There are so many myths regarding weight loss and exercise that it is sometimes hard to know what is true and what is not. To shed pounds you need to get to the truth of the matter!

Many people believe that spot reduction- which is to say targeting specific areas of the body for weight loss works. In truth it does not work. If you think doing 100 sit-ups and leg lifts will get rid of the flab on your belly and get rid of the extra weight on your thighs then you are sure to be disappointed.

When your body loses fat it drops it from the total of the fat reserves that you have. You have absolutely no control over what area of your body the stored fat will come from. Aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, dancing or cycling will offer the best options for burning fat. It is worth noting however that spot exercises are capable of strengthening and toning muscles in specific places once the fat has been lost.

Have you ever heard anyone say that if a little exercise is a good thing then doing a lot must be even better? If weight loss is important to you that does not mean that you can go crazy all of the sudden and push yourself to all sorts of extremes! If you have led a very sedentary existence for quite some time you cannot just get up off the couch and decide to start walking, running, cycling or working out at the gym for two hours a day. Being drastic in this manner can be overwhelming to the body and can cause damage to your body and your health.

Former inactive individuals need to ease into physical activity slowly and take it one step at a time. Weight loss will come with effort but it is not worth it to put your body in jeopardy! Be gentle with yourself and start small and gradually work up to more physical activity. In particular you need to go easy on your spine and your joints. The extra weight that you are carrying can lead to more health problems if you push yourself hard from the very start.

Resistance training and toning, such as working out with weights, is not beneficial for those who want to shed pounds. Is this true or false? It is false. Resistance training and toning is useful for everyone regardless of their fitness level. Resistance training increases muscle mass which we all need because it leads to the strengthening of bones.

When you work out with weights, resistance bands or a gym machine this facilitates faster weight loss and will tone you up quicker than if you just did aerobic exercise on a frequent basis. Muscle is capable of burning calories at a more rapid rate than fat does. This means that calories are burner faster which is what you want for reducing your weight.

Weight loss pattern varies vastly from person to person and even you yourself must have seen people who eat quite a lot but don’t put on weight. The reverse too is seen where people fail to lose weight despite resorting to a reduced intake of food. Why does this happen and what steps can you undertake in case you are suffering from such a problem? This is our topic of discussion in this article.

Our body is working non-stop and in order to keep functioning, it needs a constant supply of energy. This energy is derived from the food that we eat. The body breaks this food down into nutrients which are consequently converted into energy. The process of converting food into calories is known as metabolism. While the metabolism process is same in every human being, the rate at which it metabolizes nutrients is unique or different in every individual. Thus a person who has a higher metabolic rate is able to burn calories more efficiently than someone who has a lower metabolic rate.

Let us take this example, two people A and B eat the same amount of food, however A’s metabolism rate is higher than that of B. In this case, A will be able to burn much more calories from the same amount of food than B. B on the other hand is incapable of burning too many calories and these extra saved calories then get converted into fat. The fat then manifests itself in the form of weight gain and thus despite both having the same food intake; the results vary.

Even studies are of the opinion that it is the body’s metabolic rate that has a far greater say in weight issues than food intake. Thus it is essential that people who have a low metabolism rate take steps in order to counteract the effect. As is universal to all people wanting to lose weight, follow a proper diet and exercise regularly. Avoid oily and rich carbohydrate foods and instead have juices and foods low in calories which the body won’t have much trouble breaking down. Instead of having 3 meals in a day, break it down into 6-7 small servings. This will mean that the body has fewer amounts of calories to tackle with at a given time and thus will help it to burn calories much faster.

Refrain from taking a nap immediately following a heavy lunch or dinner because sleeping time is a time when the body is trying to replenish and conserve its energy reserves. In order to achieve this, it slows down all its systems and this includes even the systems which control the metabolism rate. Thus the calories burnt during the period that you sleep are always lesser than in the time when you are awake. Thus avoid sleeping immediately after having had food.

Drugs too have been known to aid in weight loss. One can find a variety of these in the market and these can range from ones which boost the body’s metabolism rate to others which prevent the absorption of fat in body. However before taking these medications, always consult the doctor to eliminate the danger of side effects. Always remember this, weight loss is a gradual process and in order to achieve sustainable results in the long run, one needs to be determined and disciplined in one’s day-to-day life.

The Atkins’ diet has been a craze for a couple of decades. Here’s how you can gain from it.

mediaimage
All of you who are reading this article right now have definitely been on a diet at some point or the other of your lives. The battle of the bulge is an ongoing problem and we are always on the lookout for various means to win this war.

Along with exercise, our diet and nutrition also plays an important role in reducing our weight. Hence, this obsession persists in all of us to undertake some form of dieting. But going on a diet is definitely not an easy thing. What to eat and what to stay away from is always a perennial problem.

