Healthy Weight Loss

Lately it seems like every day there are diet pills, diet plans, exercise routines, and extreme surgical methods for weight loss that bombard you.

For a change I’m going to write this article with a more traditional weight loss/calorie sense because no matter how much I recommend not fixating on calories and weight loss it is the fundamentals that I hope you get from this article.

In other words, what I’m saying is that use this article as a sense of education but keep your passion and fire burning by always challenging yourself to be and feel your best. That is what will last you a life time.

That aside, you probably feel assaulted by the get-thin-quick schemes and the late night infomercials that claim astronomical weight loss is just around the corner.

The fact is that most of these claims are exaggerated if not complete lies.

Truth About Healthy Weight Loss

There are many quick ways to drop a few pounds but they are generally only short-term solutions and often lead to gaining the lost weight back and then some.

Healthy weight loss may take a little longer to achieve but the chances of maintaining the loss are greatly increased.

Here’s the deal. Healthy weight loss requires an understanding of basic nutrition and how the body works to release and store fats. The basic math of weight gain and loss is that your body needs a certain amount of calories to operate on a daily basis.

If you eat the amount of calories your body needs to support itself then your weight will be stable. If you eat more calories then your body burns you will begin to store those calories as fat.

The stored fat cells will sit on your frame until your body calls on them to be burned for their energy. This can only happen if you create a large enough deficit between the calories your eat and the calories your body needs.

Healthy Weight Loss & Calories

This is why most reasonable diet plans will emphasize a 300-800 daily calorie reduction in order for you to achieve a consistent weekly weight loss. By eating lower calorie lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables and fruits you can easily reduce your calorie intake without having to feel starved.

As an example, a 170lb woman will require about 2000 calories on a daily basis. In order to lose 1 lb. a week she would need to create a deficit of 500 calories a day.

This can be achieved in three ways.

She can either reduce her diet to 1500 calories a day, she can do enough cardio each day to burn an additional 500 calories or she can combine the two, reducing her diet by 250 calories and doing enough cardio to burn the other 250.

1 lb is equal to 3500 calories. It is recommended by most medical professionals that you shoot for a 1-2 lb weight loss a week. Losing an extreme amount of weight too fast can cause a host of health and cosmetic issues.

Let’s face it, you don’t want to startle your body into preservation mode by eating too little. This will reboot its instinct to hold on to fat and can cause your metabolism to slow down, which will be an even bigger hindrance to further weight loss.

Some of the cosmetic concerns that can arise with losing weight too quickly include the issue of excess skin. By shooting for healthy weight loss at a slow and steady pace you are allowing your skin to adjust to the weight change in smaller increments which will increase the likelihood that it will retain its elasticity instead of sagging.

Healthy Weight Loss & Psychology

There is also a psychological benefit to healthy weight loss practices. By retraining your body to eat healthy foods in reasonable portions you are essentially programming yourself to have better lifestyle habits.

In essence, this means that you will have a greater chance of maintaining the weight loss you achieve and at the end of the day that is what should matter most to you.

With that said, it is also as important to allow yourself a small treat every now and then and it is important to remember that one misstep doesn’t mean you’ve blown it all.

Slow and steady really does win the weight loss race.

Healthy Weight Loss Supplements

To maximize your weight loss efforts supplements are not like what most media portrays them to be. They can be used effectively and by being completely aware of your body you can make the choice that works for you. These are some of the most revered weight loss supplements in the market:

Whey Protein Powder to help avoid food cravings (Try lactose-free and great smoothie textureOptimum Platinum Hydrowhey)
Vitamin B Complex to reduce stress and increase energy (Try NOW B-100)
Thermogenic fat burner (Try a specific formula for fat burning USPlabs OxyELITE Pro)
Healthy energy bars when time is short (Try Organic Food Bar – Protein)