Countless diets, worn out gym memberships, and junk food stashed in the corner of the kitchen cabinet shooting tempting glares are what many Americans can relate to today. Diet plans only offer bland meal options, life becomes too chaotic for workouts, and the junk food that was supposed to be thrown out is kept for that daily splurge. Losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not an easy feat but it is a challenge that can be made a reality with motivation, perseverance, and the desire to accomplish a life-changing event that can most positively affect one’s life forever.
The Numbers
From 2009 to 2010:
- Over 35% of adults in the United States were obese
- Nearly 17% of children and adolescents in the United States were obese
- More than 78 million adults and more than 12 million children and adolescents in the United States were obese
From 1999 to 2010:
- The percentage of obese men increased by 8%
- The percentage of obese women increased by 2.1%
- The percentage of obese boys increased by 4.6%
- The percentage of obese girls increased by 1.2%
Know Your Nutrients
Vitamins and minerals, as well as other nutrient groups, are vital for a healthy body. Eating is the method of supplying the body with the nutrients and energy that is needed to function properly. It is important to be educated on what nutrients can assist in reaching that golden number on the scale:
Vitamin D: helps the body react to insulin and allows the cells to use glucose for energy; a deficiency in vitamin D prevents fat from being burned.
Calcium: works with vitamin D to burn fat and the more that is stored in cells, the more fat that is burned.
Protein: maintains body composition for proper fat to muscle proportions and preserves muscle mass with vitamin D and calcium.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: enables the enzyme to burn fat in cells and prevents the overeating mechanism in the brain.
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids: maintains blood sugar and appetite.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid: strong fat burners in dairy products that allow blood glucose to enter cells and are burned to produce energy.
Polyphenols: antioxidants that increase metabolism, allow for fat burning, and reduce hunger and cravings.
Iron: allows red blood cells to transport oxygen to the body; vitamin C assists in the absorption of iron.
Choline: an essential nutrient that is water soluble and improves brain, liver, and cardiovascular health as well as increases mental concentration.
L-Carnitine: reduces fat mass and increases muscle mass, reduces fatigue, and acts as an antioxidant.
Leucine: an essential amino acid that allows for the loss of fat and maintains lean muscle when exercising.
Fiber: provides a satisfying feeling after meals, prevents constipation, involved in the digestion processes, and may treat diabetes, heart disease, and diverticulosis.
Stop Dieting
Losing weight and keeping it off is possible through a healthy lifestyle. Although there are numerous diets that provide balanced meals, low-calorie recipes, and suggested grocery lists, dieters often do not follow the structured diet plan for life. This oftentimes results in weight gain after months or even years of working hard to lose just that.
In order to effectively remain at a comfortable and healthy weight, a healthy lifestyle must be adopted. Structured diet plans rarely work long-term. Learning to make smart food choices on a daily basis and discovering ways to make eating fun and healthy make eating right easy. Providing the right nutrients for your body and being healthy should not be such an arduous task. Anyone can do it!
Let’s Eat!
Many may fall into the trap of tricking themselves into thinking, “This is healthy, it has vegetables in it!”, but what are you truly eating? That “healthy” vegetable-stuffed omelet more than likely is oozing with full-fat cheese, cooked with greasy oils, and has too many eggs. The side of carrots served with dinner is drowning in butter. The chicken tenders ordered at your favorite restaurant are deep fried. Instead, use low-fat cheese, cook with non-stick cooking spray, and cut down on the eggs for your omelets. Use salt and pepper or low-calorie butter brands to add flavor to vegetables at dinner. Order grilled chicken instead of chicken that has been fried. There are many delicious alternatives to the most famous fatty and caloric meals that are easy and will blast that weight off!
Work Out Your Workout
Developing an active lifestyle is another element of leading a complete healthy life. The combination of eating right and staying fit is the key to success. Exercising can be anything from a daily walk, a jog, a bike ride, or hiking, to weight lifting, aerobics, and training for triathlons. Working out should be something enjoyable and should not feel like a chore. Choose an activity that fits into your schedule and one that you look forward to every day.
Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db82.pdf
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/the-vitamin-d-diet
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/weight-loss-1/5-nutrients-vital-to-weight-loss.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/nov/17/health/he-skeptic17
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choline
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/carnitine-lcarnitine
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/biochemistry/problem_sets/aa/Leucine.html
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030207/protein-diet-may-prompt-weight-loss?page=2%22
Your Watson 