The Process of Losing Weight, Essay Example

Losing weight is a major concern today because unhealthy food and lifestyle cause more and more people to become overweight. Obesity is a global problem which is determined by two main causes, lack of physical activity and poor diet, consisting in too much fat and sugar. Many people try to lose weight but they do not succeed because they apply incorrect strategies and follow all kinds of diets that may affect their health and even cause them to gain more weight. This process is nevertheless based on simple and clear principles that may represent the basis of a healthy lifestyle. Losing weight may seem hard in the beginning but by following the steps below, you will get fit and much healthier in a short period of time.

The first step in losing weight is to start exercising. In order to do so, you must first get the approval of your physician. This is very important because many people have health problems that do not allow them to exercise and they may not even know about it. After receiving approval from your doctor, you must buy special training equipment. Look for comfortable sportswear that allows you to move freely. After buying the equipment, you must find a gym that suits your needs. It must be close to your home in order to save your time and well-equipped to fit all your needs. After finding the gym, you must choose a training program. While the instructor will help you to choose a weight losing program, it is important to go there prepared. In order to lose weight, you must choose cardio exercises. Start by walking for 30 minutes. After a few days, you may start alternate walking and running. Walk for ten minutes and then run for 4 or 5 minutes. In a few weeks, you should be able to reduce the walking time and increase the running time. The ultimate goal is to be able to run for the entire 30 minutes you spend on the treadmill.  You may also try the stepper and the bicycle, applying the same rule of increasing the effort level gradually.  While exercising three or four times per week is enough to lose weight, people who are really ambitious and want to lose weight faster may chose to go to the gym every day.  Be very careful not to exaggerate though because this may lead to important health problems, which can vary from an uncomfortable muscle pain the next day, to heart failure and death.

Changing your diet is the next important step in losing weight. This step must take place in the same time, or shortly after the beginning of the first step. First, you must stop eating fast-food, semi-prepared aliments and pizza. Next, look into your fridge and replace all fattening aliments. If the fridge is now empty, you must go shopping for healthy food. Avoid pork and cold cuts. Go for chicken, beef and fish instead. Also buy fresh vegetables and fruits.  Then, you have to learn how to prepare your healthy meals yourself. You must give up most carbs in your diet.  Introduce wholegrain bread and cereals instead and replace sweets with fruits. You must stop eating fried food and start considering grilled and boiled meat and vegetables instead.  Look on the internet for easy and fast recipes. Then, you must change your eating habits, if they are wrong .You must never skip a meal and you must include a healthy snack. A fruit or a simple yogurt is a great choice for a snack. Finally, you must respect your new diet at all times. Avoid entering fast-foods and buying sweets. Ask all your friends and relatives to help you by not eating in front of you and if this is the case, by preparing healthy meals for you. If you respect all of the above, you may lose between one and three kilograms in the first week. Always be careful however to eat enough, particularly since you are also exercising.  Starving yourself is not a good method of losing weight because it may predispose you to health problems and also, it is efficient strategy. You will end up giving up and eating even more than before.

After having completed the above steps, it is time to enlarge your knowledge on the topic. If you start the weight losing process by knowing nothing about the mechanisms that govern it (as most people), this does not mean that you have to remain in the dark.   It is important to learn everything you can about losing weight and healthy lifestyles because this will motivate you and will help you to achieve better results.   The first source of information is your physician or a nutrition specialist. You may ask him everything you want to know about nutrition, exercising and living a healthy life. However, if your weight problems are not so serious as to endanger your health, you may skip this step. The next competent source of information is your gym instructor. He may advise you in aspects concerning diet and supplements, as well as other details such as drinking enough water. Finally, the internet will provide you with an enormous source of information and will tell you everything you have to know about healthy living and losing weight. Be careful though and pick your sources of information wisely, because not all sites are reliable. For this reason, it is also advisable to double-check the information.

The weight losing process thus involves exercising, dieting and gaining knowledge on the topic. Even though in the beginning, this process may seem extremely difficult, you will see that in a very short while, it will become easy and even enjoyable. After having achieved your goal, you will discover that you are not only lighter, but also healthier and more energetic so the result is worth each second spent at the gym and in the kitchen.