As of 2004, two thirds of American adults were overweight, and nearly a third were obese. (I was one of them!) These numbers have been reported even higher through different studies, and the rates only continue to increase. By 2020 it is very possible that half the American population could be obese. (I will NOT be one of them! Will you?)

You are obese when your body reaches 20% more than the weight listed for your age and height on standard weight tables. Weight tables can be found all over the internet, but the best way to determine your status is to find a BMI calculator. They can be found free online as well. Go ahead and find one. It’s time to know the truth.

If you are obese or fast approaching the line, what exactly does it mean? The implications go far beyond a number on the scale or the size of your pants. Fat is stored not only under the skin, but around and inside your muscle and organs.
Consider a few of the health problems that obese people are at risk of developing:

• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Sleep Apnea
• Some Forms of Cancer
• Stroke

It’s very easy to push those health factors to the back of your mind or to assume that it will not happen to you. Often, thinking that you deserve to be happy overrides the health risks (as if food is what will really make us happy). What you cannot push aside is how being overweight impacts your daily life.

Can you play on the floor with your children and stand up without struggling or hearing all your joints pop under the strain? Can you walk around the block or chase after a child running into the street without losing your breath? Can you fit into all of those cute clothes you see in the stores? How comfortable are you on the beach in the summer? When you look in the mirror, do you see yourself as you feel you are inside?

The AHA! moment that set me on the path to losing weight the healthy way occurred in a department store. I was walking with my toddler and in passing happened to see this huge woman in one of those skinny mirrors they like to place on support columns around the store. For some reason this woman caught my interest because she looked so horrible and I turned to get a second glance. It was then that I realized that woman was actually me.

It wasn’t the me I knew I was inside. It looked like a complete stranger. That was a wake up moment for me because I didn’t want to look like a stranger. I wanted to be myself again, inside and out. I wanted to look in the mirror and see ME.

So, what did I do? What exactly does it mean to lose weight healthfully? These are valid questions because many obese people simply do not know what healthy is anymore. We are flooded with diet products that promise fast weight loss and there are more fad diets than anyone can possibly keep up with. The idea of healthy weight loss has been lost in the confusion as all of these fads insist that they are better.

The fact is they may be better in the short term. You can lose weight with fad diets, but you already know that, right? You know that because you have tried them all a million times. But stop and think about that! Why should you have to try anything more than once if it actually worked the first time?

Short term weight loss is not enough to say “it worked!” If what you want is to lose weight and keep it off for the rest of your life, then there is no miracle pill, shake, or energy shot that is going to do the work for you. Yes, I said work because changing ingrained habits to refresh your lifestyle takes a little of that.
Here are some basic guidelines that will help you start to understand what a healthy weight loss program might include for you.

1. You must eat to burn fat and lose weight. Too few calories will cause your body to think it is starving. Then you will start holding onto what calories are supplied, instead of burning them up.
2. You must eat breakfast to lose weight. Your metabolism needs a jump start in the morning. The right breakfast will set your body up to burn more fat all day long.
3. To prevent binging or feeling deprived and to keep your blood sugar stable, you must eat smaller, more frequent meals. Eating every three to four hours throughout the day will keep your metabolism going and stop your blood sugar (and your energy) from dropping during the day.
4. You must keep your body hydrated to lose weight. When your body is dehydrated you will feel as if you are hungry but can’t get full. Drinking lots of water will stop this problem and will help you feel full so you eat less.
5. You must eat a balanced diet to lose weight. Your body needs fats and carbs to function properly, but choosing healthier versions such as olive oil and whole grain pasta will speed up your weight loss significantly.
6. You must get your body up and moving to lose weight and keep it off. It’s a matter of calories out versus calories in. The more you get moving out the more you can take in, and the more fat you will burn off.

I’m sure all that seems a bit overwhelming, but you shouldn’t try to do it all overnight. Take small steps. Work on one thing at a time and eventually it will all come together. Permanent weight loss can be a little slower as you gradually change your habits and the way you live your daily life, but you will only have to do it once!

Technorati Tags: Cancer, Diabetes, diet, Diet Plans, healthy diet, Healthy Weight Loss, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Lose Weight, Sleep Apnea, Stroke, Weight Loss