Back to Basics: Weight Loss and Nutrition

It is a known fact that it is harder for women to lose the older we get. It is also a known fact that we lose weight slower than men. I also know the more weight you gain the harder it gets to lose. It is hard to talk about weight loss and not bring up nutritional needs. We are after all what we eat.

We have so many excuses for what we eat and how we eat it. I'm also sure we have just as many excuses to how we exercise or don't exercise, I should say. I don't have all the answers but I do know being over weight didn't happen from lack of eating.

It's not always what we eat as much as how much of it we eat. Moderation is the key. You don't have to starve your self, as a matter of fact, you should be eating more than "three square meals a day". That's why it's back to basics, whether it's losing weight or gaining weight, it all involves nutrition.

If you are trying to lose weight do it safely, and buy that I mean never eat less than 1200 calories a day. Just to make sure you're not losing too much too fast, use a calorie calculator and eat 500 calories less than what it says you should eat to maintain.

Food plays a huge role in out lives, other than just something to cram down your throats. The food you eat determines your disposition, your energy, and your appearance. That is why it is so important to eat the right amount of the right food. Not only does it affect your energy but your stamina as well. Food keeps us healthy and mentally alert. I'm sure you get the picture by now. So let's talk about how to do something about it.

Protein, carbohydrates and fats are an important part of our food intake, which is why you have to learn the difference of which to eat and not to eat. Let's talk about protein first. I'm not going to give you the scientific definition of protein because I don't think it would help.

Protein comes from two places plants and animals. The protein that comes from meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products all contain the essential amino acids in which our bodies need and are known as complete protein. The protein that comes from plants such as nuts, legumes, and grains lack some essential amino acids in the amount our bodies need therefore are referred to as incomplete proteins.

So why not just stick to the complete proteins, because the incomplete proteins have other nutrients our bodies need. Therefore we just need to learn the balance them so they complement each other, so to speak. Here's an example of what foods to eat together: dried beans with corn, peanuts with wheat, and soybean products with rice. You can throw in a little meat of your choice if you like.

Why do they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day? One-third of your daily protein requirement should be eaten as your first meal of the day to assure maximum energy during the day.

Now moving on to carbohydrates which are the sugars and starches we have to watch out for. They supply our bodies with the most energy we need. They are also necessary for protein digestion and certain brain function ability. Simple carbs such as sugar are digested rapidly into the blood stream for immediate energy. Which is designed as a temporary fix until you can eat the proper foods.

Carbs can be obtained from fruits, vegetables, and grains. Complex carbs are the starches in potatoes, whole grain bread, brown rice, and pasta. They are converted by the digestion for later use. By now I'm sure you can what happens when we eat too many of the wrong foods.

Next is the fat and oils our body's needs which are composed mainly of fatty acids. Fats are a great source of energy, providing more calories per gram than proteins or carbs. Fatty acids either contain or are involved in the digestion of the fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K.

Stored body fat help to maintain your body temperature, and example of that would be whales and their blubber. They also protect body structure and your organs. Fats are in abundance in animal and plant products including meats, dairy products, nuts and some vegetables.

Now let's pull all this information together to understand why more and more people are over weight. Remember I said not just what you eat but the amount of what is eaten is just as important. Of coarse eating more than the body needs leads to excess body fat. It has been assumed that calories are calories no matter what their source; this couldn't be the farthest from the truth.

The percentage of body fat is directly related to the proportion of daily caloric intake that comes specifically from fat. The more fat and fewer sugars and starches consumed by people, the more of their total body weight consisted of fat. This explains why people eat less but is still weighing more.

I have given you all of this information before talking about diets because they don't work over the long run. It's all in how and what you eat. You don't need to have it outlined for you if you have the right information. The only other thing can help you is exercise which is the next topic.

Physical activity is just as important as your caloric intake. Remember earlier I said that it's a known fact that the more over weight you are the harder it becomes to lose the weight. Exercise and caloric reduction have to go hand in hand.

Here's a good example of what I mean. First a question, how far are you willing to walk for a piece of cake? Three or four miles maybe, remember it's just a piece of cake, how bad do you want it? Well, if you have decided you want that piece of cake you better be willing to walk that far, because that is the distance it takes to burn up the energy in the cake's calories. Doesn't seem so worth it now does it?

If you are over weight walking daily is the easiest form of exercise you can do. Walking just one mile a day cost your body more than five hundred calories a week. That doesn't seem like much but in a year that's eight pounds you've managed to get rid of. By reducing your food intake by one hundred calories a day, will take off another ten pounds.

I hope I have helped shed some light on food and weight for women. It's not hard but you do have to want it and be consistent.