What's the science behind losing weight?
photo courtesy of Healthy USA
It's a simple equation: Burn more calories per day than you take in. Do this habits, opting for healthy foods, and adding exercise. Research has shown that most people keep weight off when they eat 500 fewer calories per day than they need. Then add exercise: Make it your goal to walk about 10, 000 steps per day (for example an office worker walks just 800 steps per day). You can add more steps with an easy jog or a fast-paced walk. Or simply take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
Are crash diets good for losing weight?
photo courtesy of Weight Loss Advisor
Your body will lose fat with a radical diet- it will seem like there's a remarkable drop in the first few days. Then your body starts to burn protein, an essential building block to muscle, which means your muscle mass will slowly disappear. The lower the protein content of your muscles, the more protein you'll burn. It'll look like you're ditching the weight when you stand on the scale, because muscle is heavier than fat. But, that has consequences: Your fat-to-muscle ratio gets worse and you become flabby. Less muscle mass means a lower metabolic rate and when you return to your old eating habits, your weight will be guaranteed to fluctuate.
Should I avoid eating fat or carbohydrates for weight loss?
photo courtesy of Absolute Nutrition
It doesn't matter. It's more important that you eat less than you burn. From a scientific standpoint, the bad rep on fat is not well supported, while carbs have come away unscathed. Grain products, for example, deliver fewer calories per gram than fats, but can have a negative effect on your metabolism. Even more so if you don't exercise. You should avoid certain foods (chipsm croissants, and chocolates) because they are an unhealthy combination of fat and carbs.
Does it make a big difference if I change what I eat or begin exercising?
Researcher at Ball State University in Indiana put overweight men on a 12-week diet and divided them into three groups. The first group didn't exercise, the second group did a cardio program three times a week, and the third group added strength training to the cardio. All the participants lost about 20 pounds. In the first group, the men lost mostly fat, almost no muscle. Complement your diet with cardio and strength. You're trying to lose fat, not muscle.
Diet = -20 lbs of which 69 percent was body fat, 31 percent was fat-free body mass.
Diet + cardio = -20 lbs of which 78 percent was body fat, 200 percent was fat-free body mass.
Diet + cardio + strength training= -20 lbs of which 97 percent was body fat, 3 percent was fat-free body mass.
Is it easier to gain or lose weight when eating with friends?
photo courtesy of Your Healthiest You
It's boring to eat alone. But the more people around, the more you'll eat. Not just because you're distracted, but because of an unspoken group consensus on how much is normal to eat. if you're dining with 11 catwalk models, you will eat less than if you were eating with a basketball team. Here's your strategy: Most groups aren't comprised of models, just over eaters. Eat more slowly than normal and use your friend's conversation as a break. Place your napkin on the plate as you feel full; don't keep eating because other still are.
Can losing weight harm your bones?
photo courtesy of Healthlob.com
Diets don't just reduce weight but also bone density, according to a study at Washington University in Missouri. But, you don't have to let that happen. Intense exercise with strength training , such as squat jumps, or sprint, combats this side effect. Hormones are released during these exercises that produce calcium for your bones. Your bone adjust to the burden and become thicker,more, stable, and less fragile.