lighter!

With befittoday.co.uk you won't need to have a diet that is comprised of foods you do not like. Choose your plan carefully with our guidance.

Water and Weight loss:

As far as weight loss is concerned, water encourages proper kidney function and increases the efficiency of the liver's fat burning capabilities.So drink more!

Emotional eating:

You need to plan alternative strategies to cope with emotional eating. Many people with weight issues have the habit of eating in response to emotions. Befittoday.co.uk have experts to help you help yourself.

Warning!

Diets with too-severe restrictions like too few calories or entire food groups being omitted often lead to binges and uncontrollable cravings. Too little calories reduces the body's production of growth hormones, of which good production stimulates fat loss and well being. Caloric moderation is the key.

Bottom line: Losing weight isn't easy.

There is no magic pill or quick fix for long-term, healthy weight loss. It's going to take a lot of discipline and hard work. But just because something is difficult, doesn't make it impossible. The fact is ... You can do it!