It is no secret that there are growing rates of obesity in the United States today, both among adults and kids, and it may grow worse in the near future if people do not take their health into their own hands, although the fast food industry’s prevalence also plays a role in this trend. Losing weight today is the subject of countless weight loss programs and manuals, varying in the food eaten and the exercises performed, but there may be some underlying fundamentals tying them all together, and a person can make use of broad, healthy methods of weight loss, combined with the advice and suggestions of their doctor so that weight loss maintenance can be a healthy and productive endeavor. A comprehensive fitness program does not have to be daunting or scary; in fact, it can be great fun, and a source of pride and a sense of accomplishment, especially if it is used as a lifestyle and not just a short-term goal. Weight loss maintenance means several different things, but a common theme among them all is a long-term view on weight loss. Making a healthier lifestyle one’s goal, rather than losing a set number of pounds, is the best way to use weight loss maintenance. How can this be done?
Why Obese?
One way to start a personalized workout plan to lose weight is to know why so many Americans are overweight or obese to begin with. Around one in three American adults today is considered obese, and some common culprits include the prevalence of fatty and sugary fast food, processed foods with added sugars, and the widespread use (possibly overuse) of electronic devices such as PCs or gaming consoles, among both kids and adults, that promote sedentary lifestyles that involve burning very few calories per day. Many adults and children fail to get the proper amount of exercise per day since they are using electronics indoors, and once they become obese, they may be further unwilling to exercise, creating a vicious cycle. Weight loss maintenance will mean breaking free of these habits and attitudes and embracing a lifestyle that the human body was naturally designed for. What is that like?
The Right Lifestyle
It has been generally concluded that the human body is naturally designed to get a lot of exercise per day, such as running, and with today’s sedentary lifestyles, combined with fast food, too many calories and too much fat ends up being stored on the body. Instead, a person can recognize and then break away from these trends.
One step is the diet. A person can eliminate fast food from their diet altogether, since such foods have added sugars and fats to make them taste appealing, and this will cut off a lot of excess calories in the person’s diet. Heavily processed foods should also be cut out like this. Instead, whole, organic foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, protein like beans, eggs, chicken and fish, and diary like cheese and milk should be the mainstays of such a diet. If this is a major change for someone’s diet, they should consul their doctor before launching their diet to make sure that they do so responsibly. A person’s caloric intake may be based on their age, sex, and activity level, and a doctor will factor this into their medical advice.
Another major change to make is exercise levels. Here too, a person should consult their doctor beforehand to make sure that they do this safely, and factors like age, recent childbirth or surgery, or conditions like back pain or previous injuries should be taken into account for safety’s sake. In general, exercise can be any of many common forms, tailored for the person’s needs and physical abilities. Cardio like jogging, bike riding, and swimming are great options, as are sports like soccer, basketball, hockey, or rugby. Martial arts can also be excellent exercise since they work out the entire body, such as Muay Thai, kickboxing, or karate, and on top of that, sports and martial arts can be great fun and can teach teamwork skills or self-defense, meaning that such activities are very healthy for anyone to incorporate into their lifestyle. When paired with a good diet, such exercise makes for great weight loss maintenance.
