WEIGHT LOSS REALITY: It’s not rocket science

• divya
• 5 years ago
• 11 min read

Weight loss has become one of the most important health goals of approximately 50 percent of the people around the globe. Why?

Rising prevalence of being overweight and obese and its lethal health consequences has prompted WHO to identify it as one of today’s most important public health problem. Body weight, though not complete but is an important health status indicator of an individual.

Obesity is due to positive energy balance, the intake of calories is more than the expenditure of energy. Excess energy intake leads to the accumulation of adipose tissue in the body leading to more of the desirable weight.

Overweight is a condition where the body weight is 10-20% of the mean standard weight for age, height, and sex.

OBESITY invites :

1. Disability
2. Premature death
3. Breathlessness on moderate exertion
4. Atherosclerosis (Narrowing of arteries)
5. High blood pressure
6. Stroke
7. Diabetes
8. Gall bladder disease
9. Osteoarthritis
10. Varicose veins.

How can you kick start your most awaited journey?

WHAT TO DO?

Diet therapy

Physical exercise

Stress management

WHAT NOT TO DO?

Starve yourself

Relying on market-based weight loss preparations and pills.

Stop challenging yourself

Following fad diets without any supervision. (Keto, Atkin’s, etc.)

Leaving your journey in between.

DIET THERAPY 

Eating therapy is not instinctive but learned.

The very first step has to be calculating your energy requirements, (Kcal/day).

Here is a simple equation that gives you an estimated idea of your everyday energy needs.

STEP 1

MALES:       10 X weight (in kg) + 6.25X height (in cm) – 5 X Age (in years) + 5

FEMALES:  10 X weight (in kg) + 6.25X height (in cm) – 5 X Age (in years) – 161

STEP 2

Multiply the above result with 1.6 (for men) and 1.5 (for women)

This gives you average energy being spent by your body.

STEP 3

Now subtract 500kcal/day to achieve a weight of 500g per week which is considered a healthy and long-lasting weight loss.

Protein: Consume approximately 0.8-1g/ kg body weight of the protein is recommended. Include foods such as lentils, pulses, chicken, meat, egg, dairy products, tofu, etc.

Carbohydrates:  Carbs that give empty or high calories such a table/refined sugar, potatoes should be restricted. Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains can be a part of the diet.

Fat: Low-fat diet is recommended. Foods having PUFS’s and MUFA’s are recommended in restricted quantities. Foods include Olive oil, Nuts, such as almonds, cashews, pecans and macadamias, Canola oil, Avocados, Nut butter, Olives, Peanut oil, Walnuts, Sunflower seeds, Flax seeds or flax oil, Fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, albacore tuna, and trout.

Vitamins and Minerals: Restriction of sodium (table salt and packaged foods mainly), Inclusion of calcium-rich foods, and all vitamins are necessary for weight loss. Vegetables and fruits are a storehouse of both, vitamins and minerals. Always prefer seasonal and locally grown food.

High Fiber: Advantages of high fiber foods are:

Low-calorie density

Regulates bowel movements

Reduce blood cholesterol

Gives satiety

Promotes chewing

Decreases rate of ingestion

Fluid: Non-sugary fluids can be taken liberally, as it may help keep bowel movements good and reduce caloric intake.

Easy to follow guidelines while you eat:

1. There is no other way to reduce weight without going into a calorie deficit.
2. Modification of normal diet is the best way for a prolong weight management
3. Diet should be adequate in all other nutrients except calories.
4. Water can be consumed liberally without any guilt.
5. Fatty portion of chicken, red meat should be avoided.
6. Skimmed milk should be used. Cheese can be sparingly used.
7. Plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables should be included in the diet.
8. The diet should be low in sugar and fat and high in fiber.
9. Boiling, poaching, simmering, pressure cooking will help in cutting down additional calories.
10. When dining outside, single-serving food is preferred over ala carte.
11. Unsweetened beverages and yogurt can potentiate the satiating property.
12. Even low-calorie foods should not be taken in unlimited quantities.
13. Home prepared meals that emphasize more variety and include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should be the choice.
14. Limit alcohol and restrict junk food consumption.
15. Reduce portion size.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Levels of “the stress hormone,” cortisol, rise during tension-filled times. This can turn your overeating into a habit. Because increased levels of the hormone also help cause higher insulin levels, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods. Food is one of the many stimulants of ‘feel-good’   neurotransmitter- endorphins. Self-gratification, self- punishment, depression, anxiety, and stress may lead to excess caloric intake. Chronic sleep deprivation may increase caloric intake in some cases. Stress is also a reason for relapse. Stress-related overeating can be reduced by learning how to implement other methods other than eating to deal with stress. Some examples include:

1. Diaphragmatic breathing
2. Deep muscle relaxation
3. Meditation
4. Yoga
5. Physical activity.
6. Indulgence in creative activities of personal liking

PHYSICAL EXERCISE

A sedentary lifestyle is an easy shot to weight gain. Physical activity will help in keeping you in track of this journey.

1. Low-calorie intake with moderate exercise will help in keeping weight in check.
2. Aerobic exercise directly increases daily energy expenditure and is particularly useful in long-term weight management.
3. It will also preserve the body’s lean body mass.
4. Regulates appetite.
5. Increases BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
6. Decreases fat deposits.
7. It provides a physical outlet to stress and hence reduces stress-related eating.
8. Increases cardiac and respiratory fitness

Apart from countless benefits of exercise, one finds it difficult to indulge in it daily, because many people do not exercise as a weight loss mechanism. this is because their level of fitness is so low they cannot sustain a moderate level of exercise intensity for very long. However, they must know that this will change as one continues to exercise.

ADVANTAGES OF WEIGHT LOSS :

1. Reduction in blood pressure
2. Reduces total cholesterol
3. Increases HDL levels (Good Cholesterol
4. Decreases LDL levels. ( Bad Cholesterol)
5. Lowers blood glucose levels
6. Decreases risk of heart disease.
7. Decreases risk of certain cancers.
8. Improves mobility.
9. Decreases joint pain.
10. Reduced back pain
11. Decreased risk or improvement in symptoms of osteoarthritis
12. Decreased risk or improvement in symptoms of sleep apnea

Begin this life-changing journey today as we already have imbibed the saying “HEALTH IS WEALTH”, now it’s time we implement it. For an easy and customized diet plan, click now https://dashnutrition.org/services/