Protein Supplements And Weight Loss

Protein supplements could play a big part in your success with weight loss and have long been a part of bodybuilder’s dietary regime. These muscular athletes take protein supplements because it helps to increase metabolism and maintain healthy muscle mass.

Metabolism is basically the rate at which your body burns calories. This rate can differ significantly from person to person and is dependent on a number of factors, which includes age, physical condition and the amount of fat and muscle in your body. When you increase metabolism, you speed up the rate and therefore burn calories faster and lose inches quicker.

Factors That Cause Low Metabolism

At birth you have a very high metabolism but as years pass by your metabolism rate decreases, so you need fewer calories per day. If adjustments aren’t made to your diet or exercise plan, you may put on a few pounds as you grow older and find it harder to lose inches where you want to the most. Adding protein supplements to you diet will help increase metabolism and decrease some of the restrictions of your diet.

Some of the biggest culprits of low metabolism involve how we eat; fasting, a low calorie diet, snacking throughout the day on high sugared foods (candy, colas, cakes, gum), eating or drinking too much sugar containing foods.

I am sure you’ve heard it said before but well worth repeating…you must drink at least 8 8-ounce glasses of water a day to maintain an optimal metabolism rate.

Increase Metabolism

You can increase metabolism as much as two to three times by eating proteins versus carbohydrates and fats. Protein is fuel for the body and a very efficient fuel at that. Chicken, lean meats, and dairy products are excellent choices for protein sources. Adding protein supplements is a way to insure you are getting enough protein in your diet.

Strength and resistance training helps to build muscle and muscle burns more calories to maintain itself than fat. If you have low body fat and are muscular then you have a high metabolism and on the other hand if you have a higher percentage of body fat than you should, you will have a low metabolism. That’s why protein supplements are so popular with athletes. They’re fuel for the body that helps to increase metabolism and maintain healthy muscle structure, which in turn helps you shed pounds and lose inches from your body more efficiently.

Body Detoxification

Body detoxification has been a popular subject in the media in recent days and for good reason. Body detoxification involves taking steps to remove chemicals and toxins accumulated in the body and help you to maintain optimal health. Body detoxification also helps to restart a sluggish system, aid to digestion, and give you added energy.

Make sure that the body detoxification program, you choose is nutritionally sound and safe and that you are receiving the nutrients you need to maintain a healthy body during the process.

Metabolism is the main factor in why we gain weight or don’t gain weight. Having the right type of fuel to keep your body running at its best is important.

Remember that you can increase metabolism as much as two to three times by eating proteins versus carbohydrates and fats. But don’t cut out carbohydrates altogether. Choose complex high-fiber carbohydrates like high-fiber vegetables and cereals; these burn more calories than simple carbs. Consider adding protein supplements to your dietary plan for that extra fuel your body needs.

A Quick Look at Some of Today’s Most Effective Diets

The idiot-proof diet is all about calorie shifting. That is, in this diet, you shift your food intake throughout the day instead of eating just 3 meals a day. The diet is popular because it’s actually very easy to follow and there are hardly any restrictions when it comes to the types of food you can eat.

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The Idiot-Proof Diet

The idiot-proof diet is all about calorie shifting. That is, in this diet, you shift your food intake throughout the day instead of eating just 3 meals a day. The diet is popular because it’s actually very easy to follow and there are hardly any restrictions when it comes to the types of food you can eat.

The ‘calorie shifting’ model takes place because you eat every two and half hours. The theory is that because your body is consuming calories (energy) constantly throughout the day, it’s always in ‘burning calories’ mode instead of the ‘saving calories’ mode.

When you sign up for the diet, you get access to a diet handbook, an 11-day diet-plan and a diet calculator. You get to pick what foods you like to eat so don’t think that you’ll be tarving in this diet!

NutriSystem

The NutriSystem way of dieting is all about proper meal planning. People love this diet because it takes away the burden of trying to figure out what to eat during their dieting phase. You see, a lot of people actually get confused as to what they can eat when they want to lose weight. That’s not really surprising because there’s so much information out there and for every yay sayer, there is a nay sayer so it’s really tough to know what to eat.

However, with NurtiSystem, they do all the meal planning and portion controlling for you. You just need to sign up to any of their diet programs (e.g., Women’s Program, Men’s Program, Vegetarian Program, etc.) and order a multi-day (usually for 28 days) diet program.

After you choose your diet program, a menu is presented to you and you simply choose what you want to eat. The meals are then delivered to your doorstep at various intervals during your diet program.

The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is popular because the name alone conjures bikini-clad bodies! Add to that the fact that it was founded by a cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, then you have a sort of ‘doctor recommended, doctor approved’ seal on the diet as well.

At first glance, the South Beach Diet looks a lot like the Atkins Diet in the sense that it restricts carbohydrates during the initial phase of the program (there are 3 phases). The first phase (14 days) encourages ‘normal eating’ in the sense that you can pretty much eat whatever you want but you must NOT eat bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, or baked goods. Fruit is also not allowed. No sugar. No alcohol.

The second phase allows you to SLOWLY introduce these items back into your diet but at lesser levels that you consumed them before of course. The third phase is more about general maintenance.

Weight Watchers

Probably one of the longest running diet programs out there is Weight Watchers. It believes in the overall approach where food, exercise, behavior and support are addressed.

Weight Watchers is known for advocating a point system for foods. Using this system, one calculates the calorie intake of the foods he or she eats. The number of points you can have in a day varies depending on your weight. The beauty of the program is that there are no gut-wrenching food restrictions so you never feel deprived of anything. However, the point system teaches you how to balance your meals so that even if you indulge on one food item, you don’t go overboard and consume too much in a day.

Smoking and Bariatric Surgery

Smoking raises the risks associated with weight loss surgery (sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass and lap band). Smokers who undergo surgery are more likely than nonsmokers to experience anesthesia-related complications, infections, heart attack, stroke, pneumonia or death. In addition, they are more likely to have a longer hospital stay or be admitted to an intensive care unit. These risks are increased among obese or overweight individuals who undergo bariatric surgery.

Smoking makes it harder for your body to heal because it decreases the amount of oxygen available to your cells. Quitting smoking is essential to a successful bariatric surgery and recovery. You should quit smoking at least 30 days prior to your procedure. It takes at least a month for the lungs to recover.

Weight Gain after Quitting Smoking

When people quit smoking, they often gain weight. One study of prospective bariatric surgery patients found that smokers who had attempted to quit in the past had gained an average of 28 pounds. This tendency and/or fear of weight gain prevents many people from quitting.

Weight gain after quitting is probable, but it doesn’t have to be. About 70-80% of people who stop smoking gain weight. Of course, there are things you can do to decrease the possibilities of gaining weight after quitting smoking. As we all know, weight is controlled best when calories are decreased and metabolism is increased. Calories can be decreased with a healthy diet. Metabolism can be increased with moderate exercise. It is very important to talk to your bariatric surgeon before making any major changes in diet or exercise.

Talk to Your Weight Loss Surgeon

Be honest with your bariatric surgeon about how much you smoke. As your surgery date approaches, continue to keep your surgeon informed of your smoking cessation efforts. Quitting smoking is difficult, and there’s no reason to do it alone. Your surgeon can be your ally as you begin your journey toward a healthier lifestyle and happier future.

Smoking seems to make weight loss surgery more risky, particularly with respect to development of strictures and surgical-margin ulcers. Obese smokers had a four times greater risk of restriction and three times the risk of marginal ulcer in comparison to nonsmokers undergoing bariatric surgery. Smoking damages the lungs which increases the chance of anesthetic problems, surgical complications, and developing pneumonia.

Why You Should Stay Quit

You can develop serious complications if you start smoking again after bariatric surgery. Allow your body to recover and heal properly. Prior to weight loss surgery, there are five blood vessels that supply blood to the stomach. After the surgery, the number of blood vessels to the stomach is reduced. By continuing to smoke or starting up again, even years later, you may experience other complications, including:

• Scarring, leaking or bleeding

• Gastritis or heart burn

• Inflammation/swelling

• Infection

• Breathing problems and shortness of breath

So quit smoking today and never start back again. After all, the goal of weight loss surgery is to improve your health, right?