Why are you overweight and how can you fix it?

One of the major obstacles to successful weight control is lack of understanding. In plain terms, ignorance may be bliss but it certainly does not lead to shedding of excess pounds.

Glandular Problems
For example, many overweight people claim that their problem is due to their "glands". They believe that they have some kind of metabolic disease that causes them to pile on the weight. In fact, only occasionally is this so. In a very small proportion of overweight people a simple blood test, arranged by a GP, may show that the thyroid gland is underactive. In such a case thyroid hormone replacements may help the weight problem. But I must stress that thyroid problems are rarely the cause of excess weight.

Diabetes and Excess Weight
A much more common link between excess weight and metabolic disease is Diabetes. Middle-aged and elderly people who are overweight are far more likely to develop type 2, that is non-insulin dependent, diabetes. Often, merely shedding the excess weight leads to good control of the disease. Diabetes is a serious condition, which significantly increases the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

Excess weight and obesity are major health problems. In the UK, one in three adults are overweight, and one in six adults are obese - which means they carry surplus body weight of 20% or more.

But Why Are You Overweight?
One of the most common remarks I hear from overweight clients is: "But doctor, I hardly eat anything at all. My weight has nothing to do with the food I eat." Ridiculous as such a comment may sound, there is a grain of truth in it. Since the end of World War Two, the amount of food we eat has actually lessened, whilst at the same time our average body weight has risen. Whilst this may seem a puzzle, there is a very simple explanation.

During the past few decades we have watched more and more television, we spend more time in front of computers, we use cars where before we used our feet or bicycles, and we use lifts and escalators instead of stairs. We have become less active. So, although we consume less calories now than a few years ago, we also burn up far fewer calories than before.

What we weigh depends on a simple balance: the calories we consume against the calories we burn. Or, put more simply, food versus exercise. Yes, we may not seem to eat very much, but if we are couch potatoes we still end up piling on the weight.

This is one example of poor public knowledge about excess weight. Another has to do with the best way to shed those excess pounds. Ask most people and they will tell you: "Diet". Again, there is some truth in the answer, but it is far from complete.

And What Can You Do About It?
For a start, most people's idea of "diet" is to go on some kind of masochistic hunger-driven eating plan, which forbids all of their favorite foods. Yes, as long as you stick to such a program you will probably lose weight, but at what cost? Anyone who has followed such a regime knows that it is impossible to stick to it for long, and when the diet is eventually abandoned all those pounds come tumbling back on even faster than they went away.

With experience, and with professional guidance, some people eventually learn that the only way to diet sensibly is to follow a healthy, balanced diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, not much fat, and moderation in all things.

This approach, providing it is combined with regular moderate exercise -- such as walking for 30 minutes 4 days a week and weightlifting 3 days a week -- does in fact, yield results.

Note the important features: a healthy balanced diet and exercise. Without exercise it is virtually impossible to lose weight and, even more importantly, to maintain a healthy weight. Which brings us on to another area of ignorance. Maintaining weight is the name of the game. Almost anyone can lose weight. The trick is to keep it off.

The tendency to be overweight is a lifelong condition. Like diabetes or high blood pressure, you don't "cure" it - you aim only to "control" it. Unless you continue to work at it, excess weight has an unpleasant habit of coming back. But the process really does not have to be unpleasant. Good healthy food in moderation and reasonable exercise help to shape a fitter and more energetic body, which makes for a more enjoyable lifestyle.

Don't Believe the Hype
Finally, one more common piece of ignorance. Many like to believe that you can "cure" excess weight and obesity with pills. Sadly, no magic bullet is yet available, nor is it likely to be for many years to come. The answer for the foreseeable future will remain the same: eat less, exercise more. Don't allow yourself to believe the common points of ignorance to do with obesity. Instead, arm yourself with knowledge. If you need extra help, see your doctor, practice nurse or local slimming club.

Losing weight is simple, which is not to say that it is necessarily easy. But don't make it even more difficult by believing that which is not true.

5 Weight Loss Questions

Why is weight loss important to you?
Make sure your reasons for desiring weight loss are clear. Do you want to look good? Do you want to feel healthier? Has your doctor given you a health warning? Do you just want to be able to run around the park with your kids? Maybe all these reasons apply. The more reasons you have for weight loss and the more you are aware of them the easier it will be to remind yourself to keep to your weight loss program when the going gets tough. Even better, spend some time imagining how you will FEEL when you succeed. This will do more than anything to increase your motivation.

How much weight do you want to lose?
Set yourself a weight loss target. This gives you something to aim for and you will be able to see how much closer you are getting each week. You can never succeed if you don't know what the end point is. "I want to lose weight" is not a measurable goal - you have succeeded (of sorts) after you lose an ounce. Make your goal specific with a weight target to aim for.

What are you going to do to achieve weight loss?
Nothing is going to change unless you do. So what changes are you going to make? Will you follow a particular plan or just cut down in general? What exercise will you take (if any)? What will you do about the things that might get in the way of your weight loss plan? Vague ideas about weight loss need to translate into action. Ask yourself the questions and decide what you will do.

Who will support you in your weight loss goal?
Some people will actively encourage you in your weight loss goals, while others will get in the way of your plans. Do you know who your supporters will be? And who you will need to avoid or find some way to deal with? Ask for the support you need from those you think are most likely to give it or join a club of people who are also trying to lose weight. Remember, these are available online as well.

If you can afford it think about getting a weight loss coach - all that focus on your success will work wonders. As for those who are less than enthusiastic about your plans, think about ways of handling them. Of course you'll need a different strategy for close friends and relatives than you need for the guy who brings cakes into the office and insists you eat one!

And the final question?
When will you start?

Author:
Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and author of "The Diet Exit Plan". Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know"
www.SimplySlimming.com

Weight Loss Strategies

If you are wanting to lose weight, you should never skip meals, especially breakfast, and you should watch out for "hidden" calories that you either add to your food or that you drink, such as soda or juice.

Another key strategy to losing weight is making yourself feel full. Try drinking a glass of water just before you begin eating. By doing so, the water is occupying space in your stomach. You will feel full faster. Most importantly, eat foods high in fiber.

Foods that are high in fiber (such as fruits, whole grains, and vegetables) contain bulk with considerably fewer calories-to-volume-of-food. Fiber is a substance that your body does not use as a calorie source. Yet, it occupies space in your stomach which in turn makes you feel full faster.

Most fruits and vegetables are excellent choices when you are looking for a food low in calories. Watch out for avocados and coconuts. Both are high in fat, thus high in calories. Including a rich amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet not only makes sense for a weight loss plan but for any diet plan. To promote good health, you should always incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Should a weight loss plan be fat-free? No. A sensible weight loss plan will include fat, 15 to 30% of the calories from fat. Your body does need fat, so it is not a good idea to omit it from your diet. It is also not a good idea to eat too much fat, more than 30% of calories. Serious health problems can occur as a result of eating a diet rich in fat.

When a product states that it is fat-free or that it is lower in calories than the original version, be sure to read the label. Always check the number of calories and know the serving size. Many fat-free versions of some of your favorite foods are not necessarily lower in calories.

Final comment, there are no "magic" foods. Eating grape fruit religiously, while it is a healthy food choice, do not expect this practice to burn any extra calories. Slurping down cabbage soup, sorry to say, will not produce any wonderful results either. Simply put, use your head when you hear or read some quack's new revolutionary diet plan. Nope, combining foods a certain way is not going to make you drop the pounds either - Sorry, Suzanne Somers!