The obsession to lose weight is greater today more than ever while people are expanding more and more. The weight loss industry is booming, however it is not working. The problem is that all these weight loss programs have little to do with lifestyle and more to do with a temporary fix.
Often when you go on a diet you feel noble yet deprived and then when you go off the diet you relieved but guilty because you go back to eating all the foods that got you there in the first place. There needs to be a plan to create a lifestyle that can work for you.
The hard facts:
One in four adult Canadians and one in ten children have clinical obesity, meaning six million Canadians living with obesity http://www.obesitynetwork.ca/obesity-in-canada
More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese. [Read abstract Journal of American Medicine (JAMA)]
The incidence of obesity has risen so dramatically since the 1970’s that it seems like a misprint. Click on the obesity hyperlink to see just how the US has changed in the last 40 years alone. What will happen in the next 40 years? Who will care for elderly if this current trend continues? What will the burden be on the health care system and the taxpayers? Who is responsible for this epidemic?
There are numerous Overweight and Obesity-Related Health Problems in Adults
Coronary Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Stroke, Type 2 Diabetes, Abnormal Blood Fats, Metabolic Syndrome, Cancer, Osteoarthritis, Sleep Apnea, Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome, Reproductive problems, Gallstones, Overweight and Obesity-Related Health Problems in Children and Teens
These diseases have exploded in the last 40 years! Children are now subjected to diseases that were thought to be adult diseases. What has happened to have this rise become so unprecedented? Are people today less educated than our grandparents? Is there something sinister that is causing this to happen?
Lets take a look at the advertising campaigns that are being blitzed on TV day in and day out. Fast food products that look fun and sexy. Yes sexy…Many of these ads are directed to children while watching their favorite cartoons. The food lobbyists prevented the banning of directed advertising toward children in the US and Canada. Many countries are now banning advertising of these foods during children’s programming. Commercials where you can’t eat just one are played over and over. Packaging is directed toward children so they can get a prize. Fast food places have the fun zone so that it draws in children to eat and play. Much of the food packaging is loaded with sugar that has been shown to be as addictive as cocaine.
Beverages have 2-5 times the recommended daily sugar intake. The recommended sugar intake is 35 grams for men, 25 for women and children 4-8 is 12 grams. Teenagers should get 12-20 grams. 4 grams equals 1 teaspoon of sugar. Lets look at a can of 16 ounce Rock Star that I took a picture of this past week.
62 grams of sugar! That is almost twice the recommended daily intake for men and 3 times for women. This amounts to over 15 teaspoons of sugar!
The reality is the food industry is making us sick. The more sugar dumped into our bodies the fatter we can become. It is up to all of us to become aware and to take action.
To effectively lose weight you must identify the problem foods and eliminate them. You must eliminate all the packaged foods, fast foods, reduce alcohol, reduce caffeine, and start to replace them with healthy real food. Fruits, vegetables, organic animal protein along with drinking good clean water. If you are a vegetarian then find good protein like eggs, beans, legumes, cheese, broccoli, spinach and much more. http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-protein/
Lose the problem foods and you will lose weight. It is about adapting your lifestyle choices, not what diet plan works.
The physiology of the body works simply. Feed your body the building blocks and the body will release fat.
Exercise plays an important role, however if you cannot adapt a new lifestyle habit when it comes to what you eat then exercise will only go so far! What we eat determines what sits around our belly! All the situp crunches in the world will not solve this problem and make it go away.
Once you start to eat real food and avoid sugar, caffeine, alcohol, junk food, fast food then exercise will make a world of difference. You can metabolize your fat stores into muscle and create a lean body.
Start your day by avoiding store bought cereals. Did you know that these cereals are loaded with sugar? Take a look at these examples…one cup of Honey Nut Cheerios has 12 grams of sugar. For a child under 8 they should only get 12 grams a day! Often a child will eat at least 2 cups so that adds up to 24 grams! Kellogg Corn Flakes has 3 grams of sugar for a cup of cereal. A typical child will eat at least 2 cups so that adds up to 6 grams before they even get out of their pajamas!
Instead have some eggs or a shake to start your day. I start my day with a healthy shake that has coconut oil for a good source of saturated fat. My shake has no sugar in it! Instead it has Stevia which is a composite herb which leaves are a source of non caloric sweetener. It actually has health benefits. The stevia leaves contain potassium, zinc, magnesium and vitamin B3. Based on the stevia nutrition facts, it is the 10.77% fiber which helps in curing constipation and promotes proper digestion. One of the benefits of stevia is that it contains a 702 ppm level of iron which can stimulate the production of hemoglobin. If you want to know more about the different shakes I recommend please private message me on facebook or send me a quick note.
To be successful in your weight loss lifestyle change you will need to break free from the sugar addiction. Sometimes we need help. I have helped many people kick start their weight loss journey with a program that is more about lifestyle than dieting. If you want to know more about it please email me at johnbriancunningham@gmail.com.
Whatever you decide to do just be aware that too much sugar is the biggest culprit. Find ways to remove it from your diet and you will see the pounds melt away!
Yours in Health
John – One Hip Guy