| One of the main reasons why so many people | | | | you sleep for 24 hours. People who weigh more |
| have become overweight in the West is due to | | | | actually have a larger BMR than those who look |
| their eating too many calories. The consumption | | | | slimmer, and a reduction in their calorie intake, |
| of more calories than are burned each day means | | | | even if the calories still total more than that eaten |
| that the body stores the extra calories as fat. | | | | by a thinner person, will help them lose weight. |
| The modern diet certainly allows a person to eat | | | | This is the method used in most dietician's and |
| well beyond the calories they need to maintain | | | | doctors clinics. |
| their weight. | | | | The important factor to remember when |
| It is very informative to compare our | | | | considering how many calories you need to eat |
| consumption of calories with that of 100 years | | | | each day is that is does not matter so much |
| ago. In those days, the average person | | | | what you eat, quite so much as how much you |
| consumed 3,500 calories a day, which is | | | | eat. Of course, anyone who eats a diet solely of |
| approximately the same as we eat now. | | | | fat will not get slim, no matter what some diet |
| However, whereas in the early 1900's, most of | | | | books tell you. However, neither is one cupcake |
| the calories consumed were carbohydrates, and | | | | going to sink your entire weight-loss plan. Sensible |
| there was considerably less fat, modern fast food | | | | dieting - that is, a diet in which all of the food |
| meals consist of almost 50% fat, and fat is a big | | | | groups are eaten in appropriate quantities - lasts |
| part of the modern diet. In addition, the 1900's | | | | much longer than starvation diets and fad diets. |
| folk did a lot of exercise. They were more active | | | | Going on to a very low-calorie diet for long |
| in their work, and their hobbies also made them | | | | periods of time will cause your metabolism to |
| exercise more. In contrast, modern work | | | | slow down - the opposite of what you want. If |
| environments encourage sedentary habits, and | | | | you find that you reach a weight, and cannot |
| their hobbies tend to revolve around computers | | | | loose any more, then you will need to amend |
| and television. As a consequence, while the 1900's | | | | your diet. |
| people's calories were burned as fuel that day, | | | | On a diet, you will find that your BMR will fall, so |
| most of our calorie consumption ends up being | | | | that a calorie intake that once helped you to lose |
| stored as fat. Even exercise can only go so far if | | | | weight is now keeping you from losing any more. |
| calorie consumption remains at previous levels, | | | | Rather than just do more exercise (which has a |
| without the general level of activity. | | | | limit on how much more you can do), you need |
| As our working habits have changed, so have our | | | | to alter again the amount of calories you are |
| calorie requirements. The average person now | | | | consuming. A diet with limited calories will work for |
| needs around 2000-2500 calories a day to keep | | | | a short period, but the body will adjust to the |
| them at their present weight. The best way to | | | | new diet, and stop losing weight. A sensible diet, |
| work out exactly how much you should be eating | | | | worked out using BMR index, and a gradual |
| to maintain your present waistline is by using a | | | | reduction in food intake, is the best way of |
| bmr, which is the basal metabolic rate - the | | | | managing weight loss. |
| amount of calories you burn every day, even if | | | | |