Weight loss Tips
Weight Loss Fundas
Weight loss or weight gain depends on calorie intake vs. calorie output. Calorie intake means the calories you consume. We shall refer to it as “calories in”. Calorie output means the calories you burn or calorie expenditure. We shall refer to it as “calories out”. When calories in are greater than calories out, then you gain weight. When the calories in are lesser than the calories out, you lose weight. When calories in are equal to the calories out, you maintain your weight. These are the basic fundamentals of weight management. Weight loss tips are easy to implement if you understand the basic fundamentals of weight management.
Causes of weight gain and weight loss tips
Causes of weight gain are mainly eating unhealthy foods along with low physical activity and little or no exercise. These are the main contributors for excess weight. In addition, other factors unrelated to food intake such as hormonal imbalance e.g. thyroid disease may also lead to weight gain. Among Indians, when the weight is 20% above ideal body weight, the person is considered obese. Among Americans, when the weight is 25% above ideal body weight, the person is considered obese. There are several criteria such as body mass index (BMI) which is considered to decide whether a person is overweight or obese.
Eating patterns are influenced by complex behavioral and psychological factors. People who follow weight loss diets often tend to focus on getting results. They do not want to follow the right ways of losing weight. The objective and focus is – to get instant results and feel and look good! Nothing wrong with wanting to look good and feel lighter. But it is worthwhile to pause and think about the fact that they did not gain weight overnight so why focus on losing weight instantly? It is bound to have repercussions on health.
Weight loss should focus on fat loss and losing weight while staying healthy. Crash diets and fad diets will help lose weight but the after-effects are hazardous. They lead to loss of weight along with deficiencies of vitamins, minerals and break down muscle proteins rather than fat loss. This can lead to fatigue and lowered immunity.
Some Basic Weight Loss Tips:
1. Food Diary
Keep track of your emotional health:
It is likely that when you “feel” low or unhappy with your figure/ physique, you will reach out for the “comfort” foods which are usually unhealthy foods. You may skip meals or snack at odd hours, leading to further weight and fat gain.
Maintain a food diary to note down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat and how you feel when you eat it. This can help identify your pain points and address them in a timely manner. Share your food diary with a qualified clinical nutritionist or dietitian to help you understand how to make changes suitable for your health needs.
2. Exercise Daily
Physical fitness is an important factor in managing your weight and maintaining good health. World Health Organization recommends at least 30 mins of aerobic exercise 5 days a week or 150 minutes of exercise per week on a regular basis for all. Exercise need not be monotonous. It can be some repetitive form of movement that you enjoy doing. Exercise need not be walking for weight loss or running for weight loss. It could even be dancing, skipping rope, jogging, swimming, some sport like badminton which you may enjoy doing. Get hold of a friend to stay motivated and keep each other motivated to stick to a daily exercise routine. At times when you may not be able to exercise outdoors, you could do workouts to music using weight loss videos. Weight training at least 2-3 times a week for 20 minutes is a great idea.
3. Eat right
Consult a qualified diet professional to assess you appropriately and guide you to eat a balanced diet and stay well hydrated as suited to your health needs.
- Stay away from unhealthy food mainly refined sugars and fried foods as far as possible.
- Any diets which promise a quick fix or require you to eliminate food groups completely are fad diets or quack diets. Such diets may give you results and make you “feel” good. But they are not sustainable in the long term and you can end up with serious side effects in the long term.
- Do not self-medicate nor follow a googled diet off the net on your own.
- Please trust your dietitian to plan a scientific weight loss diet plan suited to your health needs. Such diets may give slower results but you lose weight the right way through fat loss rather than muscle mass or lean body tissue loss.
- Let your dietitian guide you to understand low glycemic index foods, understand food combinations and choices, meal timings, portion control and choose foods wisely to boost your immunity.
- Weight loss apps can help you set reminders on your phone or help you keep track of what you eat. However, weight loss apps need to be monitored by a qualified diet professional to ensure that you follow the right weight loss tips and diet protocol.
4. Stay Hydrated
Drink adequate fluids and water to avoid dehydration. Insufficient water intake can also show a higher body fat percentage on the body fat
Pallavi Pinge is a Clinical Nutritionist and Dietitian | Content Director & Editor for health websites | has a passion for digital health and enjoys promoting health and wellness. She’s the founder and director of Ambrosia Wellness, where she provides personalized nutrition counseling, education, and coaching to individuals with various health conditions. You can follow her on her social media channels below to stay tuned in with the latest in health and wellness | Health Blog | Contact her for appointments |
