Obesity is a complicated disease. Genetic and environmental factors come into play, and people with the condition are often at increased risk for other medical conditions, which can make treatment difficult.
But changes that include healthy eating habits, regular exercise, and other lifestyle adjustments can help fight obesity and result in a better quality of life.
What is obesity?
People are considered obese when they have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more . Obesity was officially recognized as a disease by the American Medical Association in 2013. It is actually a disease state that involves excessive amounts of body fat and increases the risk of other diseases as well.
This disease is generally defined by numbers, namely body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in meters. It is an imperfect measurement, but it is the best we have at the moment and it is easy to calculate.
Doctors sometimes also measure the size of t or waist to determine if you are at risk for a medical condition. A waist circumference of more than 88 centimeters in women or 101 centimeters in men is abnormal. This means that there is too much visceral body fat (fat around the abdomen) and it is a pretty good measure of fat where it is not supposed to be.
Tips to lose weight if you are obese
Talk to a doctor
Before starting any weight loss journey, it’s a good idea to discuss your intentions with a doctor. Sometimes underlying factors, such as thyroid conditions or Cushing’s syndrome , or even the medications you’re taking, can be at least partly responsible for weight gain (or making it harder to lose pounds). A doctor can examine you, make a diagnosis, and suggest the appropriate treatment.
Your doctor can also help determine a realistic and healthy target weight based on your current weight, medical history, and other factors.
Set smaller goals early on
Once you have the green light to continue weight loss, set an initial goal of losing 5 to 10 percent of t or total weight, because this amount of weight loss reduces the risk of heart disease and other health conditions related to obesity.
That makes you a good place to start. And since losing weight when obese is a journey and not a race, you’ll want to set smaller goals along the way to stay motivated and working toward your ultimate goal weight.
It takes a long time to gain weight, so it could take time to lose weight as well. Strive for small losses so that you can feel a level of achievement where you have been successful. Once you reach your short-term goal, look for more if you want.
The key is to aim for slow and steady weight loss. Losing weight gradually at a rate of between half and one kilo per week creating a deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories a day is the safest way to go. Losing at a faster rate can cause you to lose water and muscle instead of fat, which can negatively affect your metabolism. Also, rapid weight loss is more difficult to maintain.
Adjust your diet to lose weight
Diving deep into the diet can be quite overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. The first thing I would recommend is seeking the help of a nutritionist dietitian who can guide you throughout your adventure.
Beyond that, follow these nutrition guidelines when losing weight is your goal:
- Consum and foods from all groups, but beware the portion sizes. Even too many healthy foods can stop your progress if you eat more calories than you burn.
- Limit to or evit to refined carbohydrates and processed foods (think food packaged with a long list of ingredients, including some you probably can not pronounce). Both have been linked to weight gain. The Mediterranean diet encourages meals to be made at home with fresh, whole foods. Emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, and low-fat dairy products. For long-term maintenance, the diet you can follow is always the best.
Exercise for obesity
Adults should get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity cardio (walking, cycling) or 75 minutes a week of high intensity aerobic activity (swimming, running, HIIT) for maximum health benefits . Physical activity should be distributed throughout the week.
If that sounds like a lot to you, think that you don’t have to get there right away; those numbers are something you can work on. Being patient with yourself is key. It can be very daunting when people don’t see the result they want in the time they want. We have to understand that we must allow our body to run its course and adapt to this new healthy lifestyle. Instead of putting pressure on the body all at once, it is better to do it little by little.
Here are the best exercises that can help fight obesity:
- Walk or run Walking is a great way to start your fitness journey. If you walk briskly for 30 minutes, you can burn about 150 more calories a day. And the more you walk and the faster your pace (all the way to jogging), the more calories you’ll burn.
- Cycling or spinning. Riding a bike is a good option for low-impact aerobic exercise that still burns a good amount of calories. Riding a bike is another great exercise because it is not a constant hitting exercise. It is fluid and is good for the joints.
- N ation. This can be a great cardiovascular exercise and easy on the joints. While in the water, you can stretch your muscles and increase your mobility. You also have 80 to 90 percent less weight pressing on your bones and joints while swimming.
Do strength training
Endurance and strength training is highly recommended because increasing muscle mass increases your metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns calories).
In my opinion, strength training is the most beneficial way to lose weight. You may not burn as many calories during training, but your body continues to burn calories for up to 72 hours after training in an effect called EPOC (excessive oxygen consumption after exercise).
Sleep more
Lack of sleep has been found to increase the accumulation of abdominal fat. The researchers found that people who slept less than five hours a night gained more belly fat over several years, compared to those who slept more than six hours. Less sleep was linked to increased food intake, decreased energy expenditure, and changes in levels of hormones that regulate appetite.
Lack of sleep is also linked to excessive use of technology and media, such as watching television and spending time on the computer, which also promotes a more sedentary lifestyle.
Take control of your efforts
Take advantage of an app on your phone that can help you control your calories, water, and macronutrients. Of course, doing it can be a bit tedious, but it can be worth it.
Being able to monitor your progress and all the positive changes you are making can keep you motivated. For these types of applications to be useful, you must be constant in use. You could also consider investing in a fitness watch. Using a smartwatch is a great way to track calories burned and steps taken, and some even monitor the quality of your sleep.
Take weight loss supplements
Your doctor may discuss taking a prescription medication to help you lose weight, especially if you have obesity-related health problems. There are several different types of medications; Some can help you feel less hungry overall, or satiated sooner, while others can make it harder for your body to absorb the fat from the foods you are eating.
It is important to note that weight loss medications work best when combined with a healthy diet and consistent exercise plan. There is no “magic pill” to lose weight.
Use surgery for obesity
Bariatric surgeries lead to weight loss by making your stomach smaller and restricting the amount of food you can eat, or by changing your small intestine, causing poor absorption of calories or nutrients.
Diet- and exercise-based weight loss programs and prescription weight loss medications typically produce an average weight loss of about 5 to 8 percent of body weight. Studies have shown that the success rates of losing more than 34 pounds over five years with a diet and exercise-based program are less than 2 percent. While patients who undergo bariatric surgery have an 85 percent chance of losing most of their excess weight and keeping it that way for at least five years.
Candidates for this type of operation have a BMI of 35 or more , which generally means they are 34 kilos or more overweight. Most people with these weights are related to obesity, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea of the disease, fatty liver and / or arthritis complications.
Although there are many bariatric surgery procedures, the following three are the most common and have been found to be safe and effective:
- Sleeve gastrectomy : During this procedure, about 80 percent of the stomach is removed, limiting the amount of food you can eat and causing hormonal changes that help with weight loss. It has the lowest complication rate, but is the least effective in terms of weight loss.
- Biliopancreatic diversion : In this operation, a sleeve gastrectomy is performed and the person’s small intestine is bypassed, which means that the end portion of the intestine is connected closer to the stomach. This limits the amount you can eat and also reduces the absorption of nutrients, including protein and fat. It has the highest complication rate, but produces the most weight loss.
- Gastric Bypass : This surgery divides your stomach into a smaller upper section (where the food goes) and a larger lower section, and connects your small intestine directly to the upper section, helping you feel full faster and making you your body absorbs fewer calories. The procedure ranks somewhere between the other two in terms of complication rate and weight loss outcome. For people with diabetes, gastric bypass is generally a better option because it has a higher rate of diabetes remission than sleeve gastrectomy.
