Some people have a notion that “all diets work” and that our problem is not that we can’t lose weight it is rather that we can’t keep it off after we lose it. We get on the diet and lose the weight then we get off the diet and the weight comes back. Except for the resistant dieter who never drops a pound in the first place.
I have long tried many different diets and many different methods to lose weight. I would rigorously follow the diet program and the scale would not move. Not a pound dropped off. Some women’s bodies are completely resistant to weight loss.
It is a biological anomaly for women. Men are always able to lose weight and gain muscle easier and faster than women because women are biologically programmed to hold onto the fat. In the rare event of a famine our bodies are designed not only to keep us alive but also to keep any offspring that we may be carrying alive. Biologically it is just more challenging for women to lose weight.
But in the past few years and throughout this struggle, I have learned quite a few things that can help women to lose weight. I will share my top five rules for weight loss here.
The first rule is simple. You have to eat. You must eat at least 3 meals and even as many as 6 small meals every day. Eating at regular intervals keeps you blood sugars even and it keeps you from gorging and eating everything in site later. Your metabolism will keep burning calories if it knows there is no shortage. If your body thinks it is starving your metabolism will shut down and your body will conserve the fat.
The second rule is to be aware of what you do eat. Empty calories in the form of “white foods” and empty carbohydrates cannot fill you up and just pack on the pounds. Choose quality and you will automatically reduce quantity. Many cravings are caused by a lack of sufficient nutrients so choose quality, high-density nutritious foods when you do eat. Clear the junk out of your pantry and out of your life.
Third, be sure to add some protein with every meal. High protein diets are effective because protein digests slower than carbohydrates; especially simple carbohydrates and they will not cause a sugar spike in your bloodstream. When you add protein you are not nearly as hungry later on and you wind up consuming fewer calories.
Fourth rule is to choose quality carbs. Simple carbs, like donuts, cakes and sweets of any kind and anything that is made from white flour will spike your blood sugar, which will create more hunger, and it will just cling to your fat deposits. Complex carbohydrates give you fiber and nutrients that are advantageous to your body. Complex carbohydrates are whole grains and vegetables.
The fifth rule is to start moving. Start an exercise program. Begin walking and take the stairs. You can begin slow and move up to a more difficult plan as you become stronger but if you want to lose weight and keep it off long-term exercise is critical.
Long- term weight loss is a lifestyle change. Few people who have had weight problems in the past are able to just lose it once and be done with it forever. It is an everyday, lifetime commitment. But if you commit to these rules the majority of the time you will be on your way to permanent and healthy weight loss.
