Losing weight can sometimes seem a pretty hard job, especially if we have plenty of kilograms on board, and dieting can sometime look like it doesn’t do much. Losing weight isn’t only about food dieting, but it consists of a variety of factors such as: things we eat, when we eat them, how we eat them, how much exercise we do and when we do it, and other factors. But you may have heard about the well known obesity gene?
How genes influence our body
When you see terms such as “skinny gene” or “obesity gene”, obviously the first thing that comes to your mind are those skinny people, that can eat whatever they want whenever they want, and they don’t gain any weight, but also the overweight people that have the “obesity” in their genes, whom whatever they do, cannot lose weight. But is it really true?
Researches suggests that researchers found that the “fat gene” does not seem to affect one’s ability to lose weight, and that the gene rather refers to other aspects of a person’s body. We have many genes in our bodies, and between 50% and 70% of them can influence the way we look, our metabolism, and other aspects regarding body weight. This means that if a “fat gene” runs in a family, if one or more of your family members or relatives are overweight/obese, there can be higher chances that you might be more likely to be overweight too, but also means that it’s not a definitive rule that you will be overweight too. It’s true, some people can be genetically predisposed to be overweight or skinny, to have a bigger and more frequent hunger for food than others – still, all these factors cannot stop you from losing weight. Losing weight is possible for everyone, so it’s time to put down that hamburger and that diet Coke, and do something about it.
The evidence that backs up the fact that the “fat gene” won’t influence someone’s ability to lose weight, comes from a study that was funded by United Kingdom Medical Research Council and the Alfred Deakin postdoctoral research, coordinated NewCastle University located in the United Kingdom, and practiced by about 25 well known international institutions. The study is transparent and allows online public access for everyone, and was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
The study frequently refers to the FTO gene, which was found to be closely related with being overweight/obese. Individuals with 2 copies of the FTO gene, have on average abut 3 kilograms more and are about 1.7 times more predisposed to be overweight. The data resulted from about 9563 individuals have participated in the study, all of which were included in 8 separate weight loss programs that consisted of exercise, different types of diet, behaviour change treatments and medication. During the study, researches have found that the FTO gene can only make a person to be more likely to be obese, but had no influence in their ability to lose weight, regardless if the person went through food dieting, medication ,or physical exercise programs.
You can “beat” the “fat genes”
Keeping this idea in mind, it’s now time to avoid blaming other things that keep you from getting thin, and start working on the problem. Don’t let things like “fat genes” keep you away from your goal. Ideally, it’s always better to prevent a problem rather than treating it. In other words, it’s better not to be overweight in the first place, rather than getting overweight, because it can be very hard to get back in shape. If you notice you are gaining weight, its best to take action as soon as possible, so that later you won’t get in a sorry state. Becoming obese, does not only affect your body aspect, but also comes with other negative aspects regarding your health, such as higher chance of heart disease, high cholesterol, risk of diabetes, higher blood pressure, breathing difficulties, different types of cancer, osteoarthritis, lower mobility, and the list goes on.
Some of the key ingredients in losing weight and maintaining a good physical balance are :
- a correct diet (and no, by diet, we don’t mean starving all day). A correct diet consists of having smaller and timed meals and never eat until you feel you are full. Your stomach takes some time to process the food and to sent the signal to the brain that it does not need any more food. If you eat a normal portion of food and still don’t feel like you are full but still kind of hungry, wait about fifteen to twenty minutes, and you will see that the hunger will go away. Also, avoid eating late before going to bed, try to avoid sweets and soda drinks, have enough proteins and low-carb foods.
- daily exercise – cardio will work best for you in the beginning, because not only it increases the mobility and elasticity of your body, it also improves your cardio-vascular health. Exercise will also give you more energy through the day, will make you sleep better, will improve your mood and make you feel better, it will keep away many diseases from you.
- drinking enough water (at least 2 liters per day), keeping yourself enough hydrated, not only favors weight loss, but also has other benefits such as: better skin and joint elasticity, , better blood flow and blood quantity (when you don’t drink enough water, your blood gets less and thicker,meaning your heart will have to go the extra mile to keep the blood going through your body), a much more efficient elimination of toxins from your body, a better blood flow also means better oxygenation which helps your brain and muscles work better, helps digestion and bowel movements.
- getting enough sleep – this is an important factor, not only for weight loss but also for other aspects in your life such as – lower stress, better memory, it will make your desire for food weaker, lower chance of getting a disease such as type two diabetes or heart disease, stronger immune system and the list goes on.
Bottom line, keeping away from excuses and working on the problem, is the key answer in weight loss. Remember, there is always a way and a solution for everyone! Also, it’s always better not to go alone through all this journey, a nutritionist or fitness expert can be of a real help in this cause!
