Most people have been on a diet at some point in their lives; they usually start on January 1 and end about a week later! If you are severely overweight or obese, then the chances are you have tried most of the fad diets out there. Perhaps some have even worked for you in the short term, but the problem with most fad diets is that they are not designed to help you keep the weight off in the long-term.
Cutting down portion sizes is a great way to lose weight. In fact, this is how gastric bands work; by shrinking the size of your stomach you start to feel fuller quicker and don’t eat as much food as you used to. It is possible to take this too far and start starving yourself or eat a diet that is not healthy and balanced. You will notice the pounds drop off but when you reach your target weight and begin eating as normal again, you will put all the pounds you god rid off back on and more in a very short space of time.
Eating healthily is a vitally important part of trying to lose weight but exercise is just as important. You can have the best diet in the world but if you are not taking some form of exercise your body will not be burning all those excess calories and your weight loss regime will end up a big disappointment. Even patients who have had gastric band fitted or undergone a gastric bypass still need to do exercise to help burn off all those excess pounds.
Exercising doesn’t mean that you have to go to the gym or go jogging; if you haven’t exercised for a long time this could actually end up doing more harm than good. Going for a walk is just as beneficial as going for a run when it comes to burning calories, while swimming is an excellent choice for those who are still quite overweight as the water supports your body. Once you feel a bit fitter you can tackle something like yoga or Pilates which will help to tone up your new slim figure.
