The Reason Why Weight Loss Isn’t Equal In Everyone

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.

What is Dukan Diet and its side-effects?

This article gives pertinent information about Dukan Diet and its side-effects

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Pierre Dukan, a French doctor and nutritionist, challenged with the case of obesity started to look for alternative ways in curing the illness. After 20 years of thorough research he published in the year 2000, a book called, “Je ne sais pas maigrir” or translated as, “I don’t know how to get slimmer.” It gained the best-seller in France after a year it has been published.
It was made a hit in UK when Kate Middleton, now the duchess of Cambridge, tried the Dukan Diet before her marriage to the beloved Prince William, she reportedly claimed a loss of two dress sizes. It also allegedly claimed to help five million French. The book is also gaining fame in the US in the year 2011 when actress/singer, Jennifer Lopez, lost pounds after her pregnancy by following this diet.
Dukan Diet: What is it? How does this work?
Dukan Diet is similar to the famous Atkins diet. Atkins and Dukan are much alike in terms of non-intake of carbs initially and do not require portion control or counting calorie consumptions. In Atkins, it requires net carbohydrate intakes and unlike Dukan, it suggests a daily intake of oats, increase water consumption and 20 minutes of everyday brisk walking. Dukan Diet adopts four phases namely: Attack, Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization.
Four Phases of the Dukan Diet
Attack: In this starter phase, the dieter is only allowed take protein rich foods that are exquisitely low in fat. Dr. Dukan provided 72-item list of foods to be eaten, it excludes pork, lamb, poultry products and cheeses. Food should always be cooked but without adding any fat to it, it best to cook in grilling or roasting. It also requires you to eat 1 ½ tbsp. oat bran & 1.5 liters of water per day. This phase should be followed around 2-7 days or more. Results from this initial phase within 5 days may result in 4-7 lbs. loss. This phase promotes quick loss of weight since it is strictly based on a protein-only diet.
Cruise: Cruise, the second to the fourth phase of the Dukan diet scheme. During this phase dieters who were only allowed to eat protein-only foods can now alternate a 28-items of non-starchy vegetables. They may take attack phase diet for today and take non-starchy veggie diet for tomorrow, and so this phase must go on by alternating these two types of diet each day. This phase may last long enough as much as you want by reaching your desired weight and assuring 2 pounds per week loss.
Consolidation: As one achieves the desired weight, one has to go the next phase called Consolidation, this is the maintenance phase of this diet scheme where you have to prevent putting back excess pounds. The plan in this phase is less strict compared to the first two phases. During this phase you are permitted to eat protein-only and veggie diet along with a piece of low-sugar fruit, 2 slices of whole grain bread and a portion of hard cheese. In this phase you are allowed to have 1-2 serving of starchy foods and one celebration meal per week. The phase of consolidation does not expect to loss off pounds but rather it is steadily the maintenance process.
Stabilization: Stabilization is the final phase and a life-long phase of the diet scheme. In here maintenance of the life-changing diet may be a challenging and tempting. During this portion of the scheme, one is already permitted to allow any food intake that a person wants and by also sticking to the diet rule in the consolidation phase. As Pierre Dukan suggest, that staying on the phase 1 rule once a week and eat whatever you like for the rest of the week lowers the chances of regaining weight.
Pros and Cons of Dukan Diet
Pros: The fast results of this diet scheme is beneficially rewarding and motivating. It allows you to have protein and veggie meal plan diets and does not require you to count off your calorie intakes.
Cons: It is highly restrictive and can exclude healthy foods. Dieters can experience side-effects such as symptoms of headaches, nausea, lethargy, irritable and loss of concentration. Dieters may acquire halitosis (bad breath), metallic tasting mouth and strong smell in their urines. For those people who have problems with their kidneys and liver are not advised to follow this diet plan. It is not also recommended for pregnant and nursing mothers.

Views and Opinions by Health Experts on the Dukan Diet
There are lots of critics in this diet plan. Due to the restrictive type scheme of this diet, some fruits, grains and nuts which are healthy and have high amounts of vitamins and minerals that are vital to the nutrition of the body are eliminated. Keri Gans of American Dietetic Association, said that the lost amount of multivitamins that should be acquired from those restricted foods are not compensated in the Dukan diet. Experts have also criticized that experiencing such side-effects may not be healthy at all.

Weight Loss and Exercise Myths- Separating the Truth from Fiction

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.