How does one best lose weight? Well, there are many different things that I can
say but none as important as this: Self-control. And by control, I mean, willpower.
One has to view the unhealthier things as discomforting and consciously tell
yourself that the healthier choices will yield happiness. Working on your willpower is
no different than working a muscle. Maybe it would be helpful to purposefully
choose the healthy things that seem so unappealing at first as an act to develop
willpower as if lifting a dumbbell. Eventually, you will be making healthier decisions
more often than not, which is the ultimate goal, to tip the scales in the right
direction. On a further note, don’t bite off more than you can chew; take baby steps
toward your healthier goals. If you dive in altogether, then most likely you’ll be
overwhelmed. Start slow and set goals that are a bit challenging but obtainable.
Underneath this canopy of Self-control sits vital concept if weight loss is the
goal: portion control. Eat more meals, but eat smaller portions. Ideally,you want to
eat more than the typical 3 square meals a day. In at all possible, aim for 5 meals.
The reason being that your body becomes hungry during the lulls between meals
while on the traditional 3 meal plan. You might be saying, “Well, I was always told to
only eat when hungry.” Well, it’s now been discovered that your body panics when
hungry, not knowing when its next meal will be, and slows down its metabolism and
hoards fat in order to conserve valuable energy. Think of your body as a furnace and
the meals as adding coal to the fire. The greater the fire, the more calories burned.
Next, I’ll give you some useful tips on figuring out adequate portion sizes for
different foods. For fruits and vegetables, one serving equals one cup. The American
Diabetes Association says that 1/2 cup looks like a halved tennis ball sitting on your
plate. So at each meal, imagine a full tennis ball’s worth of colorful vegetables, fruit,
or starchier vegetables sitting on your plate. For lean meats, 3 ounces equal a single
serving. In the case that you don’t feel like measuring, just imagine putting a piece
of chicken or fish on your plate that’s the size of a deck of cards. Now, when dining
out, large portions seem almost mandatory. The best way to fix that is to have the
server immediately box up half of the meal and have you take the rest home for
lunch the next day. Or, you could always just split an entree with someone and, if
you haven’t indulged in awhile, then split a dessert with someone.
Also beneath this umbrella of self-control and even beneath the canopy of
portion control, lies another important tenet of healthy weight loss: insulin control.
Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas that’s main role is to regulate
carbohydrate metabolism. Essentially, when blood sugar levels start getting past a
certain threshold, insulin is released to drag off the excess glucose to the liver,
muscles, or to fat stores. Unfortunately, when you have a lot of simple, refined
sugars like sodas or sweets, then the bloodstream is hit with too much glucose from
the breakdown of simple carbs and, as a result, insulin is released in large
quantities to get rid of the excess and return the bloodstream to normal blood
sugar levels. However, too much can be released and the excessive insulin can rid
your blood of most of its glucose rather quickly. This is why one feels exhausted
and cloudy not too long after making a meal made out of sugary stuff. So, ideally,
one wants to eat complex carbohydrates like colorful vegetables, grains, and
starches. The reason being that complex carbohydrates have what is called a low
glycemic index score. The glycemic index is a means to rate how quickly a
carbohydrate hits the bloodstream, Table sugar has a score of 100, while a golden
delicious apple rates as a 39. Typically, any carbohydrate that has a glycemic index
score less than 55 is usually considered to be a good carbohydrate source since the
raise in blood sugar is gradual and thus insulin isn’t over-released (an exception
would be carrots, with a score of 92). Now, if one spends a long time eating a lot of
refined sugary foods, then one would not only become obese but would most likely
develop a resistance to insulin that would eventually lead to diabetes. Essentially,
your body finds itself unable to use the insulin that is already in the bloodstream
and yet the pancreas still produces more and more. Many researchers believe that
any carbs ingested would immediately be taken to be stored as fat since both the
liver and muscles don’t need to be replenished of energy. So, in order to avoid these
maladies, control the amount of carbs ingested. Aim for no refined and processed
carbs like white bread and sodas, even if that means eliminating one soda at a time.
By replacing your potato chips and french fries and Wonder Bread with broccoli,
apples, asparagus, and bell peppers, then things like Alzheimer’s disease, strokes,
arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes can all be sidestepped. As the noted English
author and critic, Samuel Johnson once said, “Few things are impossible to diligence
and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.” So,
persevere, for trimmer waistlines and longer lives await thee.
My name is Ian Robertson, I’m 21 and am a Certified Personal Trainer working on my
Master Trainer credits in Nashville, TN. I work for Basics and Beyond Personal Fitness
Professionals and specialize in functional and intense strength training that will
guarantee Navy Seal level conditioning for those that so desire it. Also, I’m engaged to
be married to my lovely fiance, Talia, in late April of 06.