You need to begin your weight loss program with an end in mind! If you’re really going to achieve your goal you need something else and that’s a plan of action. And for a weight-loss goal, the plan of action has to focus on the three key areas of:
- Consuming healthy foods with an overall reduction in calorie intake
- Exercising more
- Forming long term habits that result in permanent weight loss
The only way to lose weight is to put your body into a negative calorie balance. This simply means you have to burn up more energy than you intake in. You need a certain amount of fuel (food) each day to supply your body with energy to function, for an average person this is 1800 to 2400 calories. Although the actual number of calories you need depends on your height, weight as well as your age, body size, physical condition, and physical activity.
However, if you take in any more than the number of calories you need, and do little to burn of the excess (exercise), the remaining calories are stored as fat which is simply your body’s long term energy store. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. Therefore you must burn up more than or take in fewer than 3500 calories to reduce your weight by one pound.
An indicator of how much excess fat you are carrying is your BMI or your Basal Metabolic Index. It is calculated by considering your height to weight ratio and can provide a guide to how much fat you need to lose to reach a healthy weight. It is often used in the medical profession to assess whether or not an individual is a candidate for drug therapy in cases of severe obesity.
So is there a secret to losing weight? Firstly, whether you want to lose 5 pounds or 35 pounds, the only way you can lose weight is to consistently eat foods containing fewer calories than your body needs and uses. Secondly, you need to increase your physical activity and actively burn calories you are currently storing as fat.
Fortunately, there are some products and services that will help you to put this ‘secret’ into practice, and they are extensively reviewed at Slimming Mantra. For a product or service to be featured on this site it must:
- Have been independently evaluated and shown demonstrable long term results
- Have proven success amongst ordinary customers
- Either result in, or aid permanent weight loss
- Be safe to use
Excess fat is harmful to your health and may shorten your life. It is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and many other types of ill health. The good news is by reducing your excess weight you can go a long way towards improving and maintaining good health. The bad news is that there are no short cut’s, however recent scientific breakthroughs on many fronts can make the process a little easier, and this site will provide you with reliable, accurate information on which products work and which are complete ‘gimmicks’.
