Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Weight Loss, Obesity and Why Counting Calories is Not Enough

By Ricardo d Argence

When the scale just won't budge, it can be so frustrating. You are dieting, counting calories, and cutting back the way you are supposed to. It seems like your best friend eats all the time and to make matters worse she is just nice and slim.

Though we do not tend to be the way we wanted, still we assume that being thin is due to the wrong genes we have and we are destined to be curvy. It could very well be that you are eating the wrong combination of foods.

Do not have a thought that what you consume daily is what makes you thin or fat. Burning fat calories as energy before it turns to fat on your thighs,you must supply your body with the nutrients it needs in order to work like a well-oiled machine.

The importance of a well balanced diet and why we need to eat from every food group,we must understand. We can learn how to design a healthy diet that will make it possible to lose weight, once and for all,once we understand the basics of what our bodies need.

There are several types of calories we need to eat on a daily basis, specifically, three. These are protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Not all in the same proportions at each meal, but your body requires all 3 types of calories. While some of the fat free foods you consume can cause weight gain if eaten too often,believe it or not, some fat calories can actually accelerate weight loss.

Sugar is commonly found in fat free foods. A sugar-rich diet will result in your body leaving excess calories to be stored as fat.

Many people think that eating fat is taboo and that fat free foods are safe. The truth is that when you consume fat calories they do not turn directly into fat on your body. When you eat fat free foods, you will not automatically lose weight either. To lose weight you must understand this fact and become receptive to a different way of dieting.

Once you understand which foods have fat burning properties and keep your blood sugar at a stable level all day you will begin to lose weight, in many cases rather rapidly. When you eat foods that cause an upward spike in your blood sugar level, you will get a nice boost of energy only to be followed by a crash. This crash occurs when the blood sugar level drops too low, leaving you tired and hungry once again. The higher the blood sugar level rises after eating, the lower it drops after the spike. This is the reason that obese people experience highs and lows in their level of energy.

Our bodies need calories from each group to provide fuel for the body. Any calories that are consumed and not used for fuel will be stored as fat. Whether they are calories from protein, fat or carbohydrates, if they are not used, they will be stored.

In the right combination and at the right time in order for the body to function at its best,it is important to eat the right calories. We can turn on the power of the natural fat burning engine that resides within everybody, if we give our body what it needs. - 16083

About the Author: