The body mass index is used to define obesity. Your BMI is a ratio of your height to your weight. Obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or greater. Obesity has the potential to be a precursor to a variety of other serious health problems, including diabetes, hypertension and osteoarthritis. Treating obesity and maintaining weight loss requires a lifelong commitment to living a healthy lifestyle.
Dr. A. T. W. Simeons, a British physician who attended medical school at the University of Heidelberg, developed the hCG protocol, which he believed would speed metabolic rate and increase the rate of weight loss.
HCG Protocol
Dr. Simeons' hCG protocol outlined in his book "Pounds & Inches: A New Approach To Obesity" is a tempting weight loss program for many people suffering from obesity. Dieters are promised a weight loss of 1/2 lb. to 2 lbs. per day. However, like all things in life, when it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. This diet requires dieters to stick to an unhealthy diet consisting of only 500 calories per day and inject themselves daily with human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, a hormone that is prescribed to treat infertility in women and has not been proven to assist on any level in enhancing weight loss. Dieters' metabolic rates drastically decline due to the low calories of the diet. As a result, many dieters gain back more weight than they lost after completing the protocol.
Diet for Weight Loss
Sustainable, lasting weight loss requires that dieters make lifelong changes to their eating habits and relationships with food. A balanced diet will contain moderate portions of all foods, with a focus on lean protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables.
To lose 1 lb. of fat--which contains 3,500 calories--over the course of a week, you must consume 500 calories per day less than your body burns. Gradual weight loss of 1 lb. to 2 lbs. per week is generally healthy and sustainable.
Exercise for Weight Loss
Exercise is an essential aspect to weight loss and weight maintenance. Cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, burns calories and improves the function of the heart and lungs. Strength training exercises, such as weightlifting, build valuable muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. Therefore, a muscular person can consume more calories and maintain his weight than someone of equal weight but less muscle mass.
Preventing Rebound Weight Gain
Keeping the weight off is often more challenging than losing it initially. You must determine what drove you to overeat and change how you respond to that issue. Some people benefit from the help of a therapist during this process. For example, if you overeat when stressed, it is essential that you learn new, healthy stress management techniques such as sharing your feelings with a friend, going for a walk, listening to music or reading a favorite book.
References
- "Handbook of Obesity Treatment"; Thomas A. Wadden PhD, et al.; 2004
- "Contemporary Nutrition"; Gordon M. Wardlaw, et al.; 2007
- "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies"; Frances Sizer; 2008
- "Pounds & Inches: A New Approach To Obesity"; Dr. A.T.W Simeons; 1971
- "Focus on Nursing Pharmacology"; Amy Morrison Karch; 2009
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