Dear Subscriber,
How’s it going?
Winteris right around
the corner and hopefully
you’re already in great shape.
Part of the joy of getting in shape is
being able to show it off, after all. But
once you’re in shape, you start a whole
new journey – that of keeping yourself
IN that good shape for years to come.
That’s what I want to talk to you
about today… and give you the skinny
(no pun intended) on what it REALLY
takes to keep that weight off for good!
Yours For Health,
Shane Shiels
Shashido Enterprises
Adelaide’s Premier Health & Fitness Expert
Why It’s So Darn Hard To KEEP The
Weight Off – After You’ve Lost It
Ask most people who’ve battled
with their weight their whole life,
and they’ll tell you – losing weight
is the easy part.
The hard part is KEEPING that
stubborn fat off your body.
Think about it: The average person
who’s done on and off diets has
probably easily lost a total of 22 –
45 kgs throughout thier lifetime,
if you add up the weight they lost
each time they dieted.
Where they falter, is in maintaining
that weight loss as the years roll by.
The good news is, science has finally
found some clues as to why it’s so hard…
which can hopefully shed some light
on what we can do to make “maintenance mode” an easier task.
Australian researchers at the University
of Melbourne conducted a groundbreaking
study that was published in The New
England Journal of Medicine. [1]
Fifty obese men and women were
recruited for the study. The men
averaged 100 kilos and the
women 90 kilos.
For 10 weeks, they were given a
low-calorie diet consisting of
veggies and a diet shake (for a
total of around 500 calories per day).
Only 34 participants completed the study,
losing an average of 13 kilos. After
the 10-week weight loss period, the
remaining participants were given
nutritional counselling to help them
KEEP the weight off.
One year later, the participants
had regained an average of 5
kilos – despite the nutritional
counselling and support.
The participants also reported
feeling hungrier more often and
that they thought about food
more often than when they started
the study.
But here is where it gets very
interesting…
Researchers measured the
participants’ hormones related to
hunger and metabolism before
and after the study.
It turns out, their bodies were in an
altered metabolic state that
would in fact make it harder to
keep the weight off.
For example, ghrelin “the hunger
hormone” was about 20% higher
on average than when the study
started.
Peptide YY – another hormone that’s
involved in suppressing hunger was
down… leptin – another hormone that
suppresses hunger and can boost metabolism
– was also down.
These hormonal changes remained, even a
year later!
That explains (at least physiologically)
why it’s SO hard to keep the weight off…
your body is sending hormonal signals for
you to EAT and put some weight back on!
Of course, this study is only preliminary.
More studies need to be done, especially
on a larger scale to get a better sense of
what’s going on.
But the results of this study are still too
great to ignore, I think.
So what can you do if you have lost weight,
to keep it off for good?
Well, it’s like Thomas Jefferson once said,
“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
Until science comes up with something to
“reset” the hormonal changes that take
place in your body after weight loss, it’s
going to be up to you to keep that weight
off through constant monitoring.
That means making health and fitness a
LIFESTYLE … not just a one-time thing
you do for 12 – 16 weeks.
It means you need to be active at least
30 – 60 minutes every day of the week…
it means you need to watch your calories
often, and try to eat healthier foods more
than you eat junk.
It also means keeping tabs on your
weight and taking corrective action if
that scale starts to creep upwards.
It takes effort, no doubt. But it IS
worth it. It’s a small investment of your
time and mental energy, in exchange
for many more years of a healthy, vibrant
life where you feel great AND look great!
So if you’re currently on a weight loss
journey, just know that the more you can
start making this a lifestyle now, the better.
Because the alternative – putting back on
the weight and then some – is no fun, and
can totally make a dent in your self-confidence
and happiness.
And if you’ve already lost the weight,
then be eternally vigilant – for it will pay
off in spades now and in years to come.
Oh and by the way, if you haven’t taken any
action at all on losing that fat, why not make
a commitment to yourself to bettering your
health and your body… and take advantage
of your FREE Fitness Consultation? (an $87 value)
During this consult, you’ll receive
detailed information on how to get fit
and trim that’s tailored to YOUR body.
There’s no obligation and it’s totally and
completely free. To sign up,
use the link below:
References:
1. Priya Sumithran, M.B., B.S.,
Luke A. Prendergast, Ph.D., Elizabeth
Delbridge, Ph.D., Katrina Purcell, B.Sc.,
Arthur Shulkes, Sc.D., Adamandia Kriketos,
Ph.D., and Joseph Proietto, M.B., B.S., Ph.D.
“Long-Term Persistence of Hormonal Adaptations
to Weight Loss” N Engl J Med 2011; 365:1597-
1604; October 27, 2011
Quote Corner
“He who controls others may be
powerful, but he who has mastered
himself is mightier still.” – Lao-Tzu
Eat Yourself Thin
Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue
(Serves Six)
6 frozen skinless, boneless
chicken breast halves
1 (340 gram) bottle barbecue sauce
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1. Place chicken in a slow cooker.
In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce,
Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, a
nd Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.
2. Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours
on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low.
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 4 hrs
Ready: 4 hrs 10 mins
Amount Per Serving – Calories: 300 /
Total Fat: 8.1g / Cholesterol: 61mg /
Sodium: 1058mg / Total Carbs: 32.4g /
Dietary Fibre: 0.3g / Protein: 23g
Recipe from AllRecipes.com.
Shashido Enterprises
Adelaide, S.A.
Phone: 0420 347 550
(c) Shashido Enterprises 2012 (All Rights Reserved)
——————————–
Shashido Enterprises
Adelaide, S.A.
Phone: 0420 347 550
(c) Shashido Enterprises 2012 (All Rights Reserved)
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