An Opinion On The Basics

Jan 31 '01 Write an essay on this topic.

The Bottom Line The key to a weight loss program is to get a combination of foods that will supply your daily calories and at the same time satisfy your hunger.

You know for a lot of people diets are like religion. If you believe in a diet then it is the only one that is worthwhile. In fact there are many ways to get the job done. Reviewing the basics about the problem is in order.

The key to weight control is to first determine the amount of calories you require to maintain a steady weight. This of course can vary depending on the amount of activity that you engage in each day. There are charts and graphs that can be used to estimate this value. It is a fact that if you intake less than this value you will loose weight. If you intake more than this value, you will gain weight. There are some foods, which require more calories to digest than what are supplied in laboratory tests, but these are not good for a constant diet.

Once you have an estimate of the number of calories you require daily, the next step is to construct an eating program that will provide this value and will satisfy your hunger urges. This is the trickiest part of any weight loss program. Pills can be prescribed, but I find this to be the least attractive option there is. Pills can lead to dependency, even addictions. The most likely reason you are overweight is carbohydrate addiction anyway. Why trade one addiction for another? There are other ways to allow you to reduce the calorie intake without using pills.

You need to want to get your weight under control, period. If you do not want to get your weight under control, you won’t, it’s just that simple. Now don’t go conjuring up sparse diets and extensive exercise programs just yet. What I recommend is to do research on what your body does with food it ingests. I mean real research. Study. Homework. All of the effort you thought you had grown out of once you left school. Most people will put in more effort in the purchase of a new car than they do in their nutrition. And I don’t mean just to read diet books either. Most diets are based on antidotal cause and effects and not true science. Search out sources of information that was compiled from actual medical tests and blood work. If a diet doesn't have a basis in fact, the fact that it works may be due to other factors than the food eaten, such as exercise. Many diets stress exercise so much that it provides a reason for the diet not working, a cop out if you will. The fact remains if you intake fewer calories than the calories you burn, you will loose weight, even if you sit on your butt all day. Exercise programs should be for your health and well being, not weight control.

The key to a weight loss program is to get a combination of foods that will supply the right amount of calories and at the same time satisfy your hunger. This requires a balance of carbohydrates, protein and dietary fats. When YOUR balance of these macronutrients is found, you will be able to eat the amount of food each day that will just supply the caloric value you require. For example, did you know that dietary fats contain elements that tell your brain that you are not hungry anymore? I you don't know the answer, then you need more study.

Activities, as opposed to exercise, are an important part of weight control as well, in my opinion. I have found that if I am busy, I don't get hungry as often. I suppose this is due to my brain being concentrated on what I am doing, as opposed to the wandering off to food. This can be anything that taxes my brain, even writing opinions.

In summary, diets are also like religions in that one is not for everyone, although those that believe in a particular one believe that theirs is for everyone. What good, I ask, is a vegetarian diet if it keeps you many pounds overweight? Is it really healthier than an alternative that might include some lean meat that allows you to loose weight? The answer is no. Being overweight has far more risk than the risk of eating meat, so if eating meat allows you to loose weight, it should be considered.

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