Your thyroid dictates much of your metabolism, any malfunction or disease afflicting this area may cause you to have problems in metabolism leading to a drastic problem with your weight – you may either gain weight, lose weight, or may find that losing weight is harder than usual.
Those that plan diets do not take into consideration how their thyroids and metabolism may affect their weight loss program. Most experts and even the media pitch in and recommend that the best way to lose weight is cut calories.
Those with a condition called hyperthyroidism suffer from an overactive thyroid leading to one having his or her metabolism skyrocket. If this is the case, then you will probably lose weight fast. This is a nice proposition for some who wish to lose weight. However, this is actually hazardous to the health.
Aside from the medical difficulties such a disease brings, one will also notice weight problems as a result. These people have trouble keeping on weight and may notice weakness and bulging of the eyes. This disease may need special treatment from doctors.
Hypothyroidism on the other hand works in the other direction – slowing metabolism until the body gains weight at an incredible rate. Like hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism causes a general weakness in the body. It too may need special treatment and may cause serious health problems if left unattended.
While cutting calories in itself can be very hard for most people – imagine, the people involved in life and death struggles at the supermarket regarding whether to buy that extra box of sweets, some have exactly the opposite problem.
Instead of eating too much calories – which is a problem in itself, they eat too little calories instead.
Problem? What Problem
The problem with some is that they believe that since the experts say that they have to cut calories, cutting calories to an inordinate amount will reap greater results. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. While cutting calories helps diets, consuming too little calories pushed the body into a hoard mode, the body’s metabolism slow to adapt to the lesser amount of available energy.
If your body enters this mode, your body will work at such slow metabolism that losing weight becomes impossible. The technique here should be to reduce calories without the body slowing its metabolism. Only then can losing weight become easier.
Another problem that can arise from decreased metabolism is that when your metabolism slows due to a drastic reduction in metabolism, and then you suddenly eat a good, hearty, calorie-filled meal, you are bound to gain more weight owing to the increased surplus of energy.
This is why an imbalanced meal is highly discouraged among those that seek to lose weight. The sudden loss and increase of calories will cause an imbalance in one’s energy consumption directly affecting fat deposit.
Here is a simple computation to help you get to the right amount of calories you will need per day so that you get your nutrients in the right balance.
First of all, multiply your weight in kilograms by 30. If you only know your weight in pounds, divide it by 2.2 to get to its English equivalent. We divide this number by 30 because that is the number of calories you need to maintain your weight per pound of weight.
For example if your weight in pounds is 150, divide it by 2.2. That will give you a figure of 68.18. This is your weight in kilograms. Multiply this by 30 and you will arrive at the amount of calories you will need per day to maintain 150 lbs.
You may consult a nutritionist to help you come lose weight. In the end it all comes down to math. If you consume more that your body needs, it stores it as fat. Now is probably a good time to start studying the back of those grocery cartons.
Try to keep your diet at a 40% protein, 25% fat, and 35% carbohydrate meals at 300 calories per meal. Spread out these meals in a day for optimum results.
While it may be simple computation to get at numbers, do not forget the earlier mentioned fact that the body adapts to its condition. Expose it to extreme ones and you may find yourself getting results you never wanted. Consult a nutritionist for more advice.
Your Thyroid and Weight loss – The Connection is Real
Why You Can't "Spot Reduce"
People have problem areas. Even people, who have achieved their ideal body weight, will still have problem areas. It could be the love handles, the flabby arms, the sagging skin or the hips. Then you will find the market offering all sorts of products, from creams and applications to get rid of the fats to gadgets and machines to tone the arms, thighs or the abs.
However, there is one reality check you have to make. You cannot spot reduce. The attempt to do so is not going to work and it will not be for your good.
Why Can’t I Spot Reduce?
The market misinforms the public of the benefits that can be expected from their so-called revolutionary products when in fact there really are no revolutionary results to look forward to.
1. Healthy Diet Is Important
Diet is an important element to get rid of the undesirable body fats. The foods that you eat have calories and cholesterols that get stored in your body, probably amassing on those problem areas of yours. The diet is the main culprit for presence of fats.
So no matter how much you depend on those gadgets in the market, it will remain defenseless if you keep indulging in sweets, fatty foods or junk foods.
2. Spot Reduction Is a Mere Myth
It is not healthy to believe what those people say about the productivity of spot reduction efforts. The products you see on the market require nothing but merely attach or apply them on the problem areas. What about your other body parts? What about the other requirements of the body?
In any healthy endeavors, you must be on the top of your physiology. You should know what it takes to achieve a goal. For example, if you want six-packs in your stomach, you have to know what it takes to get them.
Some people out there would claim that if you want to improve the look of your stomach, you simply have to concentrate on abdominal exercises or use the gadgets that will do the exercise for you. Again, you cannot spot reduce. You cannot achieve the goal with simply doing that one abdominal exercise.
The fat can not just come off on its own by just using a gadget. Genetics has to do with it. Diet has to do with it. Lifestyle has to do with it.
The truth is, before you can even aim for the six-packs on the stomach, you will have to take away the fats first.
So doing 500 crunches a day will only exhaust you but it will not get rid of those fats. Your body will not burn the fats stored in that spot you are targeting. Actual workouts can actually address this. With this, the fats are burned one at a time, and not just in one area. It has a more integrated system of reducing the fats in the body.
Then you will also have to gain body mass. At this point, the only way you can only get rid of the fats and get some body mass is to have a healthy diet and do cardio exercises.
Only after surpassing the diet and cardio requirements can you focus on the abdominal exercises. This is the only proper time to really focus on working out for the six-packs.
3. There Are No Shortcuts
Miracle diets, pills and potions are mere shortcuts that will lead you to a dead end. If a healthy body is aimed, you have to work for it. You have to earn it.
We truly are living in a fast world with the advancement of technology, but your body still is very much natural. Thus you will still have to be grounded to what is naturally required by the body, healthy diet, regular exercise and considerable amount of time to develop that desirable state.
4. Health and Fitness Require Commitment
Your dedication to the health of your body is a lifelong commitment. Even if you achieved a good body now, it will not remain so forever if you abuse on your diet and lifestyle. It needs to be loved and taken care of, regularly.
That is why if you will depend on the spot reduction claims, it will really bring you nowhere. You can only hope, but you cannot expect. So if you aim for the healthy body; get an exercise program for your self and make some changes in your diet. Give your self a holistic development. Improve not only the body, but your outlook in life as well.
Do It the Proper Way
With all these points raised, the bottom line is to simply get healthy the proper way. The saying still holds true. No pain, no gain. So do not be a victim of the misleading information and empty promises thrown upon you. Simply know the proper options. Take the matter into your own hands and enjoy the benefits of a healthy body.