Maintaining your Ideal Weight

Weight Management
Maintaining your Ideal Weight
Weight Maintenance

Gaining and losing those extra pounds to reach your ideal weight was not a small feat. And now when you have done this, you can’t slack back and undo your achievement.

Reaching your target weight is not the end of the story. In fact, it is the beginning of your weight management. Weight management means continuing to maintain your body weight at a healthy level.

Many of the quick-fix diets and supplements meant to maintain weight are usually short-term solutions. These are also likely to be nutritionally inadequate and can sometimes lead to problems such as iron deficiency or poor bone health. And, the real problem leading to undesired weight remains unresolved.

A weight management plan depends on whether you tend to be overweight or underweight. Your basic metabolism plays a major role in determining your weight. People struggle with weight issues primarily because of a very low or an excessively high metabolic rate.

Our metabolism tends to slow down with age. As we grow older, we lose muscle and gain body fat. Since our muscle mass is more active than our fat tissue, when we lose muscle mass our metabolism slows down.

For men this is less of an issue than for women. Since men generally have more lean muscle mass than women, they have a higher metabolic rate. In fact, their metabolic rate tends to be ten to fifteen percent higher than women’s.

Other factors play a role too. A healthy and balanced diet is very important. Your diet should contain all the necessary nutrients required by the body. One should include fresh fruits and fibre-rich vegetables in daily diet. Use of highly refined and processed foods disrupts the body’s natural metabolic rate. These should be avoided as far as possible.

Hypothyroidism slows metabolism. Yoga is proven to be helpful in controlling this condition. By controlling your hypothyroidism, you can manage your weight better.

Sometimes, hyperthyroidism and excessive intentional weight loss can cause a person to be dangerously underweight. For such people, weight management involves maintaining sufficient intake of food to prevent losing the weight that has been gained.

Some people are just genetically pre-disposed to burn calories slower or faster than others. By self-analysing your genetic disposition, you can manage your calories intake by reducing or increasing it.

Exercise is the main mantra. Be it loosing, gaining or maintaining your weight. You can ask your trainer to advise you on the most beneficial exercise to suit your individual needs. Exercises such as a combination of aerobic and high intensity anaerobic are generally advised if you tend you gain weight. Weight training helps build lean muscle mass and it is known to be especially beneficial for those who tend to be underweight.

Exercise helps remove toxins from your system through perspiration, and also revs up your metabolism. Plus, it relieves stress — another factor in weight issues. If you have not tried any exercise program before, right time to start one is right now. Find something you enjoy doing and make it part of your daily regime. Consult a good trainer, start slowly and get going.

Gradual changes in your eating habits, exercise and a healthy lifestyle will ensure success for your weight management efforts. Now and forever!