Guest guest Posted December 28, 2002 Report Share Posted December 28, 2002 Again, from my other group. Gena > The basics: > > If you want to lose weight, you'll have to take in fewer calories > than you expend. > You can do this by cutting calorie intake or by increasing activity, > but the best method is by combining the two, with an emphasis on > increasing activity level. Most adults gain weight simply because > they grow less active as the years go by, not because of an increase > in calories. Plus, being less active leads to muscle loss and a > lowered metabolism. > > We have all heard it before and it sounds so easy, so why does weight > loss seem so difficult? > Your body is smart and is programmed to survive. If you deprive it of > the necessary cals, your body will think you are in the middle of a > famine and will do it's best to keep you from dying of hunger. By > going into " starvation mode, " the body lowers your metabolic rate in > order to preserve energy and your fat reserves. > Your body will consume your muscles before it will start on fat > stores because muscle tissue requires the most calories to maintain. > > The only way to outsmart your body is to lower your caloric intake > moderately and increase your activity level as much as you > comfortably can. Exercising and eating sufficient calories will keep > your body burning fat instead of muscle. > > Finally, don't underestimate the importance of setting realistic > goals. The body wants to maintain it's weight (set-point), so drastic > drops make it harder to keep the pounds off because your body hasn't > forgotten the comforts of your original weight. Start by losing 10% > of your body weight and focus on keeping that off for a full year. If > you lose more than that and keep it off, good for you, but 10% is > your realistic goal. After you have kept off that 10% for a year (you > may lose 20% and gain 10% of that back, but you have still kept off > 10%) then try for another 10% next year. > > That's the smart way, yet people are still searching for that quick > fix. Just think of how great it will be to put an end to the > deprivation and starvation that fad diets require and how healthy and > self-confident you will feel as the pounds start slipping away-- > slowly, but surely! > > ~Stacie > > PS > You didn't gain weight overnight, you won't lose it overnight. Your > motivation grows stronger every day as the pounds come off, and it > becomes easier to stick with new habits as the old ones are left > farther and farther behind. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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