One Of The Ongoing Predicaments Today In our Society Is Weight Loss. You Hear It All The Time, Yes?

Whether it's a parent, a relative, a friend or of course, you yourself, nearly everyone knows someone who's struggling with weight loss. Regardless, weight loss is a worldwide problem, and I think there are a few simple solutions to successfully shed those extra pounds we all hope to do. Let's start with the most obvious. Yes. That's right, the dreaded eight letter word. No, not starving. I'm talking about good wholesome exercise. According to www.merriam-webster.com, "exercise" is defined as "the bodily exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness". Well, that's exactly what we're looking for, isn't it? Perfect. Well, there are four main forms of exercise. These include endurance training, strength training, flexibility training, and balance training. Generally, no form of training is valued more so than the other and they can't exist without the rest.

The simplest form of exercise is endurance training. This translates to running, biking, dancing, swimming, etc. Face it, for running, all you really need is a pair of decent running shoes and a place to run freely. And in my experience, it's proved to be the most effective. Also, running is the most inexpensive way to exercise. These forms of endurance exercises increase your heart rate and breathing as well as keep your heart, lungs and circulatory system healthy. It also improves your overall fitness. Another form of exercise is strength training. Simply put, it includes weight lifting and resistance bands. Strength exercises as you may have figured make your muscles stronger. Even small increases in strength can make a big difference. You can complete everyday activities such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries with ease. However, too much wear and tear to muscles may cause injury. As a result, it's best to spread out strength training.

Quite possibly what may be the foundation of all exercise is flexibility training. This type of training stretches your muscles and can help your body stay limber. Being flexible gives you more freedom of movement for other exercises as well as for your everyday activities. It also aids in preventing injuries. In addition to basic stretching, other forms of flexibility training include yoga and Pilates. Balance training is arguably the most overlooked form of training. Balance exercises help prevent falls. As we all know, this is a common problem in older adults. Many lower-body strength exercises also will improve your balance. One of the most effective balance training practices is the Chinese martial art Tai Chi. Other examples are the heel-to-toe walk and simply just balancing on one foot.

Let's be realistic. For some, exercise is very exciting and fulfilling. But for others, exercise is frustrating and stressful. You know what I mean, right? It's when you're at the gym and you see that guy who's clearly a body builder, but he's still there. You know you're thinking, "What're you still doing here? You're done. You won. Please just leave and let someone else win." Despite that, exercise is still important and should be done. I'm not saying you have to be the bodybuilder. You may just have to start small; like, taking the stairs, not the elevator. In my opinion, the primary solution to losing weight is exercise. But I also think there is a secondary solution to help support the primary solution. This of course is just simply eating healthier. More so than that, it's just adopting healthier eating habits. Fortunately, there are several ways to do so.

For example, instead of three meals a day, just eat when you're hungry. That's right. Eat when you're hungry. Not eat when you're bored. I'm sure you know at least someone who does it. It may even be you. Also, never starve yourself. In doing so, it shuts down your metabolism. And it may also make you feel faint and make you hungrier. This eventually leads your weight loss plan to be unmanageable. You won't be able to handle it and you haven't even really started yet. Also, your metabolism is a major factor to help you lose weight. To help your metabolism, sleep at least seven hours a night. A good night's rest will boost your metabolism. But before you go to sleep, try not to eat too much. Whatever you eat before you go to sleep will be stored as unused carbohydrates. It then turns into fat.

Reducing intake of greasy foods and junk foods will also help. Eating foods with a low glycemic index greatly benefit weight loss. Low glycemic foods include but are not limited to: chicken breast, turkey breast, salmon, shrimp, tuna, cottage cheese, yogurt, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, kiwi, oranges, apples and cherries. Also, cutting down on carbonated beverages will aid as well. So avoid drinking sodas or juices that contain large amounts of sugar. Instead, a healthier alternative is drinking 100% natural juices, tea and water. As stated by CIA Fact Book there are one and a half billion overweight people in the world and counting. That same website also states that there are just below 7.1 billion people in the world. If you think about it, that percentage is right around 21%. That statistic is frightening, right? About one fifth of the world's population is overweight.

Fortunately for myself, I never had to be concerned about my weight or worry about what I ate. I exercised regularly and also have a strong and fast metabolism. Although, I still pretty much ate whatever I wanted. My friends have this saying about me. The saying was "we all have that one skinny friend who eats more than a fat person". I can definitely attest to that saying. What bothers me is that most people typically say they don't have the time or money to do so; whether it's exercise or eating healthier. And then there are those who simply just aren't motivated. For those who aren't motivated, unfortunately, there's probably not a lot that can be done for them. If they don't want to, they can't be forced. But for those who say they don't have the time or money is just ridiculous. Eating healthier and exercising is probably something everyone should be doing anyway. Neither one has to be severely drastic. Gradually applying both to one's lifestyle is the best solution.

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