| Healthy weight loss programs can seem to be the | | | | for optimal health, make sure your weight loss |
| exception when you look at some of the diet books | | | | program includes at least twenty minutes of exercise |
| on the market. Far too many of them expect you to | | | | three or four days a week. |
| exist on starvation rations, to cut out one or more | | | | Eat Enough, Often Enough |
| of the major essential food groups, or to stuff | | | | It's vital to give your body enough food when you're |
| yourself with potentially dangerous diet pills or vile | | | | attempting to lose weight. It can be tempting to |
| tasting meal replacements. But you don't have to | | | | crash diet or skip meals, but this puts your body |
| abuse your body to lose weight. Instead, look for a | | | | under stress, decreases your energy levels, and |
| sensible, healthy weight loss plan that meets the | | | | makes you more likely to overeat. If under-eating |
| following criteria: | | | | becomes a habit, you're also at risk of malnutrition. |
| It's Based on Natural Unprocessed Food | | | | As well as having negative health effects, skipping |
| First of all, a healthy diet program involves eating real | | | | meals won't really help with weight loss, since your |
| wholesome food, not synthetic meal replacements. | | | | body will slow its metabolic rate, making fat loss |
| This means fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, | | | | more difficult, and making it likely that you'll regain |
| seeds, dairy (preferably organic) and other | | | | even more weight than you lost when you start |
| nutritionally-rich, unprocessed foods. You can lose | | | | eating normally again. So to lose weight healthily, eat |
| weight on any kind of reduced-calorie eating plan, but | | | | at least three meals a day (many people find that |
| if you want to stay healthy too, it's vital to include | | | | four or five smaller meals works better), and never |
| plenty of high quality fresh foods. So avoid any diet | | | | be tempted to skip a meal. |
| plan that would have you living on junky processed | | | | Make Permanent Changes |
| food or meal replacement drinks - they just don't cut | | | | Any diet plan that relies on short term, faddy |
| in over the long term. | | | | methods such as cutting out whole food groups, |
| No Diet Pills | | | | taking diet pills or drastically reducing calories is not |
| Diet pills can sometimes help people to lose weight | | | | going to promote either permanent weight loss, or |
| more quickly, but their long term effects on the | | | | long term health. Most people find that such plans are |
| body are unknown. Putting your health at risk for | | | | impossible to stick with for long for long, as the body |
| short term weight loss is not a good idea, especially if | | | | eventually rebels, forcing you to eat more to provide |
| you don't make any changes in your eating and | | | | what it needs. Any healthy weight loss plan will |
| lifestyle habits. With a healthy diet and moderate | | | | emphasise how important it is to make permanent |
| exercise, there's simply no need to pop pills to lose | | | | changes in your eating habits, and to eat adequate |
| weight, and a healthy weight loss program won't | | | | but not excessive quantities of healthy, unprocessed, |
| require their use. | | | | nutritionally-dense foods. If you're used to chronically |
| Exercise | | | | overeating, or living on junk foods, this can be a |
| It's possible to lose weight without exercising, but for | | | | challenging change to make, but it's doable, with time |
| long term health, taking some exercise is a must. | | | | and patience. And it's worth the effort, because once |
| Exercise can help to prevent chronic health problems, | | | | you've established healthy new habits, you'll keep the |
| and also provides an immediate boost to your mood | | | | weight off, and be free from the yoyo cycle of |
| and energy levels. In addition, exercise helps with | | | | weight gain and loss for ever - and you'll feel great |
| weight loss by burning calories during your workout, | | | | too. |
| by increasing your metabolic rate for some time | | | | So if you want to lose weight, keep it off, and be |
| afterwards, and by building lean muscle tissue, which | | | | vibrantly healthy, look for a health-based weight loss |
| is more metabolically active than fat - meaning that | | | | plan that avoids short term gimmicks and instead |
| you burn more calories even when you're at rest. So | | | | focuses on doing what's best for your body. |