I’m sure this is not a newsflash to most, but we have a problem. Many of us need a doable way to lose weight naturally, because the food industry isn’t helping us at all! Did you know that approximately 2/3 of Americans are overweight? There are some viable claims that even the “diet drink” industry is in cahoots with the food processors – because diet drinks contain chemicals that actually encourage carbohydrate cravings! The truth is, from the very young to the elderly, it has now become so easy to gain weight rapidly – simply by following the Standard American Diet (SAD for short).
Obesity is now at epidemic proportions. If you fall into this category, you most likely got this way naturally. What do I mean?
Consider that there are two primary factors in our battle with obesity. First of all, most of us eat too much of the wrong kinds of foods (you know – the ones advertised on TV, billboards, and every other media outlet you can imagine) . Second, we simply don’t get enough exercise to burn up all those calories we ingest on a daily basis. And although many of our processed foods put chemicals in our bodies that they were never meant to process, the truth is that our choices are causing the problems. Our unnatural choices lead to a “natural” weight gain. Bummer, isn’t it?
But on the positive side, our long term solution is natural as well. Balance is key. We need to eat foods that are nutritious and healthy, and eat them in the correct proportions. Stuffing ourselves is not helpful here. Then adding exercise to burn off excess calories and build muscle mass faster – these two together will deliver obesity a fatal one-two punch!
But as we know, it’s not necessarily an easy path. There’s a learning curve for how to begin to eat differently (a big reason I wrote my book) and the discipline of regular exercise. We all know the stories of those who begin a crash diet in January (every year) and join the gym. But by mid to late February, there’s usually plenty of room in the workout room, because most have given up their good intentions and “fallen off the wagon”.
And for this very reason, the “pills and potions” industry is booming. Artificial solutions to these problems – whether it is pills, potions or surgery – are no quick fix to the issue. And this is because – after pill popping or fat stripping is done, it is still the responsibility of the patient to develop healthier habits, or the excess weight will simply return – sooner or later.
So we return to the best solution. It’s time to overcome this “natural” weight gain by returning to natural eating of nutritious REAL foods, and finding an exercise program that is both enjoyable and beneficial.
I realize that there are many “exercise resistant” people out there. I used to be one of them myself. But if you can see a clear picture of what added muscle mass can do for you, I think it will change your thinking about exercising. Think about your resting metabolism, for instance. Do you know how many calories a pound of fat burns each day? About 2.
How many calories does a pound of muscle burn? Typically between 35-50 calories per day. A typical person who jogs a mile will burn around 110 calories during their jaunt. So what is the message here?
Aerobic, or cardio exercises such as jogging, jumping or running burns calories. But if you can simply add 3 pounds of muscle mass to your body, you would end up burning about as many calories as jogging for a mile every day! You can begin to build this kind of muscle by lifting weights, swimming, or even with an in-home exercise program designed to build muscle.
The truth is, if you need to lose weight – whether it’s 10-20 pounds, or even a hundred or more – one of the BEST things you can do for your body is to add about 10 pounds of muscle mass. If you will work to build this up and then maintain it, it would be like jogging for 3 miles – while you’re sitting on the couch relaxing! So do your favorite chosen exercises – and let your body work overtime while you rest – by burning more calories at rest. That’s the power of increased muscle mass.
You don’t need to opt for pills or surgery – or wear yourself out looking for a quick fix. you can lose weight naturally by eating better and exercising consistently. You’ll feel so much better you’ll wonder why you didn’t start long ago! 🙂