Women’s Health Blog

Since excess weight puts you at risk for many health problems, you may need to set some weight loss plans to help avoid those risks and prevent disease.

But what should be your long-term goal? And what short-term goals should you set to help you get there? You have a better chance of attaining your goals if you make sure that the weight loss plans that you will use are sensible and reasonable right at the beginning.

Here are some guidelines from the experts in choosing weight loss plans and goals.

1. Be realistic

Most peoples long-term weight loss plans are more ambitious than they have to be.

For example, if you weigh 170 pounds and your long-term plan is to weigh 120, even if you have not weighed 120 since you were 16 and now you are 45, that is not a realistic weight loss goal.

Your body mass index or BMI is a good indicator of whether or not you need to shed of pounds. The ideal BMI range, according to the national Institutes of Health, is between 19 and 24.9. If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, you are considered overweight. Any number above 30 is in the obesity range.

From this point of view, you will need a sensible weight loss plan that will correspond to the required BMI based on your height, because this is the primary factor that will affect your BMI.

2. Set appropriate objectives

Using a weight loss plan just for vanitys sake is psychologically less helpful than losing weight to improve health.

You have made a big step forward if you decide to undergo a weight loss plan that includes exercise and eating right so that you will feel better and have more energy to do something positive in your life.

3. Focus on doing, not losing

Rather than saying that you are going to lose a pound this week, say how much you are going to exercise this week. This would definitely make up of a sensible weight loss plan.

Keep in mind that your weight within a span of a week is not completely in your control, but your behavior is.

4. Build bit by bit

Short-term weight loss plans should not be pie-in-the-sky. This means that when you have never exercised at all, your best weight loss plan for this week should be based on finding three different one-mile routes that you can walk next week.

5. Keep up the self-encouragement

An all-or-nothing attitude only sets you up to fail. Learn to evaluate your efforts fairly and objectively. If you fall short of some goals, just look ahead to next week. You do not need to have a perfect record.

After all, self-encouragement should definitely be a part of your weight loss plans. Otherwise, you will just fail in the end.

6. Use measurable measures

Saying that you are going to be more positive this week or that you are going to really get serious this week is not a goal that you can measure and should not be a part of your weight loss plan.

This is another reason why you should incorporate exercise on your weight loss plan and focus on it. You should be able to count up the minutes of exercise in order to be successful in your plan.

The bottom line is, people should make weight loss plans that will only remain as it is, just a plan. They have to put it into action by incorporating goals that will motivate them to succeed.

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Obesity has become a common problem in America. So common in fact, that two in every three Americans is considered overweight, and one in every three is classified as obese. Obesity is determined through a formula called the body mass index or BMI. An obese person has a BMI that is over 30. Obesity is a condition that can lead to many other health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. Coronary artery disease is also a common malady among obese people putting them at much higher risk for things like heart attacks and strokes. Because there are many potentially health risks involved with obesity, it is important to try to discover the causes of the condition and ways to treat it. This has led doctors and scientists to examine the link between obesity and fast food in America.

Fast Food Restaurants have replaced the Dinner Table

It is true that fast food has become a large percentage of this country’s diet, so it is no wonder that a link has been considered between fast food and obesity in America. Some studies have shown that eating fast food for three or more meals each week results in a higher incidence of obesity and larger BMI’s. This is an alarming statistic for a nation with such a high incidence of obesity and a fast food chain on nearly every corner. With the increase in activities and overall business of families today, eating out has become a quick and convenient alternative to the homemade family dinner. The food that we consume from fast food restaurants has a tendency to be packed with fat and calories, not to mention sodium and sugar. Studies have also shown that families that eat fast food more often are also less likely to keep healthy fare like fresh fruits and vegetables in the house to offset some of the negative effects of the burgers and fries.

How do we Diminish the Link between Fast Food and Obesity in America?

The solution in reducing the link between fast food and obesity in America is to cut back on this type of diet. Fast food does not have to be avoided altogether and at all costs – it just needs to be considered the exception rather than the rule in your family’s diet choices. When you eat the bulk of your meals at home, make sure that you are serving plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains on everyone’s plate. That Big Mac should be a special treat to be enjoyed on occasion, instead of the primary ingredient in your diet. With a few wise choices and an understanding of good health and nutrition, the link between fast food and obesity in America may be greatly reduced.

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