Medically Reviewed by Dr. Riaz Ali
Obesity is a common problem worldwide and every other day we hear of some new strategy that can deal with it. To stay fit, healthy, and keep the body in shape, one needs to exercise a lot of self-control and push themselves to the farthest point. Being focused on all this, we may overlook a few factors crucial in planning weight loss that we have highlighted below.
1. Don’t fear the unknown, face it and beat it.
Stepping up on the weighing scale is one of the most dreaded things, more so for people who suffer self-loathing and depression because of being overweight. But hey! Unless you take this very difficult step, you won’t know how far you’ve gone in gaining those extra pounds. When you know it, only then will you be able to work on it. And once you’ve started the struggle towards weight loss, there are other ways to check your progress like measuring the circumference of your waist. So our advice is to keep a track of your weight changes and stop fearing the weighing scale.
2. Know the calorie-count of your food.
Certain food items are well-known for their high-calorie content and are a perfect choice for bulking. Even healthy foods can pack in a lot of calories and make you gain weight. Knowledge about high- calorie foods is pivotal in making a diet plan suitable for your body. The scale may continue to show you the same numbers despite your endeavors to lose weight if you are consuming the wrong type of food. While this doesn’t mean you begin counting each and every calorie you consume, it is still good to be mindful of what you eat throughout the day.
3. Avoid food cravings that wreck your diet.
Here’s a situation that is commonly faced by everyone struggling to lose weight; working out regularly and running extra miles on one hand and losing control on spotting your favorite cheesecake slice in the fridge. It’s definitely a scuffle to resist the temptation of relishing your choice foods. But this will take you back to the grind, sending all the previously hard work down the drain.
4. Be wary of hormonal effects on body-weight.
Dietary habits are not entirely responsible for weight gain. Certain hormones play a key role in regulating the body’s fat storage and it’s important for you to be aware of their levels.
- Having fat stores in all parts of the body signals irregular Insulin levels, which mean that you need to stay away from starchy carbs and take small meals.
- Estrogen is the culprit behind bulky thighs and hips. Dietary modifications – eating leafy green vegetables to help with estrogen metabolism (clearance) and controlled carbohydrates and fat intake significantly solves this problem as fat cells will only secrete more estrogen.
- Cortisol – the stress hormone promotes the accumulation of belly fat and 20-30 minutes of meditation can help you relax and reset the cortisol levels.
5. Take sufficient sleep and avoid stress.
When you sleep less, you feel hungry and consume extra food. Sleep problems can affect your eating habits and set you up for unhealthy food choices. Rest well and address any sleep issues seriously.
6. Maintaining a healthy “gut”
While our gut is full of microbes which occur naturally, certain bad bacteria may colonize our gut. They take up most of the calories from our food by making us constipated (storing the food in longer) and slow down the process of fat metabolism by interfering with the enzymes (special agents that speed up digestion). Know about the microbiome imbalance and food allergies that you may have which are disturbing the digestion process and promoting weight gain.
Guest Post Credit: Dr. Kanwal Ansari (BDS, RDS)
