Best way to lose weight

I recently came across a plethora of questions starting with "What is the the best way to lose weight...?   The ending to this question runs the gamut from "without exercise" to "in your face" to "in three days".  Most of the questions are understood and are reasonable questions.  A few, not so much.  I say this because losing weight does not happen overnight.  It took a while to add on the weight, so it is reasonable to expect that it will take some time to lose it as well.

The first group of questions I am going to group into Spot Reduction.  A lot of questions had to do with loosing weight in certain parts of the body.  The message has been out there for a while that we can't spot reduce yet they are still popular questions.  Not sure how this myth keeps on living.  The truth of the matter is that we can't pick one spot on our bodies and make fat go away from just that spot.  To lose weight, it has to come off from all over the body.

Next, we have what is called Essential Body Fat.  For men, it is estimated to being 3% and for women to being 13% for the sole purpose of supporting life and reproduction purposes.  Some of the uses of fats in the body is that they store energy, they give us insulation, and they also protect our organs.  The Central Nervous System is partly made of fat, to include brain cell membranes.

Most people, when asked what fat is, think about subcutaneous fat.  This is the fat that we are able to pinch on the back of the arm, the hips, the midsection, thighs, and bottom.  This is used for energy storage and for regulating body temperature.

What most people don't think about is what is called Visceral fat.  This is the deep tissue fat that cushions the organs.  Some fat is also required for the production of our hormones.  This is especially instrumental for women.  Too little and you might halt your menstrual cycle.  Too much and you can have chronic health issues which may include pregnancy issues.

A healthy measure of fat for men is 15 to 20 %,  For women, it is 20 to 25%.  Athletes will have their body fat percentages for their athletic performance needs.  Anything below 8% for men and 14% in women has no additional value to their performance.  At those levels they interfere with hormonal levels, increase likelihood of getting sick and for women, menstrual cycle interruption.

Unhealthy fat levels of 20%+ for men and 30%+ for women increase the likelihood of chronic illnesses such as type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Some people have seen these chronic illnesses reversed with some exercising and monitoring how much sugar and fat one eats.

To answer the question of the best way to lose weight, the answer comes in two parts.  Part 1 is to get some form of exercise.  It does not have to be a strenuous, two hour bodybuilding session.  Depending on your current activity level and health level, a simple walk around the block or your local mall is good to start.  As your health and fitness increases, you can do plyometrics, bodyweight exercises and eventually add some form of resistance to challenge your muscles.  Muscles are living tissues and they burn calories.  After age 30, we all start to lose muscle.  A good way to keep it is by challenging those muscles.  As the saying goes, "use it or lose it".

Part 2, some consider the hardest part.  Your diet.  If you only start with exercising  three times a day for 10 minutes at a time.  You will have the rest of the day where you will be tempted at work, on the drive between home and work or work and the gym.  There are always parties and events that you will be tempted to have sweets or bagels or whatever your temptation may be.  The key is to know what you can eat and what you can't.  Harvard School of Public Health has a good graph called Healthy Food Plate. 

Can you lose weight without exercising?  Sure.  Most diets encourage some form of exercise though.  If you're not exercising, what kind of diet are you on?  Is it sustainable?  Can you see yourself eating like this for the next 5, 10, or even 15 years?  What about beyond that?  What ever diet you choose should be sustainable for the long haul.  If you are having to completely give up on foods you like, you will likely struggle staying on it.  I grew up in Texas.  I enjoy fried catfish, fried okra, and chicken fried steak with white gravy.  None of this is good for me.  It sure does taste good to me though.  Knowing this isn't good for me, I sometimes have this as a treat once a year or every couple of years.  If that.  The point I am trying to make is you can still have foods you like that are not necessarily good for you.  Just have them in moderation once in a while.  If you choose to completely stop eating that, that is OK too.

Yours in health and fitness
RH Wells