Weight & Health
Being overweight or obese increases our risk of many diseases. In Australia, around 75% of men and 60% of women are carrying too much body fat and 25% of children are overweight or obese. This means the incidence of obesity-related disorders (such as coronary heart disease and diabetes), is also on the rise.
Losing weight has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. It’s hard to go a day without seeing or hearing about 'the answer to' or a 'miracle' weight-loss solution.
The sensible answer to losing excess body fat is to make small healthy changes to your eating and exercise habits. These changes should be things that you can maintain as part of your lifestyle – that way you will lose weight and keep it off.
Diets don’t work long term
There are many myths about weight loss. Fad diets and magical weight loss pills endorsed by celebrities and supported by personal success stories abound in popular media. While some of these diets may help you lose weight while you are on them, once you return to your normal routine, the weight begins to come back on. This is due to the fact that maintaining weight loss over time is more challenging than just losing weight.
Not just following a diet for a few weeks to lose weight, but managing your weight is a commitment for the rest of your life.
Keep in mind that you are likely to regain any weight you lose if the strategies you are employing to lose weight are not ones that you will be able to follow for the rest of your life.
Risks of dieting
Fat and muscle are lost when you lose weight too quickly. Unlike fat, muscle burns kilojoules. Because of the decreased proportion of muscle in your body and the slower metabolic rate, your body will burn even fewer calories when you stop dieting and return to your habits.
Because of this, being able to maintain the weight loss is more crucial. A weekly weight loss of between 12 and 1 kilogram is considered reasonable and more likely to be sustained.
Make small, attainable lifestyle adjustments There are numerous unhealthy misconceptions about weight loss; however, to lose weight and keep it off, you must make small, attainable lifestyle adjustments.
The best way to lose and keep off weight if you're overweight is to change your eating habits and increase your physical activity in a way you can stick with over time.
Your energy intake (in kilojoules) must be equal to your energy expenditure to keep your weight stable. You will lose weight if you use more energy than you consume.
On the other hand, you will put on weight if you consume more food than you need. Over time, even insignificant imbalances can lead to obesity or overweight.
How to lose weight in a healthy way
Losing and maintaining weight is a life-long commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Don’t change everything at once – a few small changes to your diet and movement, in the beginning, can make a big difference.
Make simple changes to your diet (energy in)
You can lose body fat by making these few easy changes to your eating habits
Pay attention to how much you consume—a server's energy is proportional to its size. Try to strike a balance between eating "extra" food and exercising more. You can tolerate more treats the more energy you consume.
Choose water over sugary drinks.
You shouldn't eat to feel better like when you're angry, stressed, or upset. Look into other healthy ways to deal with these feelings, like going for a walk, taking a shower, or listening to music.
Avoid driving on short trips and walk instead.
Choose fun exercises over ones you think are good for you. Because of this, your chances of staying with them are better.
Be creative by taking part in an action that you delighted in as a kid.
You'll be able to start burning more calories and lose weight if you find ways to get more active.
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