Everyday many of us vow to embark upon a regime of self improvement. Top of the list is usually to lose weight or get fitter.

Here’s some help to get you pointing in the right direction.

Why is Weight Loss Important

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.

How to Best Lose Weight

Losing weight needs a long-term solution. In most cases it didn’t happen overnight and therefore it won’t magically disappear after a trendy fad diet.

The interesting thing about the slickly marketed diets and gimmicks is that they don’t work despite how much money you pay. And when they don’t work, you become even further depressed.

According to the National Health and Medical Research Council, there is no effective long-term solution that doesn’t involve lifestyle or behavioural change.

What does this mean?

In simple terms, it means that your everyday diet needs to be healthy for the rest of you life. Not just a few weeks.

Plus, to maintain a healthy weight you need to increase your physical activity. There is no scientific evidence that suggests a healthy diet alone will maintain weight for the long-term.

What is Fat?

Once you understand what fat is, you can understand why a healthy diet and exercise is important.

Fat is simply stored energy. It’s also the densest form of stored energy in the human body, which makes is even harder to reduce. In fact, every gram of fat has the equivalent energy of 39 grams of sugar all jam-packed into less space.

The other reason why fat is hard to eliminate is how the body utilises its stored energy.

When do you think we start to burn our fat reserves: first or last?

Unfortunately last! That means we’ll burn all of our available ATP, glucose (sugar) and carbohydrates circulating in our body before we even start burning our fat reserves.

That’s 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.

How Can You Best Burn Your Fat Reserves?

Think of your body as a car with two fuel tanks. One tank is always used first. The other is a reserve supply for that long trip into the outback. We keep our fat in the second tank.

When we eat, our body extracts energy from the food source. Fatty foods are a high density fuel that takes time and energy to release, so your body takes the easiest option by using the simple sugars (glucose) straight away and then carbohydrates when the glucose supply runs low. Anything excess not immediately burned up by your body is converted to fat and stored for a less plentiful day.

In Australia we are fortunate that the fridge, cupboard, grocery store or fast food joint is nearby. Hence we never go wanting and all we do is feed ourselves more than we actually need. That’s how we put on weight and store it forever!

It makes logical sense that if we use more energy than we eat or drink each day, then that is our best chance of using some of our stored energy (fat).

And the quickest way to burn energy is move a bit more. Yes, that means exercise or simply increasing your activity level. You could start by parking your car further away from your destination or taking a daily stroll with a friend rather than simply sitting and having another coffee, beer or wine.

A five or ten minute stroll is better than none and it’ll will start you on the way to a leaner you!

When is the Best Time of Day to Exercise?

Researchers have discovered that due to hormone levels varying in our bodies, you can improve your chance of weight loss by exercising in the early morning. Conversely, you will have a better chance of building muscle bulk with afternoon or evening training.

However, with that all being said you can still lose weight or strengthen at any time of the day. So, as long as you are out and about moving every day, you’ll be well on the way to your weight goal.

What to Do Next?

If you are struggling to implement a successful exercise regime or diet please seek the advice of your physiotherapist, doctor or dietician.

Don’t delay! The quicker you get onto it, the quicker you’ll feel lighter, more energetic and better about yourself.