WEIGHT? TO LOSE “WAIT”

“I am not concerned that you have fallen--I am concerned that you arise.”

- Abraham Lincoln

 “Lose 10 kg in 10 days”, “lose weight without dieting and without exercise, ask me how?”  I am sure all of you must have come across such ads and I am sure it must have intrigued all of us, even tempted to try it out.  We live in times when fast is preferred cast. We want fast cars and phones, high-speed internet and bullet trains, so naturally we want fast results too especially when it comes to losing weight and looking our best. Weight loss, indeed, is a long and a painstaking process and therefore many people lose hope before they achieve their goal.  This is what makes them vulnerable to such offers. This impatience is privy to be exploited now and then.

Consumer markets are full of products like capsules and powders and creams claiming to offer fastest weight loss results. I wonder and want to know have they actually worked?  If one capsule can shred pounds of our weight, overweight wouldn’t be so prominent a problem in the world today. Eat whatever you like, as much as you fancy or sleep all day long, why to worry? Just pop up a pill and thin you are still. I wish, we all wish, if it was so easy.

Losing weight is a long process which requires patience and a strong will to overcome it.  The results obtained are slow but durable and this lengthiness is what makes people lose hope and most of them leave the process before they achieve the set target.  

An ideal body weight is the ideal weight of a person in relation to their height.  There is a difference between being overweight and obese. Overweight is when your weight exceeds the index in relation to your height and obese is characterized by abnormal deposition of fat which can be localized or all throughout the body. In men, who are obese, excess fat accumulation will be on the abdomen and in women basically around the buttocks.  Overweight people tend to proceed to being obese if precautions are not taken.

Our bodies have a set weight and our body will try its best to maintain that weight. For example if a person is 60kgs then body will try to maintain this weight. When weight is gained the body will employ various mechanisms to bring down weight to 60 kg and when weight is lost body will employ mechanism to gain back the weight lost. Therefore, for a healthy weight loss it is important to change the body’s set point weight which is a gradual process taking upto 6-8 months. Once the set point weight is modified to the desired ideal body weight, body will employ mechanism to maintain it there.

A healthy weight loss is the one which is achieved over time in an appropriate manner with dietary modification and physical activity. Immediate and extreme loss in weight can have tragic consequences on the body. Therefore one should aim at healthy weight loss which doesn’t compromise body and it functions and is easy to maintain. Losing weight in a small amount of time is a temporary solution because once the regime is stopped there will be rebound weight gain which can be very depressing and can make the person involved lose hope. Further the weight gained is double the weight lost and this is known as “yoyo effect”. This can have a devastating effect on person trying to lose weight.

Weight loss can be achieved by proper exercise and increasing physical activity accompanied by necessary dietary modification.  Only dietary modification without changing your activity pattern will do little good and similarly only engaging in rigorous physical activity without dietary changes will yield little results. In addition keeping patience and your motivation to optimum is necessary to employ body’s help in your attempt.

Dietary modification required for weight loss as most of us call it dieting, is eating right foods at right time and in controlled amounts.  It doesn’t entail starving in any forms.  The idea is to change the caloric consumption of the diet and replacing some types of food with healthier option. Most of the time people stop eating foods without proper replacement of healthier option which can then predispose the body to various deficiencies and compromise health. Further there are many fad diets which gain lot of popularity amongst people like only vegetable diet or fruit diet or just liquid diet. Engaging in such practices can have grave consequences and they become difficult in following for a long time. 

Dietary changes required to make is individualized and tailored as per each individual’s requirement. Consulting an expert for your own individual diet is important the following your own plans. However important things one can control to avoid weight gain are-

• The amount and type of fat should be modified.  High fat salad dressings and saturated fat like cheese and butter, etc. should be avoided.
• Simple sugars like sugar and refined flour (maida), breads and cakes, desserts etc. Should be replaced by complex sugars like whole wheat cereals, flour, biscuits and breads.
• Fiber content of the diet should be increased by adding fruits and vegetables in the diet.  Whole fruits and salads are better options then juices and soups.
• Increasing protein in the diet to replace fat with muscle in the body.
• Striking a balance in the diet so that all important vitamins and minerals are in proper amount and rectify and prevent deficiencies of any kind.

A lot of thought is being put into analyzing if a ketogenic diet can help lose weight. Ketogenic diet mimics starvation and carbohydrates her are largely replaced by fats. This diet has been useful in certain cases but it cannot be randomly followed.  One needs to proper guidance before starting and proper follow-ups throughout the whole regime. It is difficult to follow and needs proper monitoring to prevent fatal outcomes.

Lot of research is being conducted to understand the role of diet and various nutrients in weight loss and maintenance.  Vitamin C and calcium both have been shown to play an important role in weight loss.  Increasing vitamin C and calcium both have been associated with decrease in body fat composition.  Similarly specific foods have been found to offer positive results like honey.  A warm glass of water with honey and juice of one lemon, will help you burn down fat and would be ideal before a workout. Omega 3 found in flaxseed oil, olive oil, various nuts and sea food, also helps lose weight.

To end, keeping a healthy weight and is more important than just looking slim. We all are different and so are our bodies, what works for one may not work for someone else and vice-versa. Therefore, assess your individual needs and choose what suits you best, especially something that wouldn’t be a burden for you to continue but easy to follow and practice. There is always help and guidance available, use your resources and verify before blindly accepting any thing.

“Our aim should be to be fit and not just slim

So we be healthy and bright; not thin and dim

Run or jump but also eat right

This is your journey, your own fight”

TO HEALTHY LIVING!!