Eating, Exercise and Infertility
Being overweight is a common problem among all
men and women, not just those hoping to conceive.
Eating a healthy diet and obtaining regular exercise can be a big part of helping you achieve your goals,
whether they are physical fitness, weight loss, or
hormonal/fertility improvement.
Although persons
who modify their diet and begin regular exercise
programs generally lose weight, even in the
absence of any weight loss, a regular exercise program will
significantly improve a woman's hormones
and cardiovascular health. There are beneficial changes
to your heart as well as your blood sugar
and insulin levels, and also to your reproductive hormones. Many
women who are not ovulating may begin ovulating.
While it may be true that some
people with a weight a problem "don't eat much at all", the fact
is that they still have excessive food intake
compared to what their bodies require. Remember that everyone's
metabolism and calorie usage differs. Unfortunately,
many individuals are overweight because they burn
and require very few calories compared to an
average person.
In the end, it is a very simple formula that no one can
deviate from. If you consume more calories
than you burn, you will gain weight. If you
burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Achieving
an
"ideal" body weight is not necessary! Research has
shown that significant hormonal improvements
occur with as little as 8–10% body weight loss.
There are
a few general points to be made regarding
diet and eating habits:
- Don't skip breakfast. If you skip breakfast, this
will prolong your body's "fasting mode" and decrease
your calorie usage.
- Drink water instead
of other options. Diet drinks are also
okay, but some researchers think these
may stimulate appetite.
- Keep a water bottle
with you and try to drink water frequently
throughout the day, especially when you
are hungry. Distention of the stomach,
although brief, can help decrease your
appetite.
- Don't eat after supper. There
is no way to utilize these calories before
you go to bed.
The best option for "dieting", and the one that
needs to be made a regular part of your
life at some point, is simply what can
be termed 'sensible eating'.
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