How to Lose Weight Without a Crash Diet

Much of the western world is on the verge of a health disaster.  Widespread obesity now threatens the economy and productivity of nations such as the UK and the USA.  Governments have warned that unless the situation improves, it may be necessary to intervene with ‘fat-busting’ laws.  This legislation may include taxing fast and convenience foods and restricting access to certain state provided healthcare for the significantly overweight.  Of course, obesity in itself is a multi-million dollar industry and there are thousands of high profile diets, fitness videos and ‘get thin quick’ systems out there.  However, many health professionals believe that a relatively slow and steady weight loss is more likely to succeed.

Too often, people achieve huge weight loss in a relatively short space of time only to quickly regain it.  The effect of ‘yo-yo’ dieting can have serious and long-lasting consequences on health and actually lead to more weight gain in the long run.  Permanent changes in lifestyle that are subtle and gradual enough to be sustained will have the most realistic chance of long-term success.  There are several changes that anyone can make without too much disruption to daily routines.

One subtle change that can lead to significant benefits is simply staying on the move more.  Office-workers in particular, endure many hours of inactivity on the phone or computer.  Using a mobile or cordless phone will allow the user to walk around whilst making phone calls.  Doing more housework or simply doing it faster can also burn off extra calories without too much effort.  Getting off the bus a couple of stops early will give you a daily walk that could lead to significant energy burn over a week.  Making all of these small changes to routine can burn up to two hundred more calories per day.

Another great way to lose weight is to reduce the average size of meals.  Changing to a food plate that is one third smaller may help a person to do this.  However, it is important a person doesn’t skip meals altogether.  This can cause hunger pangs and lead to larger meals being consumed at a later time.  It is also proven that it can cause the body to crave more calorific foods.

It has recently been shown that eating a diet that has a large amount of dairy products, whilst not consuming more than the daily allowance of calories, can lead to weight loss.  The calcium in dairy will attach to fat cells and create a chemical reaction that results in a soap-like substance being formed.  This substance passes straight through the body with ease.  It is important to remember that the dairy products should be relatively low in fat.  Things like skimmed milk and cottage cheese are ideal.

A great way of feeling full is to eat protein wherever possible.  Protein triggers a hormone in the body that will make a person feel full.  Breakfast is an incredibly important meal. It has been shown in tests that those who eat a breakfast high in protein, such as lean grilled bacon with scrambled egg, will consume fewer calories throughout the rest of the day than those who simply ate toast or a sugary cereal.  It is important to remember however, that everyone should still eat a balanced diet and consume no more calories than is recommended.

Recent scientific tests proved that eating soup can make a person feel full for longer.  One set of test subjects were given a meal of meat and vegetables whilst the other were given the same food but in a liquidised form.  Scans on the stomachs of the subjects showed those who ate the soup had significantly more still in their stomach than those who ate the solid meals.  It would appear it takes the body longer to digest food in a liquidised form.

These are just a few of the ways to lose weight with sensible and sustainable changes in lifestyle but there are many more.  Whilst rigorous exercise schedules and commercially driven diets can work for many, they often end in a weight goal being achieved and old habits slowly returning.  Making several small changes in lifestyle can add up to a much healthier body.

Author: Malcolm Cox from Coxcopywriting