JOIN USAre you worried that your special diet is not helping you lose weight, while your best friend, who is on the same diet plan, has dropped several dress sizes? It can be frustrating when, despite sustained efforts, you are unable to reach your ideal target weight, especially when you are trying to keep several lifestyle disorders at bay.
Obesity has been associated with many chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases and even cancer. Diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are also associated with abdominal obesity. Anyone with body mass index (BMI) of over 23 kg/m2 is considered overweight, and above 25 kg/m2 as obese.
Losing weight is not a simple mathematical equation of calorie intake and calorie output, but is as complex as a puzzle, which includes changing not only the diet, but the meal timings and the combination of foods. It is ideal to lose about 1 to 1½ kg weight per month, with a balanced diet.
Each year, a number of new diet fads are introduced for weight loss, which are nutritionally imbalanced and unhealthy. These diets promise quick weight loss, but have been proven harmful to one’s health.
Identifying a fad diet
Fad diet is one that restricts you from eating a normal meal, and allows only select food items per day or recommends unusual combinations of foods. These diets often help you lose water weight quickly, but not the fat. Hence, when you discontinue a fad diet, the body corrects the water imbalance and the lost weight is quickly regained.
Let’s get an insight on some of the most commonly followed fad diets and their adverse affects:
Low or no carb diet: These diets normally recommend an increase of fats and proteins in your meals, with inclusion of less amount of carbohydrates. This may initially cause you to lose weight, but can prove harmful in the long run.
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body, and are necessary for the oxidation of fats. Any extra amount of carbohydrate in diet is converted into fat and stored. When a person is on a low-carb diet, fat is utilised for body’s energy requirements. However, when fats are not oxidised completely due to lack of carbs in the diet, ketone bodies are formed. If the kidneys are not able to get rid of these ketones properly, a serious condition called ketosis occurs.
Avoiding whole food groups: These diets keep out certain foods or food groups, such as dairy products or a staple food such as wheat. Staying away from essential food groups may lead to deficiencies of certain nutrients especially vitamins and minerals.
Liquid & starvation diets: Total fasting, starvation diets, one-food diets (mono diets), single-combination diets, etc, are all harmful fad diets. These may be tempting and may offer a quick solution to your weight issues. However, they often cause loss of energy, weaken muscles, lead to extreme tiredness and affect your metabolism.
Diet aids: Dietary supplements that guarantee weight loss contain caffeine and other psychoactive substances that suppress your appetite. However, these supplements increase blood pressure, cause dizziness, nausea and insomnia.
The best way to get rid of extra weight and maintain your ideal weight is by making healthy food choices with suitable meal portions. Research has proven that any diet plan that is good for one person may not work for another. Diet plans have to be tailor-made for each individual, and need to be formulated after consulting experienced dieticians or nutritionists.
Here are a few tips that will help in healthy weight loss and maintaining your ideal weight:
Eat at regular intervals and do not skip meals.
Go for low-fat variants of your staple food items such as skimmed milk and yogurt in place of full cream options.
Include more vegetables and fruits in your diet, and limit the consumption of refined foods such as white bread and pasta.
Improve your gut bacteria. Many studies have proven that improved gut bacteria help in weight loss and better your metabolism. Consume prebiotic and probiotic products such as yogurt and fermented foods.
Include nuts in your diet, as they are healthier snacking options than junk food.
Be mindful of the portion sizes. Choose smaller portions for each meal.
Stay physically active. Devote a minimum of 45 minutes for exercises like walking, swimming and cycling. These activities will increase basal metabolic rate, improve heart health and speed up weight loss.
Maintain a daily food dairy to be aware of your eating habits and problem areas. Keep a note of the triggers that cause binging.
It is important to set realistic weight-loss goals. You should aim to reduce up to 1 kg per week. If you are suffering from health problems such as diabetes, blood pressure or a heart condition, you definitely need to consult a doctor before choosing a weight-loss programme.
(The author is chief dietician, BLK Super Speciality Hospital)