Tips to fight obesity and lose weight

11 Feb 2013 (Health Me Up): Obesity is one of the most serious risk factors and medical conditions behind most lifestyle diseases today; it is eating into the young and old alike.

 

Our eating behaviour, job environment and social life - all, drastically affect our propensity to gain weight; of course lack of self control and an increasing dependence on fast foods and refined, processed sugar-heavy foods doesn’t help either. Sedentary jobs, and sedentary living have led to obesity lurking at every corner. But how do you differentiate weight gain and obesity? And how do you fight obesity? Let’s get these questions answered on obesity, and prevent and fight obesity with these tips on how to lose weight.

 

Tip #1 to Fight obesity and lose weight: Understand what obesity is...

’Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. People are considered obese when their body mass index (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of the person’s height in metres, exceeds 30 kg/m2.’ (As mentioned on Wikipedia)

 

Tip #2 Fight obesity and lose weight: Understand the link between obesity and overall health.

 

There are several health problems that can affect your health if your BMI is more than 30kg/m2.

 

To name a few:

Type 2 Diabetes

High blood pressure

Heart disease

Respiratory disorders

Infertility

Cerebrovascular diseases like stroke, heart attacks, blood clots.

 

Tip #3 Fight obesity and lose weight: Accept the truth

Calculate your weight and consult your doctor if your BMI is greater than 30kg/m2. He will suggest ways to fight obesity and surgery in case of morbid obesity. The doctor will also conduct tests to estimate the damage of obesity on your health. This implies that the doctor will screen you for the above mentioned lifestyle diseases and ascertain the health problem.

 

The toughest thing is accepting the truth about your weight, no amount of clothing will hide it. Secondly find friends who can help you stay on track to your goal to shed the kilos, like a support group.

 

Tip #4 Fight obesity and lose weight: Make a plan

You need a plan to help you fight obesity step by step. It is also wise to jot down your diet throughout the day. This will help you outline the amount of calories you consume in a day and how to reduce it.

 

Get professional help, join a gym and find a good trainer. He will help you with the right exercises and help you prevent injuries. He will also suggest a good diet. But you can also consult a nutritionist or dietician to help you plan your diet.

 

It is important to set attainable goals and put them up in a place that get’s your attention - like the television or the computer.

 

Tip #5 Fight obesity and lose weight: Exercises for weight loss

Strength training and interval training are exercises that will ensure healthy, quick and effective weight loss. Arnav Sarkar, the fitness expert says, "When it comes to training, you don’t need to do 20 exercises in each workout, and neither do you need to spend 45 minutes on the treadmill."

 

He says "Besides the regular strength training exercises like lunges, push ups, rows, etc, some athletic activities like sprinting, burpees, kickboxing, jumps, etc too will help to burn a lot of fat. The only thing is that if you are very overweight and have severe joint issues then these dynamic exercises could be dangerous for you. In that case stick to the exercises with low joint impact like push ups, squats, overhead presses, rows, etc along with a good diet to see results."

 

Tip #6 Fight obesity and lose weight: Diet for weight loss

The key to healthy living is to eat every two hours a light meal or every four hours if you consume heavy meals. Consume water at regular intervals and avoid oily, salty and sugary meals.

 

It is important to consume 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. The fibers in fruits and vegetables aid in the digestion and ensure your body gets the required nutrients. Include a vegetable with every meal if possible.

 

To lose weight and fight obesity, it is important to boost your metabolism. Proteins are the biggest stimulator to lose weight.

 

Tip #7 Fight obesity and lose weight: Avoid drinking juices and milk before bed

This is a big mistake that parents make; parents often give their children milk in bed. This act only increases calories without a chance of burning calories. It increases calories, increases the chances that your child will gain weight. Packaged juices also contain unnecessary sugar that pumps up your blood sugar level.

 

These childhood habits create bad eating habits into adulthood which adversely affects the waistline of an individual. But it also increases the chances that the child will be susceptible to childhood obesity. An obese child is not exempted from lifestyle diseases, hence it is vital to change your child’s eating habits.

 

Tip #8 Fight obesity and lose weight: Be on the move

Be active. Get going, whenever you can. Don’t let your job chain you to your desk all day. Get up, go for short walks, get some fresh air every two hours or so. It will improve your circulation and avoid the flab from piling up. Also try to walk small distances like to the grocery store, to the station, to the bus stop etc.

 

Tip #9 Fight obesity and lose weight: Breathe right

How many of us really pay attention to the way we breathe? Hardly anyone! It is about time you started paying attention to this tiny but vital function and start doing it right. The right way according to yoga experts is to expand your diaphragm as you inhale and push it in as you exhale. Paying attention to the way you breath will help you beat stress, which can play a major spoil sport in your weight loss plan.

 

Tip #10 Fight obesity and lose weight: TV viewing a cause of obesity

Talking about foundation of lifestyle behaviours being established as early as pre-school, a study found that nearly half of obese children ate dinner in front of the TV more than three times a week.

 

The study, led by Louise Hardy, from the University of Sydney School of Public Health, also showed not many parents realise their children have a weight problem.

