Yes, you can lose 40lbs and keep it off. It could be 30lbs or 10lbs but the bottom line is it is possible to lose weight in a much shorter time span you think possible and keep it off. But firstly, you have to understand the reasons why most people gain weight.
THE REASONS WHY WE GAIN EXCESS WEIGHT AND FAT
The conventional wisdom is that excess weight gain is caused by eating too much, eating too much of the wrong foods, or a lack of exercise.
These are unduly contributory factors, but the primary reason for weight gain can be traced to the food and diet industries of the so called western civilization.
Let us think about this for a minute: The last 25 years or so has seen an upsurge in the number of people who undertake some form of exercise. This has coincided with what we have been told are great advances in nutritional science. In short, we are exercising more and eating better. So why are we getting fatter?
Obesity levels have been rising steadily in the western world over the last 25 yrs and the latest studies show that approximately 40% of Americans can be classed as obese. As other countries have taken to emulate the western ideal and increased their consumption of western foods, they have experienced a steady increase in levels of obesity and a greater incidence of diseases like diabetes and heart problems.
So what is the problem with the food most of us eat? The food we are told is healthy and nutritious. This is palpably untrue. The mass produced food that forms the basis of the western diet is not healthy or nutritious. It is heavily laden with chemicals, preservatives, colourings and flavor enhancers that were never meant for human ingestion.
Grains, meats and diary products are laden with pesticides, hormones and antibiotics The next time you go grocery shopping, take a look at the ingredients listed on the bright packaging of a food item you buy regularly. I can see your brow furrow in consternation as you try to recognize or pronounce most of them. Most of these foods are also heavily dosed with sugar. But the manufacturers cleverly disguise the sugar under such names as dextrose or fructose as most people are aware of the harm excess sugar does.
Artificial sweeteners are often used in place of sugar, and most of these like aspartame, have been shown by some studies to be poisonous to the body. The bottom line is that the western diet is laden with toxins. Because these toxins are being ingested regularly, the body's immune system and elimination organs like the liver and kidneys are overloaded and unable to deal with or expel them.
The body reacts to this by creating a defense barrier of excess fat stores that typically collect around the chest area, belly, waist, hips, thighs, and butt. Toxin overload can also be blamed for the greater incidence of food intolerance and allergies. Fluid / water retention is a common result of food intolerance. Most people tend to be unaware they have an intolerance to certain foods and can not figure out because they retain so much fluid and keep gaining weight.
HOW TO LOSE 40 LBS AND KEEP IT OFF
Firstly, lets have a brief look at what you must not do:
1. Embark on a strict starvation diet that you possibly could not sustain
2. Embark on a meal replacement plan or use packaged so called low sugar, low fat food products. As I mentioned before, the sugar in some of these is disguised and those that are indeed low in sugar or sugar free contain artificial sweeteners that actually do more harm and contribute more to excess weight than sugar. They also contain various chemicals, etc, which of course, you want to stay well clear of.
3. Embark on an exercise program that would shame an Olympic athlete. Exercise has its place in helping you control your weight, but it is not the answer to your problem.
WHAT YOU MUST DO
1. Address the root of the problem by getting rid of the toxins and junk that have accumulated in your body. The junk includes harmful plaque and parasites that have accumulated in your colon and digestive tract and preventing efficient absorption of nutrients.
2. Change your eating habits. Ditch packaged foods and fast foods as much as you can. The mainstay of your diet should be fresh foods. It is always healthy to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. And of course drink plenty of water, which incidentally, would help flush out the toxins your body is releasing. It is important to change your diet as you really want to lose 40lbs and keep it off. Maybe you want to lose only 20lbs or 14lbs, but it is all the same. You want it gone for good. Your body will start to function more efficiently as the various toxins and parasites are expelled. Any excess fluid disappears. Your immune system becomes stronger. Your overall health improvements and as your body begins to function optimally, you will be on your way to attaining your natural, healthy weight.
3. Exercise always helps. It could be swimming, jogging, brisk walking, going to the gym or any exercise you have fun doing. Exercise would help strengthen your heart and lungs. Improve your flexibility, balance and coordination. It would strengthen your musculature and increase your resting metabolic rate, since enhancing your body's ability to burn calories and fat more efficiently. You absolutely do not have to exercise. But it would give you an edge and quicken your progress.