There is very little left before the beach season, which means it’s time to think about how to get in shape. How to do it for health benefits? Says the endocrinologist.
Body weight is just one of the indicators of our body, nevertheless causing considerable interest among people. At different times, different figures were considered attractive, and of course, people have always tried to change themselves to the dominant template.
However, aesthetics and tastes are one thing, and health is quite another. For example, obesity can contribute to the development of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. One way or another, if there is such a desire, you need to adjust your body wisely.
First of all, I want to tell you in what ways you can understand whether we really have excess weight. Perhaps we are simply unfair to ourselves? In medicine, there are several methods for this.
Body mass index (BMI). It is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. If the calculated indicator is from 18,5 to 24,99 kg / m2, we are most often talking about the norm, less than 18,5 — about underweight, 25-29,99 — about overweight, and from 30 kg / m2 obesity starts. For representatives of the Asian race, these figures are somewhat different (lower for normal, overweight and obesity).
Waist measurement. In this area, from a certain point, the distribution of fat begins not only under the skin, but also in the abdominal cavity itself, which can affect metabolism and interfere with the functioning of internal organs. The so-called visceral obesity can be indirectly confirmed with a waist circumference of more than 80 cm in women and 94 cm in men.
Bioimpedance. Many modern clinics and fitness centers have a professional bioimpedancemetry system that allows you to assess body composition (fat, muscle, water and other components). This is possible due to the different density of tissues during the passage of an electrical impulse. Also, a similar system is available in some scales, but it is less accurate, since the electrodes are only at the bottom.
Other professional methods. For example, caliperometry (a method of measuring the thickness of fat folds) in certain places or computed tomography.
So, if you still decide to reduce body weight, how can you do it safely for health? Here are some tips.
The optimal rate of weight loss is considered to be 0,5-1 kg per week, which is achieved, as a rule, with a deficit of 500-700 kilocalories per day. Such a deficit is usually perceived relatively comfortably and does not give a pronounced feeling of hunger. A faster pace can be perceived by the body as stress and lead to a pronounced decrease in metabolism with subsequent weight gain (the so-called «yo-yo effect»).
Don’t Forget the Plateau! At first, weight loss can go much faster, but at some point, body weight may stop, despite a significant restriction of caloric intake. As a rule, this time just needs to be waited out, although the “plateau” can last up to 3-6 months. If the period of weight loss does not continue after this period, you can contact a specialist to find the cause of this condition.
There is no perfect diet that suits every person. If you see ready-made diets, you can often notice that they are designed for a short time. Indeed, it is difficult to stick to a given diet for a long time. We are all living people, each has its own habits and genetic characteristics. And the most ideal option for correcting nutrition remains adapting your own diet — on your own or with the support of a nutritionist. Then the transition to a permanent lifestyle change will be most natural and painless for the body and emotional state.
Nevertheless, there are recommendations that are considered the most optimal for health and successful for weight loss. For example, restriction of easily digestible carbohydrates and free sugar (not higher than 50 g per day), as well as animal fats, adequate fiber in the diet (at least 10 g per 1000 kcal) and water (determined by thirst, but sometimes it is not easy to distinguish between thirst and hunger — then a test glass of water will help you figure it out).
Physical activity also plays an important role. Regular aerobic exercise (walking, swimming, running, cycling) for at least 150 minutes per week is considered the minimum activity that is recommended to be added to daily activities. Anaerobic or strength training may be recommended to maintain muscle mass and optimal metabolic rate.
If it is impossible to effectively reduce body weight, in some cases other methods of body weight correction may be required — taking a number of drugs, surgical treatment. However, only a doctor can recommend these methods!
Summing up, I would like to note that weight loss, if planned, should be as comfortable and natural for a person as possible and be more of a lifestyle, and not a temporary measure.
It is also important that for such changes it is more valuable not so much the short achievement of the desired figure on the scales or the coveted clothing size, but the stable retention of these indicators.