Secrets to Healthy Weight Loss!

People try many different ways to lose weight, but healthy weight loss remains illusive for most. Many people struggle with their weight. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in North America. The weight loss industry is one of the largest, worth tens of billions of dollars a year! So what is the root cause of weight-gain (or more correctly fat-gain)?

There are three main factors that cause weight-gain. First, there is the problem of a sluggish metabolism. Second, there is a state of insulin and leptin resistance which makes it impossible for the body to lose fat. Thirdly, the body is continues to gain fat due to hormonal problems caused by estrogen dominance . All three of these causes must be addressed in order for healthy weight loss to occur.

The body itself must also sense the need to shed any excess weight that encumbers it. In the hypothalamus region of the brain is a weight regulating mechanism which controls the amount of stored fat. A popular name for this fat control system is the body's set point or fat thermostat. The master hormone which controls this "fat thermostat" is leptin. There has been much debate over the existence of such a fat regulating mechanism. However, with the recent discovery of this master hormone, it seems all the more probable. Consider, for example, how stable a person's weight remains over the course of time. Yes, for most people there is creeping weight gain , but it has been observed that in the short term a person consumes and burns about the same amount of energy each day. This certainly would explain the tremendous difficulty in achieving healthy weight loss AND preventing weight gain ( Consider this case in point ).

To create the conditions for healthy weight loss, we must accomplish three things: increase basal metabolism, become insulin and leptin sensitive, and correct hormonal imbalances. The fat set point will lower itself once weight is lost and maintained for a certain time. Once lowered, the set point will make it much more difficult to gain the weight back thus helping us to keep it off. Using a scientific approach we will endeavor to outline a healthy weight loss strategy.

1. Increase Basal Metabolism: This is achieved by increasing our muscle mass with resistance training as outlined below. We also increase metabolism by eating according to the The Diet Protocol , from which we know the proper distribution of macro-nutrients in an optimal diet. We also know that protein is a thermogenic food. This means that about 30 percent of the potential calories in protein are burned during digestion increasing body temperature. Whereas carbohydrates tend to be energy-storing, proteins tend to be energy-burning.

How Much Protein Should You Consume For Weight Loss?

Normal protein intake is approximately 1 gram for each kilogram of lean body weight (0.5 grams per pound). To lose weight, Dr. Al Sears MD in his High Speed Fat Loss program recommends doubling that amount until the desired amount of weight is lost. High protein intake seems to signal your body to burn excess fat by lowering the fat set point.

2. Insulin and Leptin Sensitivity:The main hormones which control body fat levels are leptin and insulin. Leptin is the master hormone produced by the white fat cells and controls many biochemical processes including the activity of the other hormones. Therefore, it is a priority to lower the fasting level of insulin and leptin and to prevent or correct insulin/leptin resistance. This is accomplished by reducing or eliminating most simple carbohydrates such as sugars (especially fructose, glucose-fructose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) found in virtually all processed foods and drinks).

3. Hormonal Balance:Both males and females tend to become estrogen dominant in our modern, toxic environment. In order to reduce the harmful effects of estrogen we must avoid estrogenic foods. Estrogen dominance caused by exposure to chemicals which mimic estrogen, consumption of foods high in phyto-estrogens, and lack of testosterone and progesterone, contribute to stubborn fat deposits and a host of health problems.

Secondly, your thyroid hormones must be at optimal levels in your bloodstream in order for healthy weight loss to occur.

Supplements For Weight Loss:

There are a myriad of dietary supplements on the market that purport to cause weight loss. Most of them are either dangerous and drug-like, or they are scams based on poor science. One which holds much promise was developed by Dr. Sears MD. Because it alone addresses the underlying weight-gain issue of leptin resistance we believe it is the closest you'll get to effortless weight loss.

The Exercise Component of Healthy Weight Loss:

Exercise is often not considered an important part of healthy weight loss. This may have to do with the fact that exercising burns very few calories in comparison to simply eating less. Considering that it takes about twelve hours of walking to burn one pound of fat, it would seem that exercising to "burn" off fat is a doomed strategy! This has lead many to believe that exercising has no role to play for healthy weight loss.

Therefore, to understand the role of exercise we must once again return to the topic of the body's fat set point. The best types of exercise to lower the fat set point is a combination of low and high intensity activity. Low intensity exercise examples would include deep breathing and correct posture which will ensure that the body's core muscular zones are always activated. We call this "exercising without exercises" because of its naturally constant energy expenditure. Another excellent low intensity exercise is swimming not only because it activates all the core muscle groups but also because it causes a high loss of body heat which must be replaced by burning body fat.

Examples of high intensity exercise would include muscle resistance training, fast biking and sprinting. The concept of high intensity, short duration training is explained by Dr. Sears in this article on fat burning exercises.

Low and high intensity exercise not only burns fat, but it also helps to convince the body that holding onto excess weight is a hindrance to efficient movement. Therefore, your body will begin to burn off more fat by increasing the metabolic rate after exercise is performed.

For healthy weight loss, it is NOT recommended to do medium intensity exercise. This is any type of exercise which raises the heart rate such as fast aerobics and long distance running/jogging/fast walking, etc. These types of activities will increase inflamation in the body and are rated poor for healthy weight loss since they will actually encourage the body to store fat for the next bout of exercise. Medium intensity exercise actually tips off your body that you are trying to lose weight, and so your body will react negatively to this type of aggressive exercise.

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