So hot a topic that information on this is abundantly available on numerous websites,books and magazines.
I therefore don't think, I have much to write about this.
But yes, one Mul Mantra ( main tip) that I would like to share is that
"Start following an exercise and dietary regime that you are confident you can stick to, atleast untill you are 50, if not till the end of your life"
Why so?
You must have heard the term 'metabolism'.
What is metabolism?
Biologically ,
Metabolism = Anabolism ( build up) + Catabolism (breakdown).
In simple english, metabolism defines the whole process involved in the breakdown of food for the generation of energy in our body.
The rate at which metabolism occurs is called metabolic rate. A person with high metabolic rate has less tendency of developing excess body fat than someone with low metabolic rate. This is obviously because, high metabolic rate ensures that most of the food consumed is immediately broken down to release energy whereas low metabolic rate does the same thing rather slowly and in turn assists the process of fat deposition in the body. Excess food, when not broken down to give energy, is stored in the body as future food reserve known as Body Fat.
For those having a low metabolic rate, it is important to put extra efforts to increase their metabolic rate. Different forms of exercise or physical activity increases the metabolic rate.
When we work hard, the body loses energy or it uses energy to work hard.
This creates a high demand for energy in the body to make up the energy deficit.In order to replenish the loss of energy as fast as possible, the body demands more and more energy in less and less time. This leads to a quick breakdown of the blood glucose to release energy which in turn reduces the glucose level in the blood. To maintain the normal glucose level,therefore, the consumed complex food is quickly broken down to the simplest form (blood glucose) This entire chain of activity ensures a high metabolic rate (rate of breakdown of consumed food to release energy).
So this is clear that to avoid fat deposition in the body, we need to do a lot of physical activity to maintain a high metabolic rate.
Secondly, eating less also helps in avoiding body fat accumulation.
How?
When we eat less, and the amount we eat is just enough to meet the energy demand of the body then the whole amount of food consumed is broken down in blood glucose and finally used up to release energy. There is no extra reserve for future use so no body fat. When we eat more, part of it is used up depending on body demand for energy and the rest is stored as body fat.
So if we want to maintain a natural balance, the we need to eat just as much as we know we can burn out by our physical activity. This will ensure that we do not put on extra weight.
But this is not enough to lose weight. For losing teh already accumulated body fat, we need to maintain a negative balance in the body.
How?
By losing more calories and consuming less calories. When we eat less and our bosy doesn't have enough energy to compenmsate what we are losing by working out hard, then the body uses the stored fats to provide us with the required energy. In the process we lose the stored body fat and hence the weight.
Body adapts
Now what is that? What does body adapt to?
Ok, so here is the reply. Read on...
Once we start eating less, the body adapts to this. It knows that it is going to get this much (less) amount of food only and therefore it tunes the process to survive with less energy so that it can store some for future use. Net result : The body starts accumulating fat even when you are eating less. But this rate of accumulation is very slow, as long as you are eating less. The day you return back to your original amount or even increase the diet marginally, its a feast for the body and it starts storing the entire extra amount because now it is used to burning that little amount of food only. It has lowered down its metabolic rate to adapt to the low food intake and now when the intake is increased , the metabolic rate is still low thereby increasing the chance of gaining weight.
Same is the case with exercise. As long as you continue, its fine but the day you stop or even reduce the vigour of the exercise you have done so far, you start gaining even more weight at a higher rate than the rate at which you were gaining weight before you started working out.
What does this mean?
Obviously, this doesn't mean that you should not work out at all or should never reduce your diet.
This only means that, once reduced, do not try to increase your diet or once exercise started , do not reduce the amount of exercise you do. That's why from the very beginning, start a regime that you can strictly follow.
Dont's
Do not become desperate for a weight loss and start doing exercise heavily unless you are sure you are going to continue doing so for the rest of your life. Working out hard for 3 months and stopping that or reducing that is worse than not working out at all , as far as weight loss is concerned.
Do not become desperate and start a severe diet control that you can not stick to for the rest of your life. Eating huge amounts regularly is not as bad as reducing your diet for 6 months and then increasing it again.
Do's
Always go for a normal exercise regime that you can follow for your life.
By normal exercise regime ,I mean 40 minutes of heavy (calorie burning , cardio types) exercise and 20 minutes of relaxation, stretching and breathing exercises at least 5 days a week for an otherwise sedentary worker.
Always have a balanced diet , with low fat content and more of fibre like oats. Start a routine that you can forever stick to.
Conclusion:
What that routine should be can be decided by every individual based on your body tendency, structure, level of determination, vision for yourself and body requirement. The various books and websites available on this topic will help you decide on your diet and exercise regime. Just stick to it once started or rather, start something that you can continue.
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