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Permanent Weight Loss ? How to lose weight and keep it off!

By Robert Collier

Are you sick and tired losing and then regaining weight? Do you want to lose weight and keep it off permanently? The following strategies will help you lose weight and keep it off forever.

  1. Know your metabolic type - Knowing your metabolic type is important to know what ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats you should eat. You metabolic type is based on your bloodlines and geographic location of your ancestors. Generally, those from a colder climate (poles) tend to eat more protein type foods, while those from warmer climates (equator) tend to eat more carbohydrate type foods. Eating right for your metabolic type will not only help you lose weight but is essential for optimal health. Imagine an Aboriginal eating only fat and protein as per an Eskimo diet. They would put on a significant amount of weight and suffer from many physical ailments. Eating right for your metabolic type is essential to losing weight and keeping it off.
  2. Increase your exercise intensity - Fat burning does not only occur at the time you workout it also occurs over the next 24-48 hours if your exercise session has been of a high enough intensity. The intensity will vary from person to person depending on their specific needs and health status, but the intensity should be in the range of 65-80% of max heart rate. Interval training is a very good way to increase your exercise intensity. Increase your exercise intensity for periods of 30 seconds to a minute and then have a recovery interval of an approximate length. Resistance training should also be used to increase your lean body mass and improve your bodies, ability to burn more fat and lose weight.
  3. Have a food plan - As they say, if you fail to plan you plan to fail. Make a food plan that is enjoyable and practical and incorporate many of the foods that you currently eat. Develop a 2-3 day rotation so that you are eating none of the same foods on more than one day of the rotation. This means that you eat a wide variety and ensures that you don't get bored from eating the same foods all the time. Once you have developed your food plan, make a shopping list to ensure you actually have the food available you have listed on your plan. And then buy it. This is very essential if you are serious about your weight loss.
  4. Keep your blood sugar stable - And limit the effect of insulin on storing blood sugar as fat. Eating meals on a regular basis according to your metabolic type is the key to this. It will also help keep your metabolism up which will burn more fat. Eating about every 3-4 hours is best for most people. Minimise your intake of the following carbohydrate i.e. Breads, cereals, biscuits, cakes and muesli bars. These will contribute to high blood sugar, which in turn insulin will be secreted to bring down the high blood sugar and store the extra sugar as body fat. Eat more vegetables and minimise the above carbohydrates to help with weight loss.
  5. Drink plenty of water - Often, the first sign of hunger is thirst. As a general guideline you should have about 1.5 to 2 litres daily. To avoid getting thirsty, have little mouthfuls throughout the day. Drinking plenty of water also acts as an appetite suppressor, helps flush toxins out of our body and helps your body move much better. Drink plenty of water to help with your weight loss.
  6. Keep consuming good fats - Having the right amount of good fats in the diet is essential to helping with fat loss as well as maintaining optimal health. People that try to lose weight on a low fat diet will never succeed long term as it is not sustainable as a balanced diet. However, just like all foods, good fats should be taken in moderation (depending on your metabolic type) and bad fats should be minimised to help your weight loss. These are listed below. Bad fats - Trans fatty acids, (TFA's). Structurally they are closer to plastic than fat. E.g. margarine. - Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. - Vegetable oils. - Fats from conventionally raised animals/fish/diary. (Toxins are also stored in animal and plant fats) - Roasted nuts
  7. Understand the relationship between food and emotions. There is an inverse relationship between unstable blood sugar and emotions. To avoid emotional eating from low blood sugar, eat a diet that is low in high glycemic foods and is appropriate for your metabolic type. Recognizing that there can be a negative relationship between food and emotions, regardless of blood sugar level), is the first step. Behavior modification techniques or using techniques such as EFT or NLP is the next step to changing your emotional eating habits and losing weight.
  8. Be consistent with your nutrition - Make it a lifestyle rather than just another diet. Be especially focused for the first 4 weeks to establish it as a lifestyle habit. After that, follow the 90/10 rule. Be consistent most of the time and you can still have the odd treat and still lose weight.

Are you ready to lose weight and keep it off forever instead of gaining and losing weight. Use the above strategies consistently and your will achieve your weight loss goals forever.

Bibliography

  1. Brinkman, Rob. 2004. www.freeweightloss.com
  2. CHEK, Paul. 2004. How to eat, move and be healthy A CHEK Institute Publication. Vista, California, USA. www.chekinstitute.com
  3. CHEK, Paul. 2004. A six pack to die for NZ Fitness, October/November 2004. www.fitnessmag.co.nz
  4. Day, Phillip, 2004. Diabetes - Extracted from the ABC's of Disease Credence Publications, UK. www.campaignfortruth.com
  5. GNLD. 2004. News you can use, Issue 3. Weight loss www.gnld.co.nz
  6. Mercola, Joseph. 2004. Reduce grains and sugar and lose weight and improve health www.mercola.com
  7. Mercola, Joseph. 2004. Low grain and carbohydrate diets. Treat hypoglycemia, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and nearly all chronic diseases www.mercola.com
  8. Smiley, Cat. 2004. Timing is everything - Get more form your food. NZ Fitness, October/November 2004. www.fitnessmag.co.nz
  9. Willcott, W. Fahey, T. 2002. The Metabolic Typing Diet. Broadway Books, New York.

About the Author:

Robert Collier is a advanced personal trainer from Christchurch, New Zealand. He works from his own private studio and specilaises in Golf Conditoning, Exercise Rehabilitation and Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching. His website is http://fitandhealthy.co.nz