Weight Loss - Carbohydrates

Unfortunately certainly highly dangerous diets have tried to miss-educate people into thinking that eating carbohydrates is "bad", and that its bad for weight loss and causes obesity! The aim of this page is to help people understand exactly what Carbohydrates are and why people assume carbohydrate makes people obese.

What is carbohydrate?

Carbohydrate is the primary source of energy for human body. Being the primary source of energy, means that it is used in every function of human body, from developing a toned body to developing a good memory and ensuring a healthy brain. The body breaks down the carbohydrates into energy for use by the cells.

Why do people think eating carbohydrates makes them fat?

It is important that people realize that the famous weight loss diet that first introduced this "misinformation" did so purely to make money. In fact its creator suffered from long term heart disease. The truth is that it is not Carbohydrate that makes us fat, its the poor understanding of the relationship between calories and weight loss that makes us fat.

In additions it is important for people to understand that there are two types of carbohydrates:

The Complex Carbohydrates - these types of carbohydrates release their energies slowly. This type of carbs are essential to human body's normal operation. In fact doctors recommend that 60% of your total daily calorie intake should be from this type of carbohydrate.
The Simple Carbohydrates - these types of carbohydrates release their energy quickly. As these are sugar based carbs, they provide the body with a lot of empty calories which means the body will have excess calories, which is the stored as body fat. It is these types of carbohydrate that are to be avoided.

Children & Obesity

In simple terms, obesity is caused when the body stores excessive calories. Obesity in civilized countries is reaching epidemic proportions. What is worrying is that the children too are now more obese than ever before in the history of man kind!

Child Obesity and Weight Loss

Calories and Weight Loss

Weight loss depends on the amount of calorie intake. Calories are used by the body to perform its day-to-day functions. However, when the calories taken in is greater than the energy burnt, then the excess calories are stored as fat. The most common reasons for excessive consumption of calories are:

Psychological
Emotional
Lack of knowledge
Habit

calories and weight loss

Weight loss plans

There are a number of VERY dangerous diet plans used to target weight loss. A dangerous, or misleading, diet is one which provides "rapid" result. Remember, in order for a diet to be effective and safe, your body needs time to adjust to the change in your lifestyle. This is because rapid dieting will almost always have health consequences, and in fact research has also shown that as soon as your body adjusts to the diet, you will start to put on weight at even a higher rate than before.

Weight loss diet

Weight Loss plans to be avoided

For legal reasons we are unable to actually name dangerous or misleading weight loss diets, however, the following is a list which should help you identify these diets for yourself.

Any diet that cuts out any essential food groups (Specially carbohydrates!)
Any diet that promises or guarantees fast result
Any diet that involves you drinking only liquid food.
Any diet that involves you buying processed and ready made "food substitutes".

Weight loss diets

Diet

The food you eat is the single most important factor in your weight loss program. Weight loss is only achieved through a healthy diet.

Weight loss diet and health

Exercise

Exercise is vital not only to a safe weight loss plan, but, is also crucial to the general operation and well being of the human body.

Weight loss exercise

Measuring Body Fat

Measuring the Body Fat is a much more accurate way of measuring how your weight loss program is going than using a bathroom scale. The bathroom scales are highly misleading!

Measure Body Fat

Swimming

Swimming is a VERY effective and safe way of burning calories. Its one of the safest ways of exercising as you do not put any excessive force on the joints.

Swimming

Walking

Walking is one of the safest form of exercise as you burn those calories without excessive wear and tear on the joints.

Walking

Pilates and Yoga

Pilates and Yoga are important to any weight loss program as they both encourage good body posture and alignment.

Pilates