How To Safely Lose Weight And Still Keep Your Sanity

How To Safely Lose Weight And Still Keep Your Sanity
In the United States, it is estimated that 97.1 million, or
approximately 35% of adults, are overweight. More than 60%
of Americans over the age of twenty are overweight. About
one quarter, or 1 in 4 American adults are considered to be
obese. It is also estimated, that over half of the
population of adults in the United States, go on a weight
loss diet each year. Additionally, according to the World
Health Report, published in 2003, about 1 billion adults
worldwide are overweight. Obesity is becoming a worldwide
epidemic. So how can one go about losing weight safely,
while keeping one's sanity?

The first and most important tool in losing weight, is to
eat less. It sounds simply enough, however, most obese and
overweight individuals just simply eat too much. The key
to eating less, is not to eat until your stomach feels
full, but to eat only enough calories to sustain a healthy
lifestyle. For moderate daily activity, the average adult
female only needs about 2000 calories per day, while the
average adult male needs about 2500-2800 calories per day.
For children and toddlers, the estimated average
requirement is anywhere from 1000 to 1900 calories per day.

The second most important step in losing weight, is to eat
healthy. Eating a giant bacon and cheese hamburger with
extra large fries and a large milkshake for lunch everyday,
just won't cut it. Vegetables, foods low in fat, healthy
grains, fruits, and lean meats are the best choice for a
healthy diet. It isn't just how much an individual eats,
but also what an individual eats, that can cause obesity.
Eating unhealthy foods in small quantities can also cause
an individual to become overweight over time. So let's
watch those late night binges and lunchtime burgers.

The third most important step in losing weight, is to
exercise. It is very difficult for most adults to
exercise. With the hectic schedules of today's modern
world, many adults just simply don't feel that they have
the time to exercise. Although getting around to
exercising is usually last on most adults minds, many would
be surprised to find out just how little time it takes per
week to stay in shape and lose weight. Most research
indicates that as little as 3-4 hours of exercise per week,
can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 65%. If
you think about it, it's only about 2% of the entire seven
day week that an individual needs to exercise to stay
healthy and in shape.

The fourth and final most important step in losing weight,
is to have a realistic and positive mental attitude. It is
unrealistic for an individual who is 50 pounds overweight,
to think that they can lose the weight in two weeks. It's
just not going to happen. The truth of the matter, is that
most sedentary individuals, will actually initially gain
weight, once they start exercising. This is due to the
gain of muscle mass. Having a realistic and positive
mental attitude about how much weight can be lost in a
reasonable time frame, is crucial.

Obviously, there are many dietary aids, stimulants,
prescription medications, and exercise and weight loss
programs to choose from, when one decides to lose weight.
The market is flooded with weight loss products. The truth
is, that obesity is a very serious and life-threatening
problem. The Bottom line: being overweight is a choice.
The key to starting on the path to shedding those unwanted
pounds, is first and foremost, to make the decision not to
be overweight.

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Bryan Pringle, Ph.D., is an author and an webmaster of
websites offering news and information about weight loss
and pharmaceutical drugs. For more information, please
visit:
http://www.consumersdiscountrx.com/discount_prescription_rx