Fitness is essential to achieving and maintaining weight-loss, but with so much information about diets, slimming pills and weight loss available online, knowing which option to choose can be confusing. Recognize the facts about common weight-loss methods to ensure your well-being.
Slimming Pills
While nonprescription slimming pills are often embraced as a method to achieve fast weight loss, the pills often contain ingredients that can threaten your health. According to the Cleveland Clinic website, the pills typically work by causing frequent bowel movements and urination and also speed up the function of your body's central nervous system. Some slimming pills increase chemicals in your brain that give you a fuller feeling and delay the symptoms of hunger. Common ingredients in the pills include ephedrine and oral aloe, which elevates your risk for diarrhea, stomach cramps and electrolyte imbalances. Alert your doctor before considering any slimming pill, especially if you are pregnant, wish to become pregnant or are nursing.
Diets & Healthy Nutrition
Many diets promise quick weight loss without the need for exercise, although the diets often require unhealthful calorie reductions and are expensive. Water weight accounts for most of the weight lost during fad diets and your likelihood for regaining the weight as soon as you resume a healthful lifestyle is significant. Skip the danger of fad diets and slimming pills by consuming a nutritious weight loss diet that includes moderate portions of whole grains and deeply colored fruits and vegetables. Resist the temptation to skip meals, which elevates your risk for overeating. Aim to reduce your intake of sodium, trans fats and saturated fats and cholesterol, as well as foods with sugar. Beverages also threaten a slim figure, so leave the soft drinks, fruit juices and alcohol on the shelf and drink plenty of water or fat-free dairy products.
Weight Loss Exercise
A nutritious diet serves as the first part of an effective plan for weight loss, but consistent exercise is needed to ensure you burn more calories than you consume. Doctors often recommend aerobic activity, as walking, jogging, swimming and bike riding burn calories, strengthen your cardiovascular system and improve your overall body function. Plan for aerobic exercise on most days of your week for between 30 and 60 minutes. Ask your doctor for approval before starting any exercise for weight loss, especially if you have serious health conditions. Your doctor might recommend strength-training as part of your regimen, as workouts that include weight lifting help you retain lean muscle and increase your body's ability to burn calories.
Prescription Possibility
Ask your doctor whether a prescription weight loss supplement might be an option if you feel your weight is unmanageable. Prescription drugs are recommended only if your weight represents a threat to your health and you have a condition like diabetes or high blood pressure. Although the Federal Drug Administration has approved several drugs for short-term use, only the drug orlistat --- which hinders your body's ability to digest and absorb fat --- is approved for longer than 12 weeks. Gas, cramps and oily spotting are common orlistat side effects.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Fitness
- Merck Manuals.com: Diets
- Cleveland Clinic: What Is The Best Type of Aerobic Exercise?
- FamilyDoctor.org: Nutrition for Weight Loss: What You Need to Know About Fad Diets
- MayoClinic.Com: Weight-Loss Drugs: Can A Prescription Help You Lose Weight?
- Cleveland Clinic: Over-the-Counter and Herbal Remedies for Weight Loss
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