I just finished reading this blog on metabolism and it brought a number of things to mind for me. I have heard many people’s stories about exercising on a regular basis and loosing little to no weight. I have also heard stories about personal trainers who could not loose the bulge in their mid-section. There seems to be a contradiction here or maybe something is missing. In most cases, exercise alone is not enough to regulate our weight or trim our waist lines. If this is due to our sluggish metabolism then how can we remedy the situation and maintain a healthy weight?

Having a problem with our weight is a symptom of an imbalance in our diet and activity. Carrying excess weight is not the problem, it is the symptom of an overall imbalance. We have created this imbalance because of a lack of understanding about the relationship between diet, eating habits and activity in our life. This is why attempts to loose weight do not work in most cases. Weight loss techniques or methods are temporary at best for most people. So how to keep a healthy body weight?

A healthy metabolism, our ability to digest foods, absorb their nutrition and eliminate the excess efficiently, is the key to maintain a healthy weight. Diet is the missing link. Our metabolism is regulated by the two factors, the time we start our meals and what we eat. In addition to a healthy diet and eating habits, exercise helps as long as it does not make us overeat or crave more rich foods and sweets. The wrong exercise or pushing to hard can backfire and actually make us gain weight. I like to encourage a variety in daily activities before implementing a structured exercise program.

Through my macrobiotic counseling practice, I have helped many hundreds of people loose weigh and keep it off with these simple health practices. Finding a healthy, satisfying way of eating is the key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. I would like to make a few suggestions that can help you solve your weight problems once and for all.

-Plan your meals around cooked whole grains and vegetable dishes.
-Eat a serving of steamed greens daily.
-Sit down to eat your meals or snacks without working, TV or reading.
-Start eating your breakfast by 9 am at the latest.
-Stop eating 3 hours before going to bed.
-Walk outside for at least 30 minutes a day.