Fad diets promise a svelte figure virtually overnight; the merry-go-round of weight loss strategies continues unabated and the diet industry grows fatter by selling dreams of thinness but delivering only failure.
If any one of these methods worked, all the others would be put out of business overnight — but the lucrative diet industry shows no sign of slowing down.
There is a huge and continual interest in weight loss and dieting, but if diets don’t work, then what actually is the solution to maintaining a healthy weight and, more importantly, a healthy lifestyle? Here at realbuzz.com we believe we have the answer and in this feature we look at:
- Why fad diets don’t work
- Weight management — the easy way
- Hints and tips to keep trim
The typical diet
As with most things these days, everyone wants rapid results and when looking to lose weight, we’re no different. The problem is that rapid weight loss is unsustainable, as illustrated in the typical regimen below:
1. Begin diet. Calorie intake cut from 3,000 to 1,000 calories per day or even less.
2. Rapid weight loss occurs. After two weeks, weight loss is approximately 3.5kg (8lb).
3. Weight loss slows. After three weeks, total weight loss is either approaching or static at 3.5kg.
4. Metabolic rate slows. To conserve body resources and because the rapid weight loss has included metabolic rate boosting muscle, the body elicits the ‘starvation response’. (Metabolic rate is the body’s calorie burner; the more muscle you have, the faster you burn calories).
5. Weight loss stagnates. Weight loss halts, motivation plummets.
6. Previous eating patterns resumed. Having achieved some weight loss, original eating plan is resumed.
7. Weight increases. To guard against future ‘famine’, the body stores more food as body fat, effectively laying down more reserves as a self-protection mechanism. This is compounded by a lower metabolic rate due to loss of muscle during the diet phase.
8. Significant weight gain occurs. After a few weeks, not only has the lost weight been put back on, but more weight has also been gained overall, resulting in the dieter ending up heavier than before the diet began.
The weight loss solution
If the scenario outlined sounds all too familiar, what is the way forward? The golden rule is to lose weight at a slow rate i.e. not more than about 0.5kg (1 to 1.5lb) per week. Rapid losses are great motivators and desirable but never work in the long term. By losing weight slowly, you will avoid stripping out valuable calorie burning muscle, your losses will be maintained long-term and, most important of all, you won’t suffer the misery that serial dieters endure from continually denying themselves the necessary and correct quantities of food to sustain good health.
Weight loss hints and tips
There are a multitude of strategies that will help and support your weight loss, ensuring that it is consistent and, most importantly, ensuring that what comes off, stays off. Simply follow the realbuzz.com tips below, which will support your new nutrition plan:
Embrace exercise. Any exercise is beneficial. Cardiovascular (CV) training will burn calories at a rate of approximately 100 calories per mile walked, jogged or run. Resistance training will tone and maintain muscle mass which will keep your metabolic rate elevated 24 hours a day, further adding to your overall calorie burn.
Eat breakfast. After fasting all night, kick-start your metabolism with a low-fat breakfast such as porridge. The key benefit is that you will avoid the ‘mid-morning munchies’ — which usually involves consuming high-calorie foods such as chocolate and salty snacks because your body is desperate for a quick energy hit.
Eat small, frequent meals. Your metabolic rate may be raised by up to 15 per cent just by eating a meal. This effectively gives you a metabolic burst to further support your calorie burning strategy.
Don’t neglect protein. Protein further supports the metabolic burst that occurs at meal times and also slows down the digestion process, helping to even out your energy release, thereby avoiding peaks and troughs of energy throughout the day.
Avoid missing meals. A missed meal will tempt you into eating high-calorie foods later, for example; missing lunch because you’re too busy will result in a 3pm dash to the canteen for chocolate because you crave some instant energy. Keep snacking regularly to avoid energy lows.
Ditch the packets. Processed foods (which typically come in packets) are frequently high in calories with hidden fats and sugars — all extremely calorific. Additionally, they are also full of additives and preservatives that your body simply doesn’t need. Try to stick to fresh, unrefined and natural foods wherever possible for a healthy nutrition plan and also fewer unnecessary calories.
Target 500. When looking at weight loss, your target should be a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day, which will equate to 0.5kg (1 to 1.5lb) of fat per week. That loss can be in the form of calories burned (exercise) or calories not eaten (healthy food choices), or ideally a combination of the two. A much greater loss than 500 calories each day is not sustainable, but the figure 500 is a target that is easy to work with and achievable.
