subject: Weight Loss Personal Training [print this page] If most people were asked what they would like to change about themselves, they would probably say lose some weight. Most could do with shedding a few kilos here or there, but for some it is much tougher than they thought.
Unfortunately, we do have a growing obesity problem in Australia. Research suggests that one in three Australians is overweight (BMI 25-30) and one in four is obese (BMI 30+). The downside to obesity includes poor self esteem, lethargy and increased general health diseases such as diabetes type 2, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. The good news is that the long-term health risks can be reversed with just a small 5 to 10% weight loss.
Losing weight needs a long-term solution. In most cases the weight built up over time and therefore it wont magically disappear after a trendy fad diet. There is no effective long-term solution that doesnt involve lifestyle or behavioural change and a lot of hard work. In simple terms, it means that your everyday diet needs to be healthy for the rest of your life. Not just a few weeks. Plus, to maintain a healthy weight you need to increase your physical activity.
Fat is simply stored energy and it is hard to eliminate because of how the body utilises its stored energy. The body will burn all of its available ATP, glucose (sugar) and carbohydrates circulating in our body before we even start burning our fat reserves. Also anything excess not immediately burned up by your body is converted to fat and stored for a less plentiful day.
Thats why health practitioners recommend 30 minutes of exercise at least three times per week. We only start burning our fat reserves after the other more readily available sources are used up, which can take 15 or 20 minutes depending on your exercise intensity and level of fitness.
Anyone struggling to implement a successful exercise regime or diet, should seek the advice of a doctor, exercise professional or dietician.
