The Simplicity and Complexity of Weight Loss

The process for losing weight is simple but the reasons for not being able to easily lose weight are far more complex. 

How is it possible for such a popular subject to be simple and complex at the same time? 

That’s simple and here’s why. 

The easy part is understanding how weight loss occurs and how simple the process really is. 

Let’s say the human body is like a car. If you want your car to take you somewhere it needs fuel in the form of gas. Like your car your body needs fuel, in the form of food, so it to can go somewhere or do something. 

Now let’s say at the end of the day you only use half the gas in your car. The next day the gas is still sitting in the gas tank waiting for you to use it. That’s the same thing that happens to the human body. You eat food on a certain day, for instance 2500 calories. You go out and do a few things, take the dog for a walk, do a bit of shopping, come home and watch a bit of TV. It’s been an average sort of day but you’ve only used up 2000 calories. That gives you 500 calories left in your fuel tank. 

Unfortunately, this is where the analogy splits from the car. Having extra fuel in the gas tank of a car is a bonus because you don’t have to buy any more until it runs out. However, in the human body that extra fuel in the form of calories are stored as fat and as each day progresses if a few more calories are added, because you haven’t used them, the fatter you get. 

To put it simply, you have to use the same amount of energy (calories) in your daily activities as the amount of calories you eat in food to stay the same weight. To lose weight you have to use up more calories in daily activity than the calories you eat. Simple isn’t it. 

The complex part is, well complex. We now understand the process of weight loss but other factors now come into play. For instance we are constantly bombarded with fast food advertisements. There is a fast food outlet on every street corner. The pace of life is faster and it’s just a lot more convenient to just grab a bite from the fast food joint because of time constraints. Mom and dad are too tired in the evening to cook so why not order in for the night. You are feeling hungry during the day and it’s so much easier to grab a candy bar to keep you going for a few more hours than to find a store that will serve you something healthy. The kids pressure you to go to the local fast food store. Probably whichever is giving away some cheap toy. 

Then there’s the evening scenario in front of the TV and boredom sets in so a nice snack would be great. Even worse are the occasional chocolate cravings. Yes, girls we know all about what you get up to, but did you ever think what people did before chocolate was invented? Are these bad habits formed over a lifetime? Is it just laziness? Are there some psychological reasons why you eat too much? Do you cave in to constant marketing from fast food companies and /or pressure from other family members? Is it the way you were brought up as a child? Does it taste good? Does it give you comfort to eat the things you like so much? 

There’s a good chance that it’s a mixture of many of these reasons that make people eat, not only the wrong foods, but too much of it. The funny thing is you can eat some of these things but in moderation. Going cold turkey and taking away the pleasure you get from eating the wrong food is a little unrealistic and doomed to failure. The occasional treat isn’t that bad but emphasis on occasional. 

The problem is, if you continue to be overweight it will certainly lead on to many problems with your health, being obese can lead to an early death. I don’t mean to be morbid but it’s a fact. 

It’s never too late to change and lose weight and become healthier. It just takes a change in mindset and attitude. I never tire of my favourite saying which can be applied to so many aspects of your life. Think about these next nine words because they can change so many aspects of your life. 

“You either can or you can’t, it’s your decision.” You can decide to lose weight and become healthier or you can simply decide you can’t and stay as you are. Your choice! 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author:Grace Lange