One of the biggest health issues we are facing in the United States is being over weight.  Obesity has different types and causes but the majority of people that suffer from it are over weight because they are eating the wrong foods, the wrong types of calories per meal, and you're also eating meals in the wrong patterns each day.

The thing most people do not understand is that FOOD is more powerful than any prescription weight loss pills, because the FOOD that you eat can either make you THIN or Obese.   You don't get fat because of a lack of exercising, that's a myth.  You get fat because you don't eat the right foods at the right intervals each day.

This goes back to the dreaded "M" word... METABOLISM! As we get older, our metabolism goes lower and as a result we have to resort to healthy tactics to bring it back up.  Eating the wrong foods at the wrong time or eating the wrong portions can also end up throwing our metabolism in a flux, causing us to gain weight.

Also, the pattern that you choose to eat your meals each day is more powerful than any prescription weight loss pills.   Just like an "engine"  your body only needs certain foods at certain intervals each day, and if you don't eat the right foods at the right times then it won't burn those calories and you'll wind up storing those calories as fat tissue.

Here are just some of the statistics of Obesity in our country:

• 80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
• 70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
• 42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
• 30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
• 26% of obese people having high blood pressure

Childhood Obesity Running Out of Control

• 4% overweight 1982 | 16% overweight 1994
• 25% of all white children overweight 2001
• 33% African American and Hispanic children overweight 2001
• Hospital costs associated with childhood obesity rising from $35 Million (1979) to $127 Million (1999)

Only recently most people are finally realizing that we have a problem and that we need to deal with this before we have a major health issue on our hands.  The biggest problem is that people do not have the necessary information or guidance for losing the weight and end up damaging themselves by dieting or over doing it with their exercise routines.

First off, let me get this out right away:  LOW CALORIE DIETS DO NOT WORK!!!! Stay AWAY from low calorie diets.  This is my reasoning:  What you do not realize is that when you try to literally starve yourself every day by eating little or meals with very low calories, your metabolism will detect any major drop in calories and it will then ADJUST ITSELF by burning fewer calories each day.  So if you re-adjust your diet to have an intake of 1,000 calories, guess what?  Your body will adjust the metabolism to burn only 1,000 calories.  This is why this method is very unhealthy and has never really worked.

LOW FAT DIETS DO NOT WORK EITHER! I am tired of people forcing themselves to eat low fat or none fat diet foods thinking they are really helping their health or losing weight. people are getting fatter than ever by doing this and people are not losing weight by switching to the "low fat lifestyle".

LOW CARB DIETS MAKE US MISERABLE, and put our bodies into shock! Low carb diets end up draining you of energy, drive your body into Ketosis and shock and are at times so strict you can not even enjoy a regular meal at a restaurant.  They make us miserable!  If we were not meant to have carbs... do you think our body would signal us to consume them?  Carbs are our fuel.. they give us the energy to go through our every day lives!

So what is the answer?  What do we do?

My answer and (remember it is my OPINION based on my own experiences and training other athletes in the past) is very simple:

A) We have to do away with the mental block of exercise.  We can NOT just sit on the couch, watch TV and waste our time and money on these so called "miracle pills" companies keep throwing out there and make money off of. Moderate exercise (even 30 minutes a day) is one of the first steps to being on our way to a healthier, slimmer and more energetic self.

B) FOOD IS NOT THE ENEMY:  The old saying is true.  So those who say "Put DOWN the fork"... well they are right in a way but not completely.  Its not the portions we eat.  It is the type of food we eat.  There is different types of food out there that induce an increase in the fat burning hormones.  We need to eat more of those foods.  (And I will blog on this further in the future)

C) Just like if you keep the same habits and same routines you end up getting the same results, the same goes for your metabolism... There is a method called "Calorie Shifting".  Calorie shifting is simply the method of confusing your metabolism by changing what you eat, how much of it you eat every day and by doing so you cause the metabolism in your body to work harder and burn more fat.

The most important thing to remember when trying these methods is your diet program should be directed toward a slow, steady weight loss. You should expect to lose no more than 2 pounds of fat a week, although initial loss (mainly water) may be greater. Losing more weight is no guarantee that weight loss is likely to be permanent.

I want you all to discuss this.  Message me with personal experience and lets compare notes.  I am on a personal mission to go back to my optimal weight as a fighter (190lbs) from my current weight which is 220.  I have found that by eating 5 small meals a day instead of 3 square ones and by mixing up the type of foods I eat which cause an increased fat burning hormones in my body I am seeing much better results and combining that with exercise and better rest (sleep is VERY IMPORTANT in this venture) now that I am feeilng 100% better.

... More to come kids... stay tuned.

Wolfie.