Bukido Karate

67% of Australians are overweight or obese, 31% of Australian adults are obese, 25% of children and adolescents aged between two and 17
are overweight or obese.

 Weight control is a huge problem for some people. While food is not the only answer, it certainly has a lot to do with controlling weight.
The answer to the above question is this, when you train in martial arts you should be building up your willpower with self-talk.  Imagine if every exercise you attempted you said to yourself, I can’t do this, or I don’t think I can do this, thus giving you an excuse to stop the exercise.

A great self-talk before you enter a class and even before you do hard exercise is to repeat yourself “I can do this.”
This is a called a positive affirmation, a simple affirmation can help you in many ways.
With food that will contribute to weight gain, you should get into the habit of saying; “it is easy for me to reject putting this in my mouth”.
For affirmations to work, they must be practised regularly.

The other thing that is important is to have foods that are beneficial to you on standby, so if that chocolate bar or those potato chips look particularly inviting, you will have your backup plan to stop your cravings or help break the habit of eating unhealthy foods.

I have always of the opinion that weight loss or control of weight is 80% of what we eat but this is not taking into consideration any person’s genes. (Harvard Health has found that each person’s genes have a different level of influence on their weight; for instance, some peoples’ genes are responsible for 25% of their weight gain and loss while other peoples’ may be as much as 80% responsible.)

So, it is reasonable to assume from the above statement, that people who are genetically programmed to gain weight are going to have a lot more trouble controlling their weight or even losing weight. 

But it can be done with help and advise from professionals such as your MD or paediatrician. A great website for help with kids is     

https://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/weight/features/talking-to-pediatrician

Developing healthy eating habits.
There should be plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods.
Dairy items such as cheese and yoghurt, as well as low-fat or non-fat milk, should be included.
Lean meats, chicken, fish, lentils, and beans are all good sources of protein.
Drink plenty of water.
Sugary drinks should be avoided at all costs. 

 A great tip is for EVERYONE in the family to follow the same routine.

Remember to practice the positive affirmations.

                                                                                                                                                         Shidoshi Grant