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Weight Loss - A Balanced and Sensible Approach
Weight gain is at a crisis stage in America right now. The number of obese men and women has doubled in the past 30 years.  Nearly 60% of Americans are overweight or obese today. 60%, that's an incredible figure! When you stop to notice people around your workplace or at a mall you realize that it's true. The many, many "miracle" weight loss cures splashed all over the TV, radio and the web are confusing to people serious about the problem. In fact, many, if not most of them are outright fabrications. For the great majority of people, most of these do not work anywhere near their claims. If you are having a hard time developing a weight management strategy let me offer a few tips toward a balanced and sensible approach to weight control.
Weight Gain
With restaurants on nearly every street corner in big cities, fast food restaurants all over and the long work schedules that many of us work today, it is extremely easy to fall into habits that contribute to weight gain. Consider a few of the many reasons that Americans are having such a problem:
· Work schedules often make good, healthy, home-cooked meals very difficult.
· People are consuming 300 more calories per day than 20 years ago. And no wonder with the portions continually being increased at restaurants and with as many "all you can eat" establishments as there are. Do you remember (or are you too young) when a Whopper used to be considered a BIG sandwich? How about a double or triple Whopper today.
· Eating larger sized portions for their meals.
· The thought that low fat foods are good and you can eat as much as you want.
· Exercise – or should I say not enough of it!
 Remember, low fat food may have more calories than normal food. Many people try to keep their weight down by eating only low fat foods. We need to read the labels on foods and not be deceived by the "low fat" moniker.
Tips for Weight Management
Physical activity (exercise) is a huge factor. It has been estimated that a third of Americans do not get enough exercise. And I think that is being conservative. Here are some suggestions that can make a real difference:
· Set up a piece of exercise equipment right in front of the TV so that when that show comes on that you just can’t miss you will be doing productive exercise at the same time.
· Many of us make short trips in our cars to the store, to rent a movie, to get gas for the lawn mower, etc. Many of these are less than a mile. Why not ride a bicycle, walk or even better yet jog to your destination? Consider the following comparison when driving a mile (round trip) or taking a brisk walk. To drive this distance could easily take 2-4 minutes each way for a total of 4-8 minutes. Most people can walk a mile (briskly) in between 15-20 minutes. So you have will have spent 11-12 additional minutes walking, which is not that much time. You have done some good exercise that you would not have had you have taken the car. A small sacrifice for a greater gain.
· Many people work in a multi-story building. How about taking the steps instead of the elevator? Step climbing is a great exercise! Or for the office worker, how about taking a nice 10-15 minute walk after lunch?
 It is recommended that we get 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day. It doesn't have to be a formal workout routine at a gym that you need to pay money to use. In my opinion that is a great disservice that the workout facility has done to America. Some Americans actually believe the advertisements that imply "you need to come to "XXX" gym to get a get a good workout". Although exercise equipment and the camaraderie of pursuing the same goals as others can help, it is not necessary. Everyone can get a good, thorough exercise without belonging to a gym or owning a host of expensive pieces of exercise equipment. Consider the following exercises that can be done without any equipment at home, while traveling on business or pleasure, at a friends house, or some of them even at work:
- Toe Touches, Crossovers, several different stretching exercises
- Pushups (men's or ladies)
- Situps, Crunches, numerous stomach exercises
- Let Lifts
- Burpees
- Running, Jogging
- Walking
There are also nutritional supplements for weight loss and natural appetite suppressants that can assist, and some have demonstrated very good results. They should not be treated as the only approach, but one of three, along with diet and exercise. There are no "magic bullets" for weight loss. Losing weight and keeping the pounds off, like most good things, takes time and is not an easy task for many people. But it can be done. And once the pounds start to drop off, once you start to realize that you are making accomplishments, you will be motivated to do more and better. Once it gets started it will be much easier to continue. Good habits become like "the train rolling down hill". The key is to get started, to develop a balanced weight management strategy, and to realize the benefits.
With a balanced and sensible weight management strategy, chances are you will do very well!
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