Diet? Never dietIt’s a cliché but very true — it doesn’t have to be hell to be healthy. Jumping on and off the ‘diet bus’ is neither good for your health nor your waistline, yet simple solutions are available. By focusing on sensible, whole-food eating, in combination with regular exercise, you will achieve the results you desire, at a sustainable rate, without allowing food to unhealthily dominate your life. Your diet should actually be your nutrition plan for life and built into your life with exercise, which is the optimum way to manage your weight effectively. Diet? Never diet.
Eggs for Breakfast: Eggs are the perfect breakfast time. For starters, eggs are loaded with protein which needs a longer time to get fully digested. Two eggs, when eaten in the boiled or omelet form, comprise a healthy breakfast, of course, along with a few slices of whole grain bread. This combination of protein and complex carbohydrates helps to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels and keeps the digestive system engaged for a longer period, ..
Soups for Midday Meals: Some cultures suggest that soups are appetizers. However, this doesn’t need to be true if you consume more than average amount of soup and that too, the natural variety, consisting of lots of vegetables. Eating or sipping upon soup induces the feeling parallel to having a two-course meal. This helps the brain in perceiving that you are going through a proper meal. Around two bowls of vegetable soup to which some spicy ...
Whole Grains for All Major Meals: Eating whole wheat or multi-grain bread or rotis is recommended since complex carbohydrates release glucose slowly. Slower release of glucose means that sugar levels are kept at a constant. Since there are no spikes or dips in sugar levels, there is lesser chance of being hit by a sugar craving. Further, whole grains are among the best sources of various types of Vitamin B.
Citrus Fruits: Citrus fruits, like lemon, guavas and grapes, are rich in vitamin C and fiber. While fiber helps to keep the intestines busy for a longer time, the high concentration of vitamin C is used for the body’s fat burning processes. Vitamin C is also required for stimulating formation of critical amino acids like Carnitine. This tends to fasten the body’s metabolism, ensuring that metabolic processes are kept busy, helping to overcome the...
Low-Fat Yogurt Anytime of the Day: Yogurt or the humble Dahi, made from low-fat milk, is the perfect, around-the-clock kind of food. For starters, the low-fat variety too has a certain degree of creaminess to it. This tends to coat your tonsils, inducing the feeling of having eaten something substantial. Yogurt also induces a unique kind of aftertaste that turns-off the temptation to eat something else for some time. Further, yogurt provides the much needed dosage of healthy bacteria for better digestion and calcium for stronger bones.
The Anytime Wonder—Oatmeal: Oatmeal is among the most recommended of complex carbohydrate options that helps to keep you fuller without inducing a calorie overload. It can be eaten for breakfast or lunch. It takes the digestive system much longer to break down the complex fiber present within oatmeal. This helps to regulate the insulin levels, keeping you satiated for a longer time. Boiled oatmeal mixed with yogurt is the perfect, low-calorie choice that can keep you fuller for many hours.
Green Veggies: Some veggies have a very high concentration of soluble and insoluble fiber along with having a thermic effect. This refers to the overall effort exerted by the body in digesting foods. While proteins have a very high thermic effect, veggies like Spinach too have a high thermic value. When the metabolic processes are busy, trying to digest such foods, the tendency to feel hungry is automatically reduced. Further, more calories are burned in digesting such foods, which means they contribute to your weight-management goals! The idea is here to use Food itself as a tool for eating lesser, burning more calories and remaining healthier.
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The disc and its adjacent satellites located 5 - 7 metres above the water surface comprise a restaurant, a spa and a special recreation area.
Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 321 m (1,053 ft), it is the fourth tallest hotel in the world. Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to mimic the sail of a ship.
The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial archipelago created using land reclamation. It is one of three islands called the Palm Islands (Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira) which extend into the Persian Gulf, increasing Dubai’s shoreline by a total of 520 kilometres (320 mi). The Palm Jumeirah is in the shape of a palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 16 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island. (Image credit: Nakheel)
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Exercising tips.
Food and you
Sleep time.
Moms and stress.
Ask for help.
The supermom myth.
Take a break from being a mom. Every once in a while it’s essential to take a break from kids and diapers and school admissions and homework. Call up a friend or go out and have an adult conversation. Discuss politics or fashion or indulge in a good old gossip session. You’ll feel rejuvenated and look forward to going back home to the kids.
Physical pampering is important. A day at the spa or beauty salon does a lot to revive a tired mom’s spirits. You get a break, look better and it takes your mind off the stress of parenting. You’ll feel rejuvenated and look forward to going back home to the kids.
Enjoy motherhood. It’s a great time full of challenges and triumphs and the most important thing is to enjoy it. All moms will tell you that it goes by really fast and when you look back at this time, you should remember all the laughter and fun you had.
