There is a great deal of information in the public domain about ways to keep fit and healthy. There are many government initiatives to encourage changes in lifestyle that would lead to an improving health. However, despite all efforts through food labelling, advertisements, local schemes and support from the medical professions, obesity is still on the increase. Recent data shows a 10% increase in childhood obesity in the past 10 years – quicker than any other time in the past. In fact, obesity has only been seen as a pandemic since the 1990. This page will hopefully encourage you to make that final step from couch potato to active animal?
The main ideas on this page, and of our Shape Up Course is the introduction of both dietary modifications and improving levels of activity in daily life and organised exercise sessions.
Exercise has been shown to be a valuable component to weight management. However, many researchers found that although exercise promoted weight loss, the loss was greater when dietary interventions were introduced. In fact, greater weight loss is seen through the combination of diet and exercise than by diet alone. Further, even if weight loss was minimal, the improvement in lower rates of morbidity and mortality and better risk profiles demonstrated the direct benefits of exercise.
In order to lose a pound of fat, there needs to be a decrease of approximately 3,500 per week. This is most easily done by reducing your daily intake by 250 calories and increasing energy expenditure by 250 calories per day. It has been shown that an increased calorie expenditure of 1,000 calories per week was associated with a 30%. Exercise affects body composition, metabolic rate, size and distribution of fat cells.
There are three basic foodstuffs that we need to eat each day. These are: -
- Carbohydrates - to give us energy
- Fat - to protect
- Protein - to repair
- Carbohydrates - between 60% - 75%
- Fats - between 25% - 30%
- Protein - between 10% - 15%
Small changes to your diet
When you decide to lose weight, most people will call this "going on a diet", which seems to imply that you have to change your whole eating pattern - and it is going to be hard....so here are some top tips of how to cut down calories from your normal way of eating. Remember, a loss of 250 calories per day is good, and burn off 250 calories with exercise - click here for exercise ideas.
Here are quick ways to cut 100 calories...
- Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs
- Replace 2 biscuits with 2 bread rolls
- Replace 2 fried-chicken drumsticks with 2 roasted drumsticks
- Thicken your sauce with milk & cornflour instead of a roux
- Order 2 slices of cheese pizza instead of 2 slices of pepperoni pizza
- Top your pasta with 1 cup of marinara sauce instead of 1/2 cup of Alfredo sauce
- Replace 8 sticks of normal chewing gum with sugar-free gum
- Choose 1 serving of vegetarian lasagne instead of lasagne with meat
- Eat a turkey sandwich instead of a chicken salad sandwich
- Choose 125gm of tuna in water instead of 125gm of tuna in oil
- Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese
- Order a sandwich with barbecued chicken instead of barbecued pork
- Before your eat, check that you are really hungry (in your stomach) rather than just eating at a certain time or out of habit
- Be aware of triggers which are likely to lead you to overeat – for example, being at home alone, watching a cookery programme on TV, driving past a fast food restaurant, preparing a snack for your children
- Plan for special occasions when you know you will be tempted. For example, eat a little less during the week, to enjoy the dinner party at the weekend
- Use distractions to control your eating – go for a walk, phone a friend, buy a magazine etc
- Do nothing while eating (don’t waste the calories – taste and enjoy them!)
- Eat at regular times - dont leave big gaps in the day when you dont eat. Small and often
- Eat sitting down
- Pause to put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls, and aim to be the last one to finish
- Shop on a full stomach, write a shopping list – and stick to it
- Keep healthy snacks to hand – e.g. fruit in a bowl, chopped veg/salad in fridge
- Clean you teeth after a meal – or when you get the urge to overeat
- Plate up your meal and remove the serving dishes from the table so you are less tempted to eat too much
- Wait at least 5 minutes after finishing your meal before deciding to have a second helping
- Be aware of when you have the "munchies" and make sure that you save some of your food intake for that day, for that time – e.g. save some of your bread or cereal to have at 10pm, if evenings are your danger time
- Be aware of how your feelings affect what and when you eat
Losing weight by burning calories....
Exercise is extremely beneficial to losing weight - not only as a method of getting rid of calories, btu also in the way that it changes the way that your body burns energy - with more fat being burned as you get fitter...- In order to lose a pound of fat, you need to burn up approximately 3,500 calories per week
- Aim to do this by reducing your dietry intake by 250 calories per day and increase energy expenditure by 250 calories per day
- Studies have found that an increased calorie expenditure of 1,000 calories per week was associated with a 30% reduction in all-cause mortality; and it is suggested that a combination of exercise as well as diet modification is the most effective way to lose weight
- Regular exercise affects body composition, metabolic rate, size and distribution of fat cells and even a single period of exercise showed an improvement in plasma triglycerides (Cholesterol)
- It is recommended that you take part in a total of 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity on most days of the week
- The total of 30 minutes can be made up of a number of short bouts of activity but if possible. try to make some of the activity bouts last at least 15 minutes - you should build up these levels gradually.
- In addition, do 8 - 10 strength training exercises (about 8 - 12 repititions of each exercise) about twice a week.
- To improve your fitness, aim for 20 minutes vigorous cardio for 3 times a week
How to eat well
Most people understand the concept of a "balanced diet", where the proportions of your food are balanced against the level of your everyday activities (including work and exercise) - too much food and not enough activity will result in weight gain. to lose weight, not only do you need to increase activity, but by changing the balance of what you eat and when you eat, will help you drop body fat, increase energy and help protect you against heart disease.
Your base metabolic rate looks at the minimum requirement for your body to survive if you were completely inactive. To work out yours, simple multiply your weight in kilo's by 25 (calories). Now add another 20% if you don't do much exercise and your job is office based, or, if you go to the gym or classes a couple of times a week, then add another 50%, and finally, double it if you regularly exercise more than 6 hours a week.http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/sportscentre/health/toptips/howtoeatwell/
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