Losing weight can seem like an impossible task. Getting help from an organization that focuses on weight control through dieting and exercise, however, might help you shed those unwanted pounds. As you learn more about these organizations, you might encounter some words and phrases that you don’t know. The terms below will help you decide which organization can help you reach your weight loss goal.
Food trigger – An event or situation that can tempt you to break your diet. Popular food triggers include holiday celebrations and birthday parties. An emotional state can also function as a food trigger. For instance, many people turn to high-fat foods when they feel sad or angry.
Hydrostatic body fat testing – A method of measuring a person’s body fat by weighting them while submerged in water. Some doctors find that they get more accurate measurement to determine whether someone is overweight or obese than using other techniques.
RDA – Stands for Recommended Daily Allowance. RDA tells you how much of a certain nutrient you should consume each day. You might need to meet your RDA of several vitamins and minerals so that you have energy to boost your metabolism through exercise.
VLCD – Stands for Very Low Calorie Diet. These are meant as short-term plans to lose weight rapidly. Many encourage people to shed extra pounds by limiting them to 800 calories per day. Although a VLCD might help you lose weight, many people find that they don’t learn weight management skills that allow them to maintain a healthy weight throughout life by choosing to eat healthy foods with fewer calories and burning excess calories through aerobic exercise.