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Weight ControlThe advent of low-fat dieting has not seen a decrease in the problem of obesity or the associated health problems.
How successful are you with your weight control? Are you completely happy with your weight? or do you need to lose a few kilos? Are you too fat to scratch? Keep reading if you'd like to learn how better to control your weight and get some help on how to shed some of that excess weight. The percentage of overweight people in America and in Australia is growing significantly. Obesity and too much extra weight means added health risk and is a contributing factor to heart disease, strokes, and certain cancers. More people's health is adversely affected by fat than any other single cause. It is vital that you have a weight control plan to keep you on the right track. Weight control should therefore be uppermost in our consideration if we mean to maintain a healthy balance in our lives. Around 1980 the Framingham cholesterol and fat study was published and stated that if people stopped eating fat and cholesterol, they would become thin and healthy. Manufacturers immediately jumped on this band-wagon and began to create the non-fat fad by altering natural foods into low fat and non-fat foods. The majority of patients and physicians are now convinced that consuming low-fat diets and altered foods will lead to weight loss. Yet, the more we have changed our eating habits to low fat, the more obese we have become. Neither are we becoming healthier. Excess fat is killing our population faster than any disease. Weight control is not just about 'cutting out' the fat - it is about 'losing' the excess fat we've accumulated by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough.
Watch this video to see some Big Fat Lies about weight control.
Weight Control over the years. Three basic dieting principles - low-fat, low calorie and low-carb - have been ulitised for decades, yet still U.S. and Australian citizens remain among the fattest in the world. History has shown that it takes many years for doctors and then the public to accept a new dieting principle. First, around 1930, low-cal dieting came into fashion and then it was low-carb in the 60s and some years later the low-fat idea caught on. You need to know that there is good fat and bad fat. Essential fatty acids are needed for good health. Calories from good fat do good things, like converting to energy. The advent of low-fat dieting has not seen a decrease in the problem of obesity or the associated health problems. The problem with low-fat dieting is simply that many low-fat foods are high-glycaemic, and high-glycaemic food can cause the body to produce excess triglycerides, a blood fat that makes up the majority of each cholesterol molecule. Many scientists now believe that the healthiest way to nourish your body is by eating a low-glycaemic diet. Challenge yourself - try a diet of raw, healthy, natural organic foods and see just how much weight you can lose and how much healthier you'll be. "Eating a food that drives your blood sugar above normal causes you to secrete insulin to normalise it. When the insulin spikes, the mechanism by which food is converted to energy is shut off, and then most or all of what you have eaten is turned to fat. The glycaemic index (GI) runs from 0 to 100. Foods in the 0-54 range are considered low-glycaemic, 55-70 are moderate and above 70 are high. 
White potatoes, for example, even though they are low-fat and low-calorie, are high on the glycaemic index at 100. Their high starch content is incredibly easy to digest and convert to sugar, causing a surge in blood sugar. Sweet potatoes on the other hand, though they have carbohydrates and are sweet tasting, are high in fibre, which is virtually impossible to fully digest. Sweet potatoes are digested slowly, which helps inhibit the conversion of the carbs, putting sweet potatoes at a low 54 on the GI scale."
As shown in the white potato/sweet potato comparison, low-glycaemic does not necessarily mean low-carb. The sweet potato gets its low-glycaemic rating because of rules #2 and #3, above.
In addition, it's usually best to time food intake for every few hours, rather than to eat very large meals once or twice a day. This helps to keep the blood sugar at a more consistent level and reduces spikes in insulin. The science is simple, the rules are simple, and the diet is simple once you understand the principles. As part of a healthy lifestyle, low-glycaemic dieting, along with exercise and supplementation, can help you with your weight control, as well as contribute to your heart health and ensure healthy blood sugar levels. Click to learn more about glycaemic indexing The New YouAchieving positive lifestyle changes Why do so many dieters fail to achieve their goals? Could it be they set themselves up for failure with unattainable goals? Like many others, you have probably made ambitious plans for positive change. I hope I may be able to help you be successful this time. You may be thinking. "I’ve been unsuccessful at losing weight in the past. Why should now be any different?" The key lies in gradually adjusting your way of life. This time, you’ll learn and welcome the mindset of making smart decisions about eating, exercise and supplementation. You’ll learn to make small changes that help lead to a healthy lifestyle, instead of another on-again/off-again dieting nightmare. The 3 Rs of a healthy lifestye To adjust your lifestyle as part of your weight control program, focus on three simple, yet equally important, steps:
Make it manageable Start small. Incorporate just one small, but positive, lifestyle change into each of your 3 Rs. Once you’re comfortable with that one, add another and so on. For example:
Take baby steps If you were going to run a 10km marathon, you wouldn’t begin training by attempting four miles. You might start by jogging for a couple of minutes and then walking for five more. Similarly, it’s important to keep a 'slow and steady' approach when altering your lifestyle to ensure results. This kind of smart, manageable plan helps you avoid an 'impossible goal' and leads to your eventual success and weight control.
See the benefits As you begin your 3-R lifestyle changes, pay attention to the results, and see yourself as attaining those results you desire. Visualize and see yourself, the new you, as you want to be. After just a few short weeks, you will probably notice that you enjoy life more, have more energy and vitality, and feel less stressed.
Enlist support New routines can be fragile and may even disappear if you don’t protect them. Surround yourself with support where possible so that your new lifestyle will not be sabotaged by spontaneous impulses and old habits. By consistently incorporating small changes in your daily eating, exercise and supplementation habits - and embracing your healthier way of life - you may soon shed those extra kilos and feel better than ever!
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Another example is provided by raw versus cooked carrots. A raw carrot has a glycaemic value of 35, while a cooked carrot is valued at 64. Rules #1 and #2 both contribute to the lower score of the raw carrot, since the natural state of a carrot is raw, and the hard crunchy, raw carrot is far more difficult to digest than a mushy, cooked one.
