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Basic tips for effective weight loss and weight maintenance
Most experts agree that the being over-weight (carrying a few extra lbs if you prefer) is down to a combination of our lifestyle and those 'nasty genetics'. The good news is almost all of us can achieve our weight loss ambitions when we adopt a balanced approach to eating and exercise. However, going on a 'diet splurge' rarely delivers anything but a few weeks of 'faux slimming' and the answer to lasting weight loss is a little more complex. Read on to learn the key steps that can help you lose weight and sustain your results...
Get active
Firstly, it's essential to realise that a sedentary lifestyle (such as working 9-5 in an office, driving home and then slouching on the sofa) is one of the key causes of excess weight. In fact, many of us have discovered to our horror that after losing a few lbs by eating well, our weight piles back on once we have a 'bad week' and fail to burn off those extra calories! So - getting active really is essential, even if that means a 20 minute walk home rather than working away in the gym. The little things make a real difference and they can help create the 'calorie deficit' that's key to losing and sustaining weight loss.
Get healthy
If you need a reason to slim down and get active, your health has to be one of them. In fact, just losing a few lbs and making any form of exercise a part of your life can slash the chances of a host of illnesses and diseases associated with obesity. Thinking of your health is a big boost to get you motivated - after all, we all want to look great, but adding years to your life if enough to make most of us make the extra effort to eat well and exercise.
Maintaining Weight After Weight Loss
Once you've shed your excess lbs, it's all about weight management. Maintaining your weight can mean maintaining the lbs you have lost, whether you've attained your ideal weight or simply lost some weight for health reasons. Weight maintenance is really down to making a conscious choice to exercise frequently and eat a calorie intake that is low enough to maintain or further reduce your current weight. It does not mean starving yourself - just being healthier in your food choices. Generally, you can achieve this goal by boosting you intake of unprocessed foods such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains and avoiding overly-processed food. Exercise can either be structured (such as the gym, classes, jogging or a DVD) or habitual (such as walking the dog). However, increasing the duration, frequency and intensity of exercise will make weight maintenance much easier. What's more, you will be able to eat more and treat yourself more often if you are exercising vigorously for 30-60 minutes, 3-5 times per week.
The risks of 'fad dieting' and 'magic weight loss products'
Losing weight and keeping it off is about moderation - not crazy, unhealthy fads. Resorting to these fad diets simply sends you and your body into shock and the results (if you get any) are very rarely long-lasting. For example, you can't keep up a 800 calorie diet for very long without becoming potentially very ill and looking awful, while who really wants to never eat bread again? In contrast, a balanced diet and exercise plan will help you lose 1-2lbs per week - and that's sustained results over many months until you achieve a healthy, desirable weight and body. Most experts suggest that 1-3lbs is a healthy target that reduces any potential side-effects which can occur with very rapid weight loss. What's more, 4-9lbs per month is a lot when you think about it. Although some people drop the lbs at a faster rate than others, moderate weight loss is much easier to maintain once you achieve your target weight.
Another reason to skip the fad diet regimes is their apparent disregard for dietary guidelines. For example, who wants to lose 6lbs in 3 days if it genuinely risks your health? The only exception is generally in extreme cases where doctors may advise rapid weight loss plans for severely obese individuals.
Evidently, the miracle pill and easy solution to weight loss is a myth. Despite living in a very advanced society, the promise of a super fat loss pill or wonder exercise machine will always turn out to be too good to be true. The TV shopping channels are a favourite place to find the promises of 'eating yourself thin' and 'dropping a dress size in a week' - but sadly it's essentially just marketing lies.
Many women have fallen for the lies, only to find that there is only one real way to lose weight and keep it off for good - eat a balanced diet and exercise/get active regularly to create a calorie deficit that delivers real weight loss. Simple - but not 'easy' and not particularly 'fast'.
There are some research proven nutrients such as green tea and caffeine which can help to support weight loss and curb appetite, but they only work when you start to consistently follow the true 'golden rules'.
Anyone who cries aloud that weight loss can be effortless is either lying or has never really been over-weight. The truth about weight loss is simple and proven:
"Reduce the number of calories you eat and/or to increase the energy burn off by exercising."
Of course, it makes sense to try and do both, as recommended by experts.
Nutrition is very important and Maxitone can support your slimming and body ambitions when combined with a good exercise plan. Using research-blended shakes, bars and capsules makes it easier to control your nutrition with a busy lifestyle, curb-cravings and boost the results of exercise. Ultimately, weight loss isn't about fad fixes. It's about being committed and patient enough to gradually adopt a new lifestyle that delivers real, lasting results.
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