Posts Tagged ‘how to control obesity’

Understanding Obesity: Genetics, Dieting and You

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Statistics don’t lie. About 33% of Americans are bunched into the obese category. This occurs when your body weight is far larger than what is normally expected of a person of your height. Okay, I’ve promised to do this article since a lot of people have been asking about obesity. The title pretty much speaks for itself since obesity is caused by two main factors: genetics and your lifestyle. But so I could get the record straight: you can control your weight; you just need the proper motivation to do so.

Hormonal disorders are perhaps the more difficult thing to control since the disorder itself shapes your body that way. Research is still ongoing so as to control these hormonal disorders on much safer grounds, but it is nonetheless possible. As for lifestyle-based cases, getting rid of obesity tends to be easier depending on how willing you are to get rid of your fat.

Disciplining your Diet

As I have stated before, discipline tends to vary from person to person. This also stems from the fact that they may have a hormonal disorder that makes even the simplest diets seem like a chore. But one must remember that losing weight isn’t an elevator – it’s a staircase. If you really want to lose weight, better start climbing it.

Documenting what you eat on a weekly basis can help keep track of how much you eat. This helps you rationalize your diet and find out what types of food you are prone to consuming, how much portions you consume on a daily basis. Getting to the bottom of how much you eat in a week can help you settle on your diet. These are a couple of factors you should consider:

  • Portion Control. When this factor pops up, most tend to recommend that you should cut it by half or at more grueling increments. I, however, tend to be more forgiving on the subject. Gradual portion control with exercise. Every week you reduce your portions so that the change is can take effect without feeling like you’re punishing yourself.
  • Food Substitution. Consult your nutritionist on how to find healthier alternatives to your dieting selection. This can cut down your calorie in-take without throwing less on your plate. Aside from that, it provides you with a more colorful range of vitamins and minerals so it’s a win-win situation.
  • Cardio. This is an absolute need if you want to cut down on your weight; it burns down your fat depending on how far you run from day to day. This must go side to side with portion control and food substitution for best results.

Additional Tips

  • Those three factors take their effect only if you are consistent. This means you need to remind yourself and watch how much you eat while keeping your jogging rounds consistent.
  • Always seek help from people who have conquered their obesity. Words come a long way, especially if you know people who’ve lived through it.
  • Always go at your own pace but don’t go too slow either! Gauge your process in a way that the change is present without suffering too much than you’re willing to put up. Starting out small encourages you to move up and ultimately keep your exercising consistent.