Ignorance and Insanity: Weight Management:

Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump.  Unfortunately some humans have joined their ranks with their excessive weight being beyond what their frail bones can handle.  Some blame it on their metabolism, the food industry, 'big bones' and the like, but the simple fact is that aside from a few with truly rare medical conditions, the vast majority are just too ignorant or too insane to do proper weight management.

The human body is a machine, organic and massively complex, but a machine nonetheless.   Input, in the form of food and drink, is converted into sustenance for our bodies and the remainder is converted into waste.  Now, due to the complexity of the human body, sometimes excessive calories (kilocalories technically but shortened to simply calories for food and drink on packaging nutritional information) are in the form of protein and used to increase muscle mass.  However, most are either not protein or past the point of safe protein buildup, and are broken down into more waste and lipids, fat.  Fat is stored in case the body needs more warmth or energy for other purposes when food is in short supply.

Starvation diets fail because the body tries harder to retain fat after the diet ends, and without enough calories and carbs, the body doesn't work efficiently to remove toxins and other waste from the body, in addition to the immune system and brain function slowing.  Diet pills for the most part do nothing other than work as a placebo.  Shedding a pound or two in a month can easily be chalked up to not having a third slice of bread every day during that month, or measuring at times immediately after using the restroom instead of measuring prior if one was previously.  High carb and high protein diets give a person energy, and hence why many athletes do them, however, they are exercising a lot more than the average person and need that excess energy.

So what actually works?  First, proper hydration.  On average, a person should drink eight glasses that are about eight ounces each.  The actual recommended amount if not overly sweating, is half the body weight in pounds to be drank in ounces, so adjust accordingly with the amount daily and at each time one drinks or add more times to drink.  The two times I had used The Hacker's Diet (which is highly effective if combined with the glycemic index and other details), I had several eight ounce canning jars that I had gained from the owner of a restaurant whose basement I had volunteer to help clean.  I still have them in fact, though I use them less than I used to.  One should drink a glass on waking up, one half an hour before each meal, one during each meal, one before any time doing exercise and again if feeling thirsty, and one half an hour before bed.  Additionally, unless you're planning on singing or doing a long speech try to drink cold water (if you use ice, compensate with more water unless you drink the ice too as it melts).  If singing or doing a long speech, use room temperature water as it won't strain the vocal cords as much.  The reason for drinking cold water is that it forces the body to use more of its heat to raise its temperature to usability and the increased density also takes up slightly more space in the stomach.  As a result, not only will it make one feel fuller, it will also burn more calories, especially when combined with the timing of the initial drink.  While the timing does help, basically if one feels thirsty, they should drink sooner as even the initial onset of thirst is a sign of dehydration.  However, there is a downside to drinking too much water.  If the amount of water being drunk exceeds the amount of electrolytes consumed by too much, it is sapping vital nutrients the body needs to function properly and if too excessive can even lead to death.  Best to stick to 8-10 glasses on average unless doing a lot of exercise or to prevent heatstroke and the like.  If taking more, it is suggested to add half a teaspoon of sea salt to at least one drink or spread that across the meals of the day.  Pretty simple really.

Second, being full.  Most people eat until they feel full and some go even further because of the sensation of taste.  The human body takes half an hour to feel full after it has actually gained enough nutrients.  That's why it's better to eat a well proportioned meal and if still hungry half an hour later have a very modest snack.  This also applies to diabetics and others concerned with their blood sugar levels going too high or being too low.  Additionally, the more carbs of a meal that come from fiber, the fuller one will feel.  Celery is a great choice in this, as it is mostly fiber, low in calories and packed with water which not only helps fill but increases the metabolism.  Adding a light amount of low-calorie dip, peanut butter, or other spread onto it as per one's pallet is fine, but celery is a great staple for people wanting to lose weight.  It can even be grilled or added to many Asian Cuisine dishes with the right spices and sauces to taste.  There are many other high fiber foods, and drinking water also helps, but eating less calories at a time has the best effect overall.  When I lost the seventy pounds I had on The Hacker's Diet, I hate three modest meals and had two snacks each a third the size of the meal or less.  Another key part of feeling full is the glycemic index.  If one has some food that gives higher blood sugar and some that takes longer to digest, they will still feel full later, but too much sugar at once will give a sugar rush that fades into a crash as it is burned up.  Additionally, this can greatly add to the risk of diabetes or be harmful to diabetics if not coupled with proper insulin use and moderation.  Protein also needs to be consumed to keep up muscle mass so as better to remain efficient in movements and burn more fat.  Which leads to the third part.

The third part of the triforce of weight management is exercise.  If one consumes too many calories it is difficult to burn them off from regular daily activities, and exercise should never be used simply to lose weight or cease after weight is lost, as exercise takes much more work to burn off weight than proper calorie intake in the first place, and ceasing it without changing the food intake will just make the weight come right back.  Proper exercise on a regular basis will boost the metabolism and lessen the feeling of hunger, though it will increase thirst.  Part of the reason hunger will lessen is that exercise breaks down muscle and fat for energy use before rebuilding the muscles and fat for continued storage in case of later necessity.  Without enough protein the muscles will atrophy, pull or strain from lack of or over-exercising, however a balanced amount will keep the muscle mass at the same level and possibly even more dense while slimming body fat.  Larger amounts, however, become more fat if additional exercise is not done, and may be toxic to the body if too excessive.  One of the easiest ways to do more exercise is to add ankle weights for all your daily tasks.  By carrying more weight around, your body has to work harder to move with close to the same speed, burning more calories.  Dancing or running are two other great ways to shed the pounds with proper diet.  Lower-stress workouts also include swimming, jumping rope, and calisthenics.  There are other methods of exercise, but a combination of those forms of exercise tend to lose weight the fastest with the least amount of soreness.  Targeting specific muscles for development will bolster their density, but rarely lose weight across the entire body as effectively.

Weight management is a difficult process and one that requires discipline, patience and actual care for one's health instead of for peer pressure or other temporary reasons.  I weigh two-hundred twenty-five pounds currently, and while I have weighed both more and less, it is a weight I can consistently keep without added exercise to my daily routine or altering my diet much, while also being manageable for my diabetes.  It is forty pounds less than my weight before the two times I lost weight intentionally, while still being above the 180lbs I weighed in the hospital when I had diabetes.  Part of the reason for that was excessive water intake forcing the high sugar content out and taking insulin managed it while making me not as thirsty (I was drinking a gallon to a gallon and a half of water on a day depending on the temperature instead of half a little over half a gallon as I should have been).  My weight is not necessarily the ideal for my height, but it is manageable without risk of complications from my diabetes or expensive membership at one of the local gyms which I can't afford.  Would I like to have it lower?  Perhaps, but my health concerns are at least addressed enough for me not to care enough to drop it by much at present.  However, the vast majority of people who either can't shed more than a few pounds without regaining it or can't figure out how to properly manage their weight and use fad diets, pills or other inane means are ignorant if they try an incorrect method once, or insane if they keep doing it again and again.  It's actually not that hard if one cares enough to do it.  It just takes willpower and knowledge.