Biggest Loser, just for show

Shirtless, cold and shivering, Mike walks up to a cold steel zoo animal weight scale.  He can feel the icy coldness of the scale against his bare feet, and the eyes of his teammates glaring at him.  He hears his weight called and sighs in relief. He lost weight, 22 pounds in one week!

Too good to be true? Can you really lose 22 pounds in one week? Well, contestants like Mike on the show the Biggest Loser manage to lose large amounts of weight over a small span time. Contestants workout for an average 6+ hours a day and consume food on restricted caloric diets, and the results of such extreme management lead to massive weight loss of 15 pounds or more.

But, most health professionals such as doctors, nutritionists, nurses and people with successful healthy weight loss history will tell you for a fact that speedy weight loss is NOT the key to a long lasting healthy lifestyle. Healthy weight loss is not a biggest loser competition. In fact, it’s quite the opposite and follows the Islamic stance of consistency and moderation. In other words, slow and steady wins the race! Sound familiar?

No matter if your goal is to lose a few pounds or to start eating healthier, small, consistent, and moderate changes are the way to go to change your eating habits.  People tend to jump on the Ramadan/New Year’s Resolutions making drastic attempts to change yearly habits, but they fail quickly and give up.

Remember it’s not how many times you fall but how many times you’re able to get up. Here are some tips and small practical changes you can implement in your life on a daily basis for an enduring healthy lifestyle.

Tip 1: It is necessary to consult with your family doctor before embarking on any weight loss plan.

Teens and young adults can have underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disease and cardiovascular disease that can worsen with improper diet and lead to severe complications. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to lose weight. Healthy weight loss can improve and help minimize some of these conditions. But only your physician will be able to determine what the best route is for you, and he or she can monitor your health progress.

Tip 2: Pictures are worth a thousand words.

Check out the government new food guide pyramid. Looks different eh? Well, it’s been updated with new information and helpful tips about eating right. One of the more important additions is eating 3-5 vegetable/fruit servings a day and the emphasis on healthy whole grain consumption versus eating white starchy carbohydrates.

Tip 3: Get moving!

Walking briskly for only ten minutes has been shown to increase brainwave activity and blood circulation in your body. If you don’t have the ability to walk or go to the gym, invest in some exercise DVDs. Those workouts can be short but just as beneficial, and you can do them at any time of the day…post Fajr or after Maghrib.

Finally, read the sites below with free information and free fitness videos and an online Muslimah Gym by a fitness instructor featured on Oprah, Sister Mubarakah Ibrahim!

Websites:

Food Guide Pyramid: http://www.mypyramid.gov/

Fitness & Nutrition by Prevention Magazine: http://www.prevention.com/health/fitness

Fit Muslimah & Muslimah Online Gym: http://muslimahfitness.com/

Diet Advice from the Experts: http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm