How to Control Your Waistline

Weight loss is a health issue that never, ever disappears. That’s because the number of overweight individuals in North America — no, strike that, the world — continues to rise. The eventual breaking point of being overweight is becoming obese, and obesity has developed over the past few decades into an epidemic. Weight loss is a health issue that never, ever disappears. That’s because the number of overweight individuals in North America — no, strike that, the world — continues to rise. The eventual breaking point of being overweight is becoming obese, and obesity has developed over the past few decades into an epidemic. Not long ago, the World Health Organization estimated that one billion adults are now obese. That’s a staggering number.
Losing weight and keeping it off not only makes you look and feel better, it will prolong your life considerably. It will help prevent an amazing assortment of diseases, and it will make your day-to-day life far more manageable.
Controlling Your Metabolism
The reason that some people gain and burn fat more easily than others is the speed of their metabolism. The faster your metabolism, the more calories you use up — even while sleeping.
Everyone has what’s called a “set point,” which is the rate at which you burn calories. Generally, our metabolism slows as we age, beginning as early as 25.
You can influence it, though. Here are some ways to speed up your metabolism:
• Stay active by exercising often. The more you move, the more calories you burn. It boosts your metabolism, and a little strength training along with aerobic exercise will boost it even further. Walking an hour a day will also help you lose weight.
• Establish a routine where you go to bed, wake up and eat at roughly the same times every day. In fact, if you wake up early, go to bed early and don’t eat after 6:00 p.m. you’re achieving a lot already. Half an hour of physical activity will boost your metabolism for six to 24 hours.
• Cut down on alcohol. Not only does it slow you down, impede sleep and make you sluggish, but those who drink before a meal tend to eat more than those who don’t. Plus, your metabolism has to spend energy processing the alcohol before it attacks food.
• Eat foods that are low in fat.
• High-protein foods help you build muscle and burn fat. They’re also high in amino acids, which are slow to digest, meaning that your body burns more calories in the process. It’s not only meat: vegetable greens, lentils, kidney beans, chick peas, fish and nuts are all protein-rich.
• Remember to get calcium via low-fat dairy. The mineral jolts metabolism into high gear, allowing those who are eating it three times a day to lose 70% more body fat than those who cut dairy out.
• Eat small meals, or even snacks, throughout the day. It keeps your metabolism working. The obesity rate in most of Europe is far lower than it is in North America, and a major reason for this is that they generally eat their big meal at lunch and only a light meal at dinner.
• Eat breakfast! Your metabolism slows when you sleep and needs a jump start in the morning. Fresh fruit with some yogurt or high-fiber cereal with low-fat milk or a vegetable omelet made from egg whites are great choices.
• Don’t starve yourself. Skipping meals forces your body into “survival” mode, where it assumes it must save food, thus storing fat cells. This causes your body to use up muscle instead of fat.
Tips on Eating
Moderation is key. We eat too much meat and processed food (especially in North America), which take big tolls on your waistline. Here’s a good rule: each plate shouldn’t be more than 10 inches in diameter, and half of it should be vegetables or fruits. One-quarter should have whole grains, such as barley, whole-wheat pasta or brown rice. The other quarter should be protein, ideally fish or extra-lean meat.
If you are serious about losing weight, don’t eat any meat that’s bigger than the size of a cassette tape. (The exception to this rule is fish, which can be bigger.)
Choose good carbohydrates rather than bad ones. Steer clear of processed flour, and eat only whole-grain flour. Swap your white toast or white pasta for the whole-wheat kind instead. These are a great source of good carbs, which you metabolism will burn for energy. Also, eat a good amount of fiber each day, as it will keep your digestive system working well. It will also make you feel more full while delivering few calories.
When cooking, use healthy oils, such as extra-virgin olive oil. Never use more than the size of the tip of your thumb. You should use no more than one teaspoon of margarine or other spreads.
Tips on Exercise
Try for at least 45 minutes of focused exercise five days a week. Take a break on the weekends if you want to regroup. Break it up throughout the day: do 15 minutes in the morning, such as strength training, and do 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise later in the day (you can burn an extra 200 calories this way).
Make sure that you are raising your heart rate at least slightly — brisk walking is great if you have some joint problems. Once you have reached an ideal weight, 30 minutes three times a week should help you stay on target.
Be active as often as possible. Working out for 45 minutes then sitting around eating junk food for the rest of the day will do nothing for your metabolism. Keep moving, whether it’s taking the stairs at work or tapping your foot while you’re sitting at your desk — don’t stop moving!
A recent study reviewed different types of weight-loss programs to see which work best. Among 80 trials, it identified seven programs: diet alone, diet and exercise, exercise alone, meal replacements, very-low-energy diets, weight-loss drugs and just getting medical advice. It found that people lost five percent to nine percent of their body weight within six months using a low-energy (low-carbohydrate) diet and/or weight-loss drugs.
Studies that lasted four years found that people lost up to six percent of body weight with diet and exercise. In conclusion, the researchers say that low-energy diets and exercise help you lose moderate weight at six months.

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