Weight loss What are Best ways to lose weight
Weight loss
Weight loss, or weight gain It is important that we maintain a healthy weight for many reasons. If you are underweight or if you are overweight to obese.
Then you are putting yourself in danger of developing health issues that may become serious to life threatening. Risk factors include diabetes, heart disease, respiratory problems, gallstones, and certain cancers.
Weight categories.
1. Underweight this would mean having an BMI of under 18.5 kg/m2
2. Normal weight which means a person BMI is between 18.5kg/m2 up to 24.9kg/m2
3. Class one obesity (overweight) this is having a BMI of 25.0kg/m2 up to 29.9kg/m2
4. Class two obesity is having an BMI of 30.0/kgm2 up to 39.9kg/m2
5. Class three obesity or morbidly obese which having a BMI of 40kg/m2
Will a person’s weight simply come down to what they eat?
Weight loss
Weight loss can be as simple as energy in energy out. Energy is simply calories. And of course making healthy lifestyle choices. Weight loss need to be done with careful planning by a professional.
This is a system which is used to maintain a person’s weight. Therefore, the number of calories that you consume would need to match the number of calories that you burn to maintain your weight.
Our body uses most the calories we consume for basic metabolism or more commonly known as BMR. This is processes such as breathing, pumping your blood around the body, maintaining body temperature. Left over calories should be burnt off by being physical such as walking, going to the gym swimming, cycling or a physically demanding job
Looking at what can affect a person’s weight.
Medical condition.
When it comes to weight loss, weight gain or even weight management there are certain medical conditions that can play a factor when it comes to weight. This can include arthritis as a person with arthritis may become limited on their physical activity. Medical conditions such as Prader-Willi syndrome, hyperthyroidism, insomnia, crushing disease, the menopause, and many other health conditions. with either weight loss or weight gain there are options that you can take. Start by taking out our free consultation and talk to our award winning nutritional therapist.
Genes
Genetics may play an exceedingly small role however blaming your genes or saying it’s heredity is most certainly not a destiny for a person to becoming overweight neither should it be an excuse. We can all manage to our weight regardless of if its weight loss, weight gain or weight maintenance.
Age
It is important as we age to keep to our healthy habits that we have built up over time. The main causes of weight gain as one ages are
lifestyle changes
This often happen with age. One tends to become more relaxed and enjoy a slower pace of life this contributes to muscle determination and one becomes less flexible and they tend to lose range of motion. As you age and reach retirement you know longer have to be running around for work purposes, maybe your children or grandchildren are more grown up and therefore running around after them has also stopped. All of these will lead to weight gain
Muscle deterioration?
This happens when we get into our mid-thirties and happens quicker once we become less active. Our muscles require calories and if our muscle mass is dropping and our calorie in takes stay the same then weight gain is expected. As above our body burns calories in two ways via our body own BMR and via physical activities. So, if our body is not using the calories and we are not burning them they will be getting stored as fat. This means that we would have difficulty exercising as our muscles are deteriorating.
Exercising
exercises will become harder to do and many people will then do less and less leading again to weight gain. This can lead to problems such as flexibility, motion range and stamina and these three again to lead to muscle deterioration and weight gain.
Ethnicity
can play a role in a person weight. As some racial and ethnic minority groups seem to be more susceptible to becoming more obese than other groups.
Environmental factors
Factors such as where you live, work even worship can have an impact on how, when and what you eat. A person activity’s may also be affected by these factors.
Sleeping
How much sleep you get can impact your weight. This is because if you are tired you may be looking at getting some quick energy to help you through you day which leads to unhealthy snacking, we should be aiming to get between seven and nine hours of sleep a day.
Gender
Gender can play a role in a person weight moreover it also plays a role on where fat is stored as woman are more likely to store fat int their bottom and their hips. Whereas men tend to store their fat in the abdomen.
Other factors including Binge eating disorders, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Certain medication
How can we stop obesity and how can we lose weight for good?
We can start at the beginning with Early life interventions
This should be put into place as early as possible. Although unhealthy habits with parents can be broken like all habits can be, the longer they go on for and the more normal they become then the harder it becomes for one to change their habits. If you or your child are overweight, then setting a good example is crucial to stop obesity and obesity related issues later in life. We should be teaching our children why it is important to eat healthy here are five terrific tips to help.
1. Make your own healthy snacks and get your children to help you.
2. As children often say I do not like that when they have not even tried it before, introduce new foods by combining it with the foods they already like.
3. Do not force them to eat their food especially when it comes to them trying new foods.
4. Play educational games that includes foods such as getting them to draw, colour and spell the food. This helps as when they start trying new foods it no alien to them.
5. The best tip and my favourite tip is getting them involved start with tip four then get them to draw a plate of food then include them in the shopping, storing, preparing, cooking, and plating.
Weight loss, weight maintenance or weight gain How much should you eat.
Well, the answer is different for everyone.
This is because it depends on many factors, including your height, age, sex, general state of health, job, leisure time activities, physical activities, genetics, environmental factors, body composition and what medications you may be taking.
It is not just about calorie, we all know if we eat too many too often, we will put on weight. And if you eat less calories than you need on a regular basis then we will lose weight.
So, what is a Portion size?
A portion of fruit and vegetables is 80g or:
an apple, pear, banana, orange, or other similar-size fruit
Three heaped tablespoons of vegetables, fruit salad (fresh or tinned in juice) or stewed fruit
One heaped tablespoon of dried fruit (should be kept to mealtimes)
a dessert bowl of salad
A small glass (150ml) of fruit juice or smoothie will count as a maximum of one portion a day regardless of how many smoothies you have.
