- A diet and exercise program can be extremely helpful when it comes to losing weight. However, the issue is that most people don’t realize how they can lose weight without using chemicals or medications. This is because a lot of what they eat contains substances that are highly processed or contain artificial ingredients or preservatives. Research shows that over 70% of calories intake is consumed through food. One diet that has been proven effective in reducing body fat is intermittent fasting (IF). In this particular case, all meals are either consumed alone or within a specified period. The time window is usually 3 days, 6 consecutive weeks, and at times up to 1 month and 30 days.
- He is very simple and requires a daily schedule with a specific number of eating periods. There are no nutritional supplements or drinks used. It involves a reduction in calorie consumption as well as fat-burning activities such as aerobics, walking, and running, among others. It has also been shown that IF helps in the prevention of diabetes mellitus, cholesterol, and the increase of blood pressure.
- If he does not involve strenuous workouts like aerobics and swimming. Research indicates that the intensity of these exercises increases the risk of injury for those who engage in them, since both the cardiovascular system and muscles will be strained if they exercise for long hours. This means that a longer workout will be better than shorter workouts for more muscle gain. If a person eats less than 2.5 gm of sugar per day, he’s going to develop diabetes mellitus as he/she develops insulin resistance. An obese person will probably develop hypertension as he/she develops hypertension-related cardiac distress.
- Breathing is one exercise that has been proven effective for maintaining weight loss. For instance, when someone engages in moderate walking, for example a distance of 15 km, he knows that he will burn around 20 kg of fat in a year. As research shows, intermittent fasting reduces abdominal fats by lowering the production of appetite hormones. These hormones create feelings of satiety. The same happens to those who do intense cardio workouts. Since obesity makes the heart weak, thus causing high blood pressure, people get a heart attack even if they have been physically active and healthy before engaging in physical fitness exercises.
- The main reason people tend to reduce their weight is due to hunger. This is because some people may go overboard when eating to satisfy their appetite and this leads to overeating since they tend to compensate themselves by consuming high amounts of processed foods, sugary soft drinks, fast foods, and other sweetened products. Therefore, people tend to avoid dietary restrictions because they do not want to restrict their meals since they can easily end up starving. This may take place if one is on a restrictive diet.
- Therefore, to maintain a balanced diet, one should only consume low amounts of energy as well as food that is minimally processed. Most people who are obese cannot control their appetite, and they tend to eat large portions, which increases their amount of calorie intake. This causes the individual to store excess nutrients. As research shows, he uses an alternative way of eliminating calories from our meal plates. Studies show that as compared to other diets such as intermittent fasting, it is more effective to live off this diet because we can keep tabs on the food that we eat rather than having to stick to diets, which are very hard on health.
How one can change his/her lifestyle of eating healthier ?
- The key factor that controls eating habits is motivation. Motivation is the ability to overcome barriers that affect one’s thoughts or behavior, as well as internal factors that influence the process of decisioning. People require adequate motivation during the decisioning process. Some people need a higher level of motivation to engage in sports. Physical activity and competition help in motivating more people to perform better than expected. In addition, various motivational techniques can be applied to get motivated and this includes; visual or verbal stimulation. Visualization is important here because it helps one focus on his/her goal. Reminding oneself of past successes can motivate one to achieve his/her goals, as well as use visual images of a prize as a motivator. Examples of visual imagery that has helped me achieve my goals include watching movies about people achieving their dreams, and then being made part of teams of people who have similar objectives that you too. Verbal encouragement can be very useful to one’s motivation, while visual images are especially so. Verbal encouragement is especially important because it makes one feel appreciated. Another technique that works for me is thinking of good things to happen to you, especially if you haven’t achieved your targets yet. One example of this is remembering that you have one last chance of being promoted to your manager position, and that you always have your friends’ support as well as yourself. By reminding yourself of the good things, you start to get inspired and motivated to succeed in life and especially to reach your goals.
How dieting affects our Brain?
- Dieting has been considered an ideal way to lose weight and has been associated with benefits such as weight loss and improved immunity. However, a study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital showed that dieters have poor cognitive functions in comparison to non-dieters. Researchers at Wake Forest proved that dieters have small cortical areas in the cerebellum. That means that the area is activated primarily in response to stress. Dieters also had a reduced size of the hippocampus with their intelligence. After repeated exposure, this effect continued for approximately 8 weeks and was then reversed with a more optimal diet. This suggests that obesity and depression are closely related.
How exercising affects our Brain?
- Exercise is perhaps the most efficient means of improving one’s health as well as general physical appearance. Exercise results in the firing of muscles and bones and in turn increase the metabolism while strengthening the heart and muscles. Research shows that exercise improves endurance as well as reduces coronary artery disease and fatty liver disease. Several studies have been done on exercise and the result of this has been very mixed. Exercise improves strength, flexibility, and bone density. Many studies have shown that weight lifting strengthens the joints and ligaments while cardio exercises improve coordination, cardiovascular, skeletal muscles.
- The best method of weight training for obese persons is HIIT. Research says that it is important when working out for weight loss to keep the movement moderate and consistent. HIIT is better than moderate exercise, as it helps get one’s body moving without the need to push or push out. Additionally, HIIT requires fewer calories to burn so that there is no excess calorie storage.
- It burns more calories and lasts longer. This is one of the reasons why many studies have shown that moderate exercise is better than high-intensity exercise as moderate exercise helps burn about 500 calories in 60 minutes while high-intensity exercise produces about 1000 calories in 90 minutes. HIIT has many advantages because once it is done, it is easier to reverse as opposed to moderate exercises where the effect lasts for several days or even months. Other options to boost one’s physique include yoga and tai chi. These two methods require no equipment like gym memberships and expensive equipment.
How one can change his/her relationship with Food?
- Food is a big part of human lives. One of the ways that food can affect one’s physical appearance is that it changes the taste, texture, and appearance of certain food. To illustrate, ice cream is often seen as tasty. But when a child first enters grade school, he is given a free choice to have whatever he wants, whether it is fruit, vanilla, or fruit cake. This encourages him to try new things, and as such, children learn more about different foods and their effects on their bodies. Children become curious as they learn more about different food items and the best method for satisfying their appetites and cravings. Such learning of their bodies has resulted in one getting a sense of personal satisfaction and in some cases even a desire to continue eating, even if the food is somewhat.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the fact that diet and exercise programs are not enough to keep one healthy and happy. Even though they work, many people tend to fail to maintain their healthy relationship with food. Therefore, one should put extra effort into incorporating exercise into his/her routine to ensure that they lead a healthier lifestyle. On top of that, intermittent fasting is extremely effective for weight loss and the prevention of diabetes. It is advisable to try out intermittent fasting because once you try it, you have the confidence and courage to keep trying to follow its guidelines.
You must be logged in to post a comment.