DIETING AND WEIGHT LOSS

PREAMBLES

One commonest recommendation against weight loss is dieting or reduction in the number of calories one consumes daily. As good as this advice sounds; it goes with its potential shortcomings. There is no doubt that this method achieves result on short term, but compounded overweight on long-run. Those experts on weight loss, who understand the dynamics of reducing weight, emphasize more on calories content of any food item; their general postulate is that, burn more calories than you consume.
When you diet, you either reduce the consumption of certain classes of food or you starved yourself of them. When you fast to cut calories intake, certain biochemical reactions take place which might be forward or backward reaction. Excess sugar in the blood stream is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver. During fasting, however, the glycogen is re-converted back to glucose to provide energy for metabolism plus other side reactions.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIET

When you diet, the body produces a compensating hormone called cortisol. The secretion of hormone cortisol takes place in the adrenal cortex in response to adrenal cortical stimulating hormone (ACTH) produced in the pituitary gland. This hormone regulates blood sugar, energy production, inflammation, the immune system and healing. Under-secretion of cortisol exposes the body to fatigue, chronic fatigue, exhaustion and a disease of the endocrine system, while over- secretion by adrenal glands develops conditions such as weight gain, protruded belly, and depressed immune function with all of the consequences, accelerated aging and stomach ulcers.

This brings me to a personal life experience I am going to share with you now. I happen to be somebody who dislikes breakfast. In all the five working days in a week, I take the first meal after 2pm. I was leaving under illusion to control weight. After 24months, people around started accusing me of growing belly, but could not explain how it came about until I began to share interest in weight matter. The fat so produced in my belly is difficult to burn out. It leads to stress and occasional discomfort. Others ignorant of weight matter assume it’s a reflection of good living.

BEST APPROACH TO WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Dieting seems to connote deprivation, starvation, looking miserable, feeling uncomfortable and health failure. Being familiar with the concept of basal metabolic rate(BMR) is the most useful technique to achieve sustainable weight loss. All you need is to ensure that the amount of calories you expend is more than that you consume taking cognizance of your weight, height, age, genetics, body temperature, external temperature, body surface area, body fat etc.

Severe calorie restriction, diet fads, pills, detox cleanses only contribute to diet failures and has the capacity to increase the probability of regaining more weight than originally lost. Do not be deceived: the only alternative to shed the excess pound is to develop healthy life style behavior that that include eating variety of healthy foods, physical activities, and a game plan.

CONCLUSION

Dieting alone cannot achieve weight reduction. Eating well and full of activity is a clear direction to reduce weight. Starting a weight-loss program demands discipline, motivation and absolute commitment to make good behavioral modification. Dieting in my simple understanding produces double tragedy: food deprivation and secretion of hormone-cortisol, inflicting injury by way of pot belly (protruded stomach), stomach ulcers and undue stress.

Wole adedeji
www.globaldieting.blogspot.com