When it comes to weight loss remember these can often be much higher in sugar and they do not contain as much fibre as whole fruit for this reason, they should be consumed at mealtimes to limit the impact on your teeth. Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, and other starchy carbohydrates should make up just over a third of your diet, they are packed full of nutrients, energy and fibre and they are one of the five main food groups.
How much should I be eating?
Starchy foods need to be making up around a third of your food intake. we should base each meal around these. Wherever possible, choose wholegrain foods as they are:
higher in fibre and nutrients, they are also digested more slowly, and this means we will be feeling full for longer.
When we prepare these foods, we should limit the amount of added fat by using unsaturated oils, such as olive oil, rape seed oil or use lower-fat spreads
For weight loss, we need to be reducing our calorie intake, and increasing the number of calories that we burns through being physically active.
When maximise our health it is important to eat a variety of natural whole foods, remember exercise and hydration are as important as your calorie intake.
Fruit and vegetables: one piece of fruit, half a cup of fruit juice, half a cup of canned or frozen fruit or vegetables, one cup of leafy raw vegetables or salad
Grains: Half a bagel, one slice of bread, half a tortilla, half a pitta, half a cup of cooked couscous, rice, or pasta, one ounce of cold cereal, three-quarters of a cup of hot cereal
Milk and alternatives: one cup milk, one cup of soy drink, three-quarters of a cup of yogurt, one and a half ounces of cheese
Meat and alternatives: two eggs, two tablespoons of peanut butter, we should aim for two and a half ounces of cooked fish, lean meat, or poultry.
How much food do You need each day?
If we look at fruit and vegetables, grains, milk, and meat or alternatives to meat then portions will be.
Age 2-3 years old, Fruit and vegetables five, Grains 3, Milk (and alternatives) two, Meat (and alternatives) one.
between the Age 4-8 years old Fruit and vegetables six, Grains 4, Milk (and alternatives) two, Meat (and alternatives) one.
Age 9-13 years: Fruit and vegetables eight, Grains 6, Milk (and alternatives) 5-6, Meat (and alternatives) 1-2.
Between the Age 14-18 years (male): Fruit and vegetables ten, Grains 7, Milk (and alternatives) 6-7, Meat (and alternatives) three.
Age 14-18 years (female): Fruit and vegetables ten, Grains 6, Milk (and alternatives) 6-7, Meat (and alternatives) two.
Male Age 19-50 years Fruit and vegetables 10-12, Grains 8, Milk (and alternatives) two, Meat or alternatives three.
Female Age 19-50 years Fruit and vegetables 10-12, Grains 6-7, Milk (and alternatives) two, Meat (and alternatives) two.
Age 51+ years (male): Fruit and vegetables 8-9, Grains 7, Milk (and alternatives) 3, Meat (and alternatives) 3.
Age 51+ years (female): Fruit and vegetables 7-9, Grains 6, Milk (and alternatives) 3, Meat (and alternatives) 3.
Right now, let me explain about how to make changes to your lifestyle so you can become a healthier version of you.
We normally have that moment where we realise, we need to make that change and become healthier.
The main go to is eating healthier and becoming more active.
We look at how we can start doing these two, without looking at the reasons on why we need to do these two.
I am going to dedicate a few later blogs on the reasons rather than the how is as this is more complex. I have written a few blogs on mental health, stress, anxiety, and the difference between eating disorder eating.
So, if you are thinking about being more active? trying to cut back on less healthy foods? Starting to eat better and move more but having a tough time sticking with these changes or not sure where start read on.
Let us start with the stages of changing they are:
1. Contemplation: “I’m thinking about it.” Meaning you have taken note that you need to become healthier. But have not yet acted. This could be due to lack of knowledge or confusion, but you are motivated to start making changes.
2. Preparation: this stage is about making your plans, trying to figure out what will work for you and how to go about making these changes, you have set a goal or two and are ready to act.
3. Action: this is the stage that you have moved from planning to doing. Maybe hear you have started to eat more healthier and are moving more. Your e started to adjust to your new healthier lifestyle and even making other changes such as getting more sleep, drinking more water, reducing stress, levels or reducing screen time
4. Maintenance stage, you would have been here for a minimum of six months. Have adjusted to your lifestyle and have noticed the changes physically and mentally. Y now you would have found new ways to help you stick to your new habits. You’ve may have had the odd set back where you have believed you have done wrong to your new way of life but have overcome them and back on track and making progress.
The four stages read like it is amazingly simple but there is more to it than just reading about it.
The hardest part is making new habits. It is about overcoming barriers and obstacles and building a new foundation to build upon. A healthy life is not a year or been good, it is a lifetime of being balanced. Being healthy is not about giving everything up like going out on a weekend, going to a party, a wedding or other family gatherings.
It is about being balanced.
First, we have to make a new habit and as the saying goes old habits die hard. Changing your habits may take time and the process should involves several stages.
Adopting new, healthier habits may protect you from serious health problems like obesity and diabetes.
Making new habits, such as healthy eating and becoming more physical activity, will also help in managing weight and have more energy.
Habits become part of daily living after a while, so keep to them, because if you stick with these changes, they will become part of your daily routine. It can take a while before changes become a new habit. And you may face roadblocks along the way. Which is where a nutritional coach like my self comes in very handy. Weight loss, weight gain or even weight maintenance is not as simple as many people may think it is as its not just about calories, its about forming lifelong healthy habits.
you may also like my blog on How to get your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
For an external resource please checkout the NHS website and look at there weight loss page.
By Aaron Christopher Slade
A.C.S Nutritional Therapist and weight loss specialist.
A registered nutritional therapist.