 

The study of more than 1,200 children aged up to five years found almost a third of obese children had a TV in their bedrooms, the journal Preventive Medicine reported.

 

More than 60 per cent of both healthy and overweight children were rewarded for good behaviour with sweets, while more than one-fifth of overweight and obese children did not eat breakfast, according to a Sydney statement.

 

Seventy per cent of parents of overweight kindergarten children thought their child was the ’right weight’ and 30 per cent of the parents of obese children thought their child was the right weight.

 

The researchers concluded that the foundation for many lifestyle behaviours is already established by the time children enter school.

 

Tip #11 Fight obesity and lose weight: Sleep well

Sleep well and sleep right. Your body needs to recover and regenerate itself after a long working day. You need to give it enough time for that. Seven-eight hours of sleep every night is essential. Sleeping lesser or more could lead to accumulation of fat. So make sure you get enough rest. Who knew sleep can help you lose weight!

 

Tip #12 Fight obesity and lose weight: Be consistent

What ever be the exercise regime you take up to support your weight loss plans- swimming, running, yoga or squash, be consistent with it. This will take a lot of will power and some co-operation from your loved ones. But, being consistent with your weight loss workout regime will do you good in the long run. Vary the kind of workout you do every few months or weeks, but do not skip sessions except for on rest days.

 

Tip #13 Fight obesity and lose weight: Reasons for eating

You may love food, but why do you really eat? A regular person would feel satiate beyond a point but not you. What could be the reason? Solve this puzzle to solve the puzzle of your obesity.

Most of us tend to face the problem of emotional eating. But how can we fight this inner emotional eater within each of us?

- The key lies in relishing food and eating slowly, instead of fearing it and running away from it.

- An emotional eater should breakthrough from the love-hate relationship with food.

- Fight the greater inner turmoil of food.

 

Tip #14 Fight obesity and lose weight: Healthy cooking

Your kitchen can make or break you depending on what you stock and how you prepare the ingredients. There are different methods and ways to cook the healthy way, and none of these methods will give you bland hospital meals.

Grilling

Baking

Steaming

Stir fry

Saute

Poaching

Pressure cooking

 

Tip #15 Fight obesity and lose weight: Consider your social network

If one person becomes obese, those closely connected to them have a greater chance of becoming obese themselves. Interestingly, it is observed that if obesity runs in your family it becomes even more difficult to break the obesity rut and follow a healthy lifestyle. Do understand that if your social circle comprises unhealthy people, you are more impacted by negative and unhealthy factors in your life.

 

Tip #16 Fight obesity and lose weight: Which diet should you pick?

Weight loss diets, or more importantly - weight management diets, recieve a lot of flack for being bland, boring and sparse. This is not true. Actual and healthy weight loss involves a lot of eating, albeit this eating is limited to healthy foods. When fighting obesity, your first step should be to limit or altogether ban unhealthy junk foods that are highly processed and high in cereal carbs and fats.

 

As long as you eat lean protein, good fats, and complex carbs in a good proportion to your weight goals, you will be healthy and so will your weight.

 

Tip #17 Fight obesity and lose weight: Portion control

Eat healthy food that you love, and what is convenient to prepare. Just eat less of it. No matter what you eat, if you eat too much of it, your body is going to store it. If you go out for lunch with a fit and healthy friend, do observe his or her eating habits. You will notice that she eats until she’s full and happily pushes the plate away when done. If you habitually eat long after your stomach’s full and how, it’s time to start working on portion control.

 

Tip #18 Fight obesity and lose weight: What not to do...

Starve. Instead, eat food rich in protein, complex carbs (including salads and fruits), and good fats for energy. Eating right, eating so that you are not hungry, and eating food that is nourishing is important so that you lose fat.

 

Eat empty calories. Eating empty calories like biscuits or snacking on empty calories that do not satisfy you in anyway, needs conscious effort. Snack on healthy, filling snacks instead.

 

Do only cardio. While cardio is important, you run the risk of losing muscle if you focus only on cardio and not on strength training. It is therefore advisable to mix your workouts in order to get the best of both worlds. If your workout plan involves just running, swimming, or walking, it’s best if you throw some yoga, and weight training into the mix too. If you’re eating right, then this will be invaluable in building muscle, which in turn burns fat faster.

 

Tip #19 Fight obesity and lose weight: Strike a balance

Remember: When planning for weight loss, it pays to be patient. You are not going to lose weight overnight. So don’t be discouraged and don’t punish your body if you don’t see instant results. Starving yourself or putting in overtime at the gym is never the answer. It will only lead to exhaustion, fatigue and will eventually lower your immunity. In fact, you will benefit a lot if you take breaks in between your routine workouts. And occasionally, treating yourself to a piece of chocolate or a slice of pizza will not do any harm to your weight loss plans.

 

Tip #20 Fight obesity and lose weight: Make it a mission

Staying motivated to get healthy and fight obesity till it stops being a health concern for you, is easier said than done. You will face many obstacles along the way. Obese friends and family will tell you not to bother, that it is okay to be overweight. Know and understand that you are doing this for your health and not for vanity or any other flippant reason.

 

Remind yourself of the health implications of high percentage body fat and stick to the goals and plans you outlined at the beginning of the journey.