The reality is that weight management supports healthy life since you have to eat less, and exercise. In any case and most important, maintaining a healthy weight should become a lifestyle. Yet many people are still overweight. In addition, no matter what approach is used to the diet, weight loss is not sustainable. Studies have also shown that as much as two-thirds of the weight lost through dieting is regained within one year. While almost all the weight is regained within five years.
In view of this daunting dieting outlook, many experts are shifting focus away from dieting to the concept of weight management. This means the adoption of a healthy lifestyle with a reasonable approach to caloric consumption and exercise. This strategy will get you better results in managing overweight than the traditional dieting strategies.
Why Do People Want To Lose Weight?
Surveys indicate that 33-40% of adult women and 20-24% of adult men are trying to lose weight. That is whether they need to or not. While another 28% each of males and females is trying to maintain their weight.
Appearance
As an example in one survey, women cited ‘appearance’ as a more important reason for losing weight than ‘fitness’. Amazingly, the reverse was true for men. But in Africa ‘appearance’ seems to be paramount. That explains why women are inconsistent about including physical activity in their daily routines. The women believe that they are only exercising to reduce weight. This means there is no reason to continue to make physical activity permanent, once that goal of weight loss is achieved. The consequence of this decision is weight cycling or ‘yo-yo’ dieting. That is weight loss today, weight gain tomorrow sort of vicious circle.
Health problems
While the health problems associated with weight cycling have not been proven, the health-related problems of obesity are well known. For instance, obesity health problems include high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer, gout, and gallbladder disease. So, the advice is to continue the effort to lose weight. However, paramount for success is a commitment to lifelong changes in your eating behaviours, diet, and physical activity.
Strategies For Healthy Weight Management
That weight management supports healthy life is not in doubt. However, the general assumption that losing weight is using up more calories than you consume is just too simplistic. Things are not that simple. Otherwise, why are many people abandoning the weight loss battle? The fact remains that your chance of success depends on “managing” your weight.
So what is weight management? Weight management involves adopting a lifestyle that includes a healthy eating plan and regular physical activity. Therefore the key to the management of weight throughout life is a positive attitude. As well as the right kind of motivation such as health, increased energy, self-esteem, and personal control.
Strategy 1
Make health your weight management priority, not ‘appearance’. This will help you to make a realistic goal to achieve a healthy weight. And not that dictated by the media or ‘ideal’ weight from a chart.
Strategy 2
Concentrate your efforts on a healthy eating cycle, not on ‘dieting’. Dieting usually lasts for only the short term and rarely produces long-term success.
Strategy 3
Eating to control weight and eating for good health are inseparable. Most foods that add on weight are high in calories with little nutritional value in return. Therefore, if you avoid those, your weight will come down and your health will improve. So, eat more foods that can fit into a nutritious, reduced-calorie eating plan, like complex carbohydrates, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Strategy 4
If you keep physically active, chances are that you will be successful at losing and keeping off those extra pounds. A physically active lifestyle offers many benefits in addition to weight management such as heart health, strong bones, and stress relief. Choose an activity that you enjoy and are likely to continue, such as a brisk walk in the morning. Or a swim or jog after work. 30 minutes at least five days a week is recommended
Strategy 5
Medication prescription may be part of a weight management program for obese patients. But this should also include nutrition counselling from a registered dietician plus regular physical activity.
Summary
Placing all these together, in order to ensure your weight management supports healthy life, the plan has to be safe and effective. So ask yourself a few questions before you start. Does your plan:
- Include different foods from all five major groups in the Food Guide Pyramid.
- Consists of appealing foods you will enjoy eating for the rest of your life, not just for a few weeks or months.
- Use foods available at the supermarket or open market where you usually shop.
- Allow you to eat your favourite foods in moderation.
- Recommend changes in your eating habits that fit in with your lifestyle and budget.
- Consist of at least the minimum number of servings from the Food Guide Pyramid.
- Include regular physical activity.
If your answer is YES to all these questions, you are on the road to achieving long-term success in your weight loss program. Therefore,
- Remember not to lose too much weight too fast!
- Keep variety and excitement in your diet!
- Keep track of what you eat and ensure it is balanced!
How To Get Results From Fitness Weight Control
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