Do You Gain Weight Just Looking At Food?

"I'm so jealous of her! I just have to look at food and I put on weight - it's just not fair!!"

One guess as to the person we're talking about here: that person who can eat what they like and as much as they like to don't appear to gain an ounce. How frustrating is that? You're sitting religiously munching your celery stick and sipping some water and there she is, eating a plate full of doughnuts and she is as skinny as ever!

Every picture tells a story - or does it?

The real truth
Why some people gain weight and others don't is not an exact science in that everyone is unique and our bodies deal with food differently. Let's take a closer look at possible reasons why some "just look at food and gain weight" (or so it feels!) while others munch away at the forbidden foods and stay stick thin...

Exercise / Physical activity
The likelihood of actually knowing this person that has driven you green with envy personally is probably slim (excuse the pun!) And if you do know them and ask them why the stay so slim and trim, you'll probably not get the truth or certainly not the whole truth. They may be following a regular exercise pattern or having their one "illegal day"!!

Our lifestyles have changed. Far more sedentary and ease of access to convenience/fast foods. No wonder the weight is piling on.

Benefits of exercise:

a) Exercise will help to increase your metabolic rate
b) Increased physical activity will burn off more calories
c) It will help you move off that weight plateau
d) Exercise will enable you to sleep better too - just take care not to exercise less than about 3 hours before bedtime!
e) Exercise releases chemicals in the brain (endorphins) which give one a general feeling of well-being (the same chemical that is triggered when you are in love or eating chocolate!!)
f) Physical activity has a great advantage in reducing the risks of serious medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, certain cancers and others. It could potentially prevent or be used in treatment of some depressions.

Healthy eating
Much information is available on healthy eating plans. Here are just a few tips to help you:

a) Divide your dinner plate into 3: one half of the plate should include salads and/or vegetables; one quarter should contain your proteins, eg fish, meat, etc; the remaining quarter should include your carbohydrates, eg pasta or rice.

b) Dish your food onto a smaller plate - this will help reduce your portion sizes as well.

c) Don't multi-task while eating - it is a sure way to eat more than you need as you will not easily realize you've had enough

d) Drink more water - this helps you feel fuller and will help prevent over-eating.

Metabolism
Everyone's rate of metabolism is unique to themselves. Some have a naturally high metabolism while others have a very sluggish metabolism. These factors influence your ability to lose or gain weight quite considerably!

What is metabolism?

It is the rate at which your body burns up calories. Surprisingly, metabolism takes place all the time - even while you are resting or sleeping. Your body has to use up energy just to keep functioning eg to keep your heart beating, your lungs breathing and kidneys working, etc.

We all have a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This is the number of calories your body would burn even if you were asleep both day and night.

Age, health status, levels of stress and even temperature can influence your BMR.

Some quick tips how you can increase your metabolism and improve your weight loss program:

a) Have a balanced diet
b) Eat regularly - often 5-6 smaller meals can kick-start your metabolism very well. Calories stored following big meals usually get stored as fat!
c) Increase your activity level
d) Don't skip meals - this slows the metabolism down!

All 3 factors influence the the other - so get in on the balancing act and enjoy the outcome!