How to achieve weight loss?

Obesity management tips

 Obesity or excessive body fat is associated with serious health risks across the globe due to morbidities and mortalities from cardiovascular &other life style diseases. Obesity management strategies discussed here may help to prevent deaths from heart attack, stroke, fatty liver and various other lifestyle diseases.

All over the world a large number of people suffer from obesity from various causes and there is a huge spike in obesity in the recent decades owing to sedentary lifestyles and faulty habits. In this article I discuss the most essential strategies helping weight loss for all.

 However, in people suffering from obesity due to diseases of thyroid, adrenals, pancreas etc. may have to follow an individualized therapeutic approach under the guidance of a healthcare provider.

Strategies to manage obesity

1. Dietary modification
2. Improve physical activity
3.  Reduce stress

Dietary modification to achieve weight loss

• Reduce sugars or unhealthy carbohydrate

Obesity may get worsened by the intake of sugary beverages and fruit juices with added sugars. Beverages available in the market is full of high calories and chemical compounds endangering your health. If you are on a weight loss journey totally avoid these beverages from your life.

• Include whole grains

Whole grains are healthy carbohydrates if consumed in moderate amounts helps to improve the nutritional status of an individual. They include whole grain oats, whole grain rice, cereals etc. Whole grains provide essential fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that improve heart health, aid digestion, and support weight management. A dietary transition to this healthy carbohydrates has been found to be beneficial in lowering risks of type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancer, and chronic inflammation. Most of them may contain vitamin B also which helps brain and heart health.

• Adequate intake of fibers

Fibers help to manage weight by causing a sensation of fullness, reducing appetite, and slowing digestion, which helps create a calorie deficit. Take around 25–38 grams fibers daily from whole foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains for better results. Over consumption of fibers may cause flatulence or gas formation inside gut. Therefore, avoid excessive intake of fibers.

• Consume good amount of proteins

Proteins help body building, muscle mass, easy satiety or fullness. Recommended daily intake is 1.2–2 g/kg of body weight. Major sources of protein include lean meats, eggs, low-fat Greek yogurt, lentils, tofu, and legumes.

• Include nuts and seeds in diet plan

Nuts are very beneficial for weight loss as well as for better nutrition as they contain high fiber, protein, and healthy fats, which increase satiety and boost metabolism. Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and cashews are the best quality nuts available all over the world.

• Avoid saturated unhealthy fat

Saturated fat intake cause weight gain and obesity due to its high calorie density, lower oxidation rates, and tendency to promote fat accumulation, particularly around vital organs. Saturated fat-rich foods include red meat, butter, cheese etc.  These fats if taken regularly may lead to higher waist circumference and obesity.

• Avoid alcohol intake

Alcohol consumption leads to excessive calories. It is always better to avoid alcohol. However, for those who are predisposed to alcohol consumption moderation in drinking is recommended and they must adopt a healthy lifestyle too to prevent obesity.

• Drink adequate amount of water

Consuming at least 2–3 liters (roughly 8–12 cups) of water daily helps weight loss. Drinking 500ml of water half an hour before food intake can help satiety, reduce excessive calorie intake, and thus help weight loss.

Improve physical activity to help weight loss

Physical exercise has crucial role in energy expenditure and in reducing fat from the body. Exercise helps to regulate hormonal imbalances also.

Obesity is associated with imbalances in cortisol, insulin, growth hormones, testosterone and catecholamines. Physical activity has to be included into your routine to stay healthy and fit regulating hormones, sugar level and fat metabolites in your body.

  Often, we hear about the link between leptins and obesity. Leptins are hormonal secretions by the adipose tissue or body fats. Leptins in optimum amounts help to regulate appetite and hunger. This may cause easy satiety and it prevents overeating. This is due to the activity of leptins on hypothalamus. But leptin levels are directly proportional to your body fat levels. If body fat increases leptin levels also increase beyond normal limits. This may lead to leptin resistance.  In this condition people may feel excessive hunger and start overeating worsening obesity. Leptin resistance is due to high levels of leptins and it is associated with obesity, cardiovascular diseases and fatty liver.

A few studies shows that physical exercise has beneficial role in controlling leptin resistance reducing leptin levels. However, further extensive studies are needed to validate this finding.

Stress management for weight loss

Obesity is associated with glucocorticoid hormone level elevation in people exposed to chronic stress. Primarily cortisol is elevated and it worsen obesity. Cortisol is capable of redistribution of fat to abdominal region and it also increases appetite and thus promote over eating.

Apart from stress, other glucocorticoid increasing drugs, hormonal diseases like Cushing syndrome also leads to excess glucocorticoids in the body with fat deposition and obesity in central area of the body. This enhances the risk for cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome with high blood pressure, high cholesterol etc.

Practice yoga, meditation and mind body exercises to manage stress . Physical activity also helps to relieve stress. Do exercise everyday until you sweat. This may help you feel a sense of wellbeing very easily.

Cognitive behavioral therapy may help to reduce stress. It is an individualized psychotherapeutic treatment to change the disturbing and negatively influencing thought pattern.

 Cognitive behavioral therapy in obese people motivates them to adopt healthy life style practices and habits beneficial to reduce stress as well as weight gain.

written by dr sanjana p

image courtesy [ freepi]