Loose Weight and Live
Loose Weight and Live
Overweight, obese, rotund, corpulent which ever way you put it there are more of us than ever before, and the numbers are steadily rising. Around 64% of men and 47%of women weigh to much. The incidence of weight related disorders, such as coronary heart disease and diabetes, is on the increase.
Dieting has led to many myths about weight loss. There are no magic foods or ways to combine foods to reduce excess body fat. To loose weight, you need small, achievable changes in your lifestyle. You need to change the way you eat and increase physical activity.
Fats contain about double the amount of kilojoules (calories) per gram than carbohydrates or protein. Fats are a very concentrated form of energy. If you eat lots of fat, you are more likely add weight than if you eat a lots of carbohydrate.
The type of fat you eat is also important. Research shows that animal fats (saturated fats) may be more “fattening” than plant and fish fats. Fish and plant fats appear to be more readily absorbed by the body and less likely to be stored as fat. They can also provide some health benefits.
Carbohydrates or protein can also be converted into body fat. If you eat more kilojoules than your body consumes, you will put on weight whether those kilojoules came from fats, carbohydrates or proteins.
In the short term, very low carbohydrate diets can result in greater weight loss than high carbohydrate diets but, in the long term, weight loss differences appear to be minimal. Very low carbohydrate diets can be unhealthy if too much animal fat is consumed and if plant foods are overly restricted. The longer term safety of these diets is unknown.
It was once thought the key to weight loss was eliminating all high carbohydrate foods, including pasta, rice and potatoes. We now know that carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source. Eating a potato, or any type of carbohydrate rich food, won’t automatically make you gain weight. However, if you are watching your weight, enjoy potatoes in moderate quantities, be careful of how you eat your potato (for example, butter and sour cream are high in fats).
You have to regularly eat more energy than your body needs to add weight. This is harder to do with high carbohydrate foods than high fat foods. Eating a diet high in carbohydrate (and also fibre) is likely to push fat out of the diet.
There are plenty of diets based on the belief that the digestive system can’t tackle a combination of foods or nutrients. Commonly, carbohydrates and proteins are said to “clash”, leading to digestive problems and weight gain. The opposite is often true. Foods eaten together can help the digestive system. For example, vitamin C in orange juice can increase iron absorption from a meal like chicken or beef.
Very few foods are purely carbohydrate or purely protein; most are a mixture of both. The digestive system contains enzymes that are perfectly capable of breaking down all the foods we eat. Food combining diets should be avoided.
There is no evidence eating only fruit for breakfast has any health or weight loss benefits. Most fruits are not very high in complex carbohydrates, which the body needs after an all-night fast. They are, however, a good source of fibre and vitamins. Cereal foods (especially wholegrain varieties) like bread, crumpets, muffins and breakfast cereals are a much better source of carbohydrates to get you going in the morning.
Some foods, such as grapefruit or kelp, are said to burn off body fat. This is not true. Dietary fibre comes closest to fulfilling this wish because it provides a feeling of “fullness” with minimal kilojoules. High fibre foods such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals, and legumes (peas, beans, peanuts, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans) also tend to be low in fat.
Evidence suggests that drinking water with your meal improves digestion. Kilojoule-heavy drinks such as alcoholic beverages can be fattening if consumed in excess, but drinking them with meals doesn’t make them more so.
Suggestions for safe and effective weight loss include:
* Don’t crash diet. You’ll most likely regain the lost weight within five years or less.
* Aim for slow steady weight loss. You should lose no more than 22lbs (10kg) in six months.
* Aim to lose 4inches (10cm) from around your waist in six months. This is more important for your general health than the number of kilos you lose.
* Cut down on dietary fats, especially saturated fats.
* Cut back on refined sugars.
* Increase your intake of fresh fruit, vegetables and wholegrain breads and cereals.
* Consume less alcohol.
* Eat less takeaway and snack foods.
* Exercise for approximately 30 minutes at least 3 times every week. Introduce more movement into your day – try to accumulate 30 minutes of walking daily.
* Don’t eliminate any food group – choose from a wide range of foods every day and choose “whole”, less processed foods. Have a regular pattern of eating and stick to it.
* Drink at least 2.5pints (1,50ltrs) of water per day.
Where to get help
* Your doctor
* An accredited practising dietitian
Things to remember
* “Crash dieting” can affect your physical and mental wellbeing.
* There are no magic foods or ways to combine food that will help you lose weight.
* The best way to lose weight is slowly, by making small, achievable and sustainable changes to your eating and exercise habits.
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