One of my friends told me that she ate the normal menu which she cooked for the family, but her weight loss recipe is “portion control.” This is a really simple diet plan. In this plan, you cut down on the portion of food you consume. For example, if you usually have two pieces of toast for breakfast, you should eat only one piece. If you normally eat two cups of rice for lunch, cut it down to one cup. In this way, you are automatically reducing your calorie intake by half.

Another popular method of dieting is to stop all intake of fatty foods and sugar. In this diet, you cut down on your oil, butter and ghee intake which automatically reduces your fat deposits.

While I was leafing through a magazine, I read about one of our Hollywood celebrities following the Atkins’ diet. This immediately aroused my curiosity about the diet. Though I have heard about the diet many times, I had no inside knowledge about it. So, I immediately set to work on it and found out certain basic facts’ about the Atkins diet which I want to share with my readers.

The Atkins’ diet made its first appearance in 1972 and was invented by its namesake, Dr Atkins. According to him, this method enables us to lose weight by inducing a change in metabolism. Our body burns both fat and carbohydrates to provide energy. If we reduce the intake of carbohydrates significantly, our body starts burning only fat to provide energy. This method is called “lipolysis”, which in turn induces ketosis. In ketosis, our body burns fat as fuel. Atkins also felt that ketosis will affect insulin production which will result in less fat being formed. And, once your body enters ketosis, your cravings for carbohydrates will reduce significantly which, in turn, will reduce your body weight.

The major difference between Atkins’ diet and other types of diet is that, while most diets restrict calorie, intake, the Atkins’ plan encourages us to eat more. While most of the diets recommend low fat, high carbohydrate intake, Atkins’ does just the opposite. Instead of carbohydrate and sugar, this diet wants us to consume plenty of fat and protein.

The core principle of the Atkins’ diet is that, by limiting carbohydrates, our body is forced to burn its stored fat, rather than carbs for fuel.

The Atkins’ diet has a four carbohydrates stage plan induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. With the help of these four stages, you can reduce as well as maintain your weight throughout your life.

Induction – phase 1: This phase lasts for two weeks, by the end of which you can obtain significant results. Another point is that, in this diet plan you can begin at any of the phase. But it is recommended to start with induction. As you cut back on your carbohydrates significantly in this phase, you will jump start your weight loss programme. In this phase, only 20 gm of carbohydrates are allowed and hence your weight loss is significant. As you drastically cut down on carbohydrates your body shifts into high gear and starts burning fat. This takes about 48 hours to occur and you may feel hungry and irritated for the first three-four days. But don’t worry, as soon as your fat starts getting converted to fuel, you will feel fit as a fiddle. Induction will strengthen your immune system and also improve our long-term health.

Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase 2: In this phase, the weight loss pace slows down as you add nutrient-rich carbohydrates to your diet. During this period, you will boost your body’s ability to burn fats as well as understand your body better. You will find the right amount of carbohydrates which you can consume and still lose weight. Your body will also prepare itself for permanent weight management. The amount of carbohydrates which you can eat is increased to 25 gm per day for the first week and increased in five gm instalment for the next few weeks. If your weight loss is significant, you can increase your carbohydrate intake. A person has to be on OWL till he or she is within three-five kg of their goal weight.

Pre-maintenance – (phase 3): Pre-maintenance is a practice run for lifetime maintenance. In this phase, you are fast approaching your target. As long as you continue to lose weight, you can increase your weekly allotment of carbohydrates by another 10 gm. You will be in this phase till you reach your goal and stay on it for one month. The ultimate goal here is to achieve a state of balance called Atkins’ Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). The ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake wherein you neither gain nor lose weight.

Lifetime maintenance phase 4: In this phase, you have to focus on your individual ACE and strive to stay within two kg of your ideal weight for the rest of your life. By following a sensible eating plan, you gain energy, better health and confidence in yourself.

By following these four phases, you not only achieve your dream weight but are also able to maintain it throughout your life. You can learn more about this diet by reading the book, Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. But, as with any other diet, this plan also has its pros and cons. The good point is that this diet recommends exercise as a vital part of the weight loss programme. Another point to be noted is that you cannot start on carbohydrates after you lose weight as this will result in your gaining back all that you have lost.

Medical experts advise that people who have gout, kidney problems, diabetes or are pregnant women should not follow this diet plan. As this diet is very stringent, do consult your doctor/dietician for proper advice.

Your dietician will provide you with a proper menu chart as to what should be eaten, in what quantities, etc, based on your eating habits and general lifestyle.

Happy dieting and hoping to see slimmer and fitter readers.