How I Control My Weight

 I should say that methods of weight loss usually work on a small percentage of those that try the method. We’re all different with different body chemistry. Using a “trial and error” method is the best way to find a way that works for you. This is the reason most people give up on weight loss. Read on and you’ll see how I found what worked for me.

First, I researched all I could find about why the body adds weight. I found that once your fully grown which could be 18 to 21 years of age, You shouldn’t be adding weight. Now those years can vary for some of us. For instance, I am the same size as I was at the age of 16. Actually, I weight a few pounds less today.

Second, I realize some of my weight management is just dumb luck. I used to yo-yo around a lot. You should know the whole story because in my early 20’s I never really tried to maintain my weight or exercise, but in those days, I worked blue collar and worked very hard, physical labor. I drove a route truck for Cola-Cola for 5 years, unloading 100’s of case of coke everyday with no helper and working 60-hour weeks. After that, I worked as a laborer and later a labor foreman doing heavy construction. Highways, bridges, and underground tunnels. That job was very physical, both of those jobs burned thousands of calories a day, but my body suffered. You can’t avoid injuries when you do hard physical labor. So when I was 32, I had a job ending injury that put me on crutches for almost two years. After that is when I started to have a weight problem.

This leads into my subject today, why we gain weight. Before my injury, I had to eat a lot because I burned thousands of calories at work every day, but after my injury, my physical activity was almost nothing. Back in the 70’s you could smoke in a hospital, in my hospital bed and I was there for 5 weeks. After I left the hospital, I decided to quit smoking which I did that same today, just threw out the pack and never looked back. I’ll never regret doing that, but in a 5-week period I stopped exercising and stopped smoking. Little did I know that this would be the end of my almost perfect body. Six foot tall, weighed 172 and all muscle.

Well, as you know if you’ve been following my blog, your body even if you do no extra exercise will burn calories just to maintain your body and your body will need to burn more calories to maintain muscle, one pound of muscle requires that you burn 6 calories a day. Fat only requires about 2 calories a day. Which means, the body is always trying to conserve energy. It has to create energy for the heart to continue working, blood circulation is the driver that makes all the organs work. So, your muscle mass requires more calories or energy to maintain the size and strength. So, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn every day. 

That’s one reason the experts want you to lift weights and build muscle to lose weight. They claim that muscle will burn fat and the way to losing weight is to lose fat. It’s more important to lose fat then to lose weight. Of course, by losing fat you will lose weight. Ordinary diets will help you to lose weight, but it’s usually just temporary because most of what you lost was muscle and water, only about 25% fat. It’s true, with ordinary diets 75 percentage of your weight lose is muscle. That reduces the number of calories your body burns during your everyday activities.

So, the question is, “Why do we gain weight”?

There’s several reasons; the first obvious one is that your eating more. If all the other variables are the same, work habits, exercise, etc., the only one left is food so you must be eating more. It doesn’t have to be much. Let’s say you get coffee every morning going to work, and you have extra money now because your charge card is paid off, so now your going to treat yourself, celebrate,  but instead of just doing the cake and coffee one time, now your making a habit of this. You say to yourself ” I know I should eat breakfast but I never have time so now I have the money I’m making time. ” There it is an extra 500 calories without changing any other habits. It goes straight to your waist line. There’s no nutrition in a piece of cake or a bagel.

Another reason for weight gain can be lack of sleep, extra stress (more than usual).

Certain medications can cause weight gain like antidepressants, anti-inflammatory steroids, drugs for heartburn,blood pressure and diabetes. If you think one or more of your meds are causing weight gain, see your doctor. He might be able to change your prescription.

The thyroid produces a hormone needed for good metabolism. If your thyroid isn’t producing enough of this hormone your metabolism  will slow down and you burn less fat. Aging also causes your metabolism to slow down, smoking and alcohol can cause metabolism to slow down.

Now some good news, water retention will cause weight gain but it’s only temporary.

Follow me on Twitter @GertsRay70369

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.