Jeanne Ames, D.C.

The majority of overweight people don’t have problems with their metabolism or any other health issue. The real problem lies in the food groups being consumed, the quantities being eaten and the lack of physical activity. Humans are ingesting large amounts of sugar and starch in the form of grains (and potatoes) into their diets and eating less meat and vegetables.

Modern man has begun consuming large amounts of high carbohydrates from starch and sugar rich foods, in short, we are consuming excessive amounts of bread, cereals, pasta, corn, rice and potatoes, then add to this list soft drinks, ice cream, candies etc.

Excessive amounts of carbohydrates can cause many health issues. Some of the more common are:

Eating controlled amounts of carbohydrates is necessary for good health; however, we have become addicted to sweet starchy foods. Unfortunately the body can only store a small amount of carbohydrate in the liver and muscles, the excess is converted via insulin and taken up by the fat cells of the body. The more carbohydrates we consume the greater amount of insulin produced by the pancreas to break it down. This cycle creates those bulging stomachs, fatty thighs and chins. Excessive amounts of insulin in the blood also suppress important hormones that are required for fat metabolism and muscle development.

One of the main reasons why many people embark on a weight control program and fail, is that their compelling reason is not strong enough to motivate them to continue and reach their desired weight or health goal.

Recognizing the role that food should play in our lives is very important. When food becomes the main focus in our lives we have lost focus. Motivation that comes from within is the best form. External motivation never has the power that is often required to achieve long term goals.

3. Wanting to lose weight is one thing, knowing how to do it is the difficult part.

Don’t be influenced by what you read or what well meaning friends might say. You are the only one who knows how you feel about yourself. A lot of articles you may read are often advocate that we should all be a size 8 or smaller. Bone structure, and other genetic factors play a major role in determining our ideal weight.

Once you decide what your ideal weight should be, write it down and internalize it. Start to see yourself buying clothes you want, or enjoying an event feeling lighter and healthier.

So, decide on your ideal weight, internalize it, and don’t be influenced by what other people think or say.

Being able to recognize dangerous foods will help you avoid them. The dangerous foods are those that are high in sugar content or starches like bread, pasta, rice, cereals, potatoes and alcohol.

The problem with a lot of weight loss options is that they are too restrictive. Trying to buy low carbohydrate or low calorie foods can be a nightmare, let alone expensive.

Meal replacements like shakes and home delivered meals are not a health option, and most important for weight loss will not educate and empower you on how to eat once you are off your diet. This is a crucial component needed to help you not go back to silly food habits and put the lost weight back on again.

Our bodies were not meant to function of process, manufactured, frozen or dehydrated foods. We need wholesome naturally occurring foods like vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, meat, fish, eggs and cheese.

Any weight loss program that prevents you from eating 3 meals of the above mentioned foods each day is not sustainable over the long term. When you know which food groups to eat and how much of each, you will then be able to make the correct food choices that best suit your metabolism and body type.

Avoid weight loss programs that recommend meal replacement drinks and don’t advise food that are readily available.

So, how do you get back on track? It’s easy! Let’s say you do go to a wedding, normally you may drink a toast (alcohol) or have a slice of wedding cake. These foods are very high in carbohydrates-carbs that you don’t need. A weight loss program must teach you the correct way of getting rid of those unwanted carbs when you get off track for special occasions so your weight drop continues going down, not go up and you give up hope in reaching your goal weight. Getting back on track is easy when you know how.

7. You don’t need to exercise yourself stupid if you don’t want to!Exercise is great if you enjoy it. Exercise should stimulate you, not exhaust you. You often see people jogging along the side of the road and probably think to your self this poor fellow looks like he needs a lift!

Burning body fat through exercise is quite strenuous. In order to burn body fat you need aerobic exercise, or exercise of prolonged duration. Too strenuous exercise may only burn glucose, and very little fat. Walking 30 minutes a day is one of the best ways to burn fat.

It is vital to your success that your immediate family supports your efforts. There is nothing worse than family members chomping on foods that you are trying to avoid. Don’t buy foods that you know are hard to resist, only keep food in the house that are good for you. The world is full of negative people, try to avoid those that are particularly bad and be determined to prove them wrong.

The most popular weight loss programs are either meal replacements, calorie counting meal plans and liquid diets. The problem with all of these approaches to weight loss is the probability you will lose muscle mass as you lose weight. By losing muscle mass you are doing more harm than good. By losing muscle mass you will have to eat less than when you first started on your weight loss program as you will have reduced your calorie burning engine-your muscle mass.

10. How do you maintain ideal weight over time?Losing weight is one thing, keeping it off is another. Most people can lose weight but it is the long term maintenance that seems to be the problem. Being able to maintain your ideal weight depends on a number of factors.

Firstly, weight management is a lifestyle issue; if you give no thought to what you eat and how much you eat your deserve to put it all back on. Decide that you want a healthier more active lifestyle, and become an educated consumer of food so you don’t have unhealthy habits.

Secondly, you must realize that certain health conditions may stop you from maintaining your weight loss over time. These health conditions need to be addressed by specially trained healthcare practitioners, not using drugs or surgery, but by providing you with the required nutrients your body needs, and information on food sensitivities.

Finally, get rid of those fat clothes. I you want to be a size 10 or 12 only have size 10 or 12 clothes. If you should start to gain a bit of weight you will feel it immediately in our clothes. Don’t wait until you are 20-40 pounds overweight, get it off straight away. Decide on a window of weight, say 6-10 pounds on either side of your ideal weight. If your weight starts to shift up don’t let it go over 6 pounds before taking action.

Pinpoint and correct your body’s weak links and food sensitivities to ensure long term success. Good health is priceless. Improper eating and the consequences of it will erode good health, and cost you dearly.