When it comes to the topic of weight loss there are a multitude of differing opinions from all sides of the medical world. One professional may tell you that the only way to truly lose weight in a healthy manner is to put your body into ketosis. Another professional might tell you that in order to properly lose weight you must avoid all meats and animal byproducts. Sometimes the correct method of weight loss can even be a controversial topic.
In many cases, the reason for the weight gain in the first place is completely overlooked. It is easy to assume that a person has unhealthy eating habits, and does not take the time to properly exercise. Although these may be completely realistic reasons there may be a medical issue that is taking place behind the scenes that is having a significant effect on the way that the person is utilizing food for fuel within the bloodstream.
Healthy Strategies for Weight Loss
If a person finds themselves obese and in need of a lifestyle change in order to get back into shape, the first thing to do is to seek a medical professional’s advice to evaluate the circumstances and discover whether or not there are other health factors involved.
In some cases medical disorders such as hypothyroidism or dwindling hormones can be culprits behind the scenes that make it difficult for a person to lose weight in the first place. In order to properly create a healthy strategy for weight loss the person must know all of the facts pertaining to their own individual health needs.
For example, if a person that believes that being vegan is the only way to maintain optimal health and weight balance instructs a person that is advanced in age to only take in plant-based proteins and never animal proteins, they could be giving them a death sentence.
After a certain age the protein needs for a person can be much higher than they could ever achieve by eating only plant-based proteins.
The only way to truly know what healthy weight loss strategy is best for an individual is to visit a doctor, get some tests done, and learn which direction could be the best one.
Exercise and Movement
One of the most simple ways to explain how weight loss works is to look at it from the perspective that you have to burn more calories than you take in. Each day a person will need a specific amount of calories to complete all of the tasks that they will do for that day.
Some days may require more calories than others. Some may require less. In essence, if you use up the calories that your food provides and allow your energy source to come from the fat that is stored in your body you will lose weight.
However, calories do not equal nutrition. What matters even more is where your calories come from. The calories that you provide yourself with based on your daily diet will ultimately determine your health. Sure, if you eat three pieces of white bread in a day in hopes that you will lose weight as a result, you may cause more problems than you had to start with.
Yes, exercise and movement play a huge role in the process of burning fat and losing weight, however, the way that you eat is just as important.
Knowing Your Body
If you take the time to get to know your body, when it comes to developing a plan to lose weight and regain health you will not go wrong. A big mistake that novice weight loss enthusiasts make is to commit to going out and jogging a couple of miles a day. Although this is a great way to think and a positive goal, it is best to start out slow and get to know what happens if you start jogging.
Many people that are not experienced with running will start a daily routine of jogging and only cause damage to their bones, muscles, and tendons.
In addition to visiting the doctor and getting tests to see where your health is, it is a good idea to ask questions about any pain that you are experiencing, or any other issues that could be of importance. If there is a way to exercise that would not cause greater injury to do so, you would be much better off to go that route.
Eating the Right Foods
The right foods might be different from one person to the next. It is common sense to avoid processed foods with processed fats as much as possible, but what are the correct nutritional needs for one person to the next?
For every individual there is a distinct molecular makeup that differentiates one person from the next. Although most human beings are similar, on a molecular level, there are tons of differences. One person can have completely different dietary needs than the next.
One great example of the differences between dietary needs is what vitamins and minerals a person gets on a daily basis compared to somebody in another climate. A person that is in a place that does not get a lot of sun may suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, while somebody that lives in a sunny place could be low on iron or iodine.
In addition to the geological differences, there are multiple factors involved that could determine a lack of, or an excess of certain vitamins that could make a difference in the health of the individual. Age, sex, race, and even size can be factors that involve health.
What a person eats on a daily basis is a large factor as well. The differences in lifestyles will be a huge variant as to what foods will be “right” from one person to the next.
Limiting Factors
There are a multitude of factors that can limit, or inhibit the way that a person will lose weight. For example, if a person is overweight but bound to a wheelchair, what can they do to exercise? Depending on the health and the attitude of the person in the wheelchair there are options for exercise such as swimming, or even racing the wheelchair around manually with the arms. Having the help of another person that is familiar with helping disable people exercise is a big help.
Yet, there are more factors to ponder when it comes to exercising properly. If the person that is trying to lose weight is so heavy that they can barely move, let alone get on a treadmill and walk for a half hour a day, exercise can be challenging.
However, when a person is committed to change, all they have to do is put their mind to it and move forward. Ask the doctor, meet a specialist. Find out how you can get up and move around, even if it seems impossible.
Conclusion
The real art to weight loss strategies is to understand what you need and what you don’t need. If you find out that you need a protein based diet that is composed of meat and dairy, you should go that route. If you learn that you would be better off swimming laps in a pool as opposed to walking or jogging for a specific amount of time each day, get yourself into a pool. Commit to the things that you are willing to commit to and that you like to do. Stay positive and know that you can achieve whatever you set out to achieve.
