Sustainable Weight Loss: Balance Your Nutritional Needs And Avoid Mistakes
Lost weight, but gained it all back? A nutritionist explains where you may be going wrong. The expert also shares tips to achieve sustainable weight loss.
It would be very disappointing if you gain back the weight that you have worked so hard to lose. Are you already gaining back the weight you lose? Perhaps, knowing that you're not the only one facing this problem may give you some relief. It is said that approximately 80 per cent of people who lose weight, gain it all back and some more unfortunately. But why the lost weight bounce back? Why it is difficult to maintain weight loss?
"If your favorite clothes don't fit you, the number on weighing scale seems stuck and you gain the KGs back as quickly as you try to drop them off, there is a chance you could be making some common mistakes mostly related to unrealistic expectations and feelings of deprivation," says Nutritionist and Lifestyle Coach Ruchi Sharma. She is also the founder of Eat Fit Repeat, an online nutrition and wellness consultancy.
To maintain weight loss, it is important to balance your nutritional needs and avoid common weight loss mistakes, says the nutritionist. She also shares a guide on how to effectively shed those extra kilos you have.
Don't fall for fads
Every new day brings a new diet that every other person seems to rave about. Fad diets appeal those people who are looking for a "quick fix" to their weight loss because such diets promise to help get effective results in less time with less effort. Most of the people just jump from one popular diet to another bouncing from one extreme to another while neglecting the lifestyle changes that will actually lead to sustainable long-term weight loss. Such popular diets usually follow the principle "eat this a lot but don't eat that at all". At first it sounds really appealing because it really works for a lot of people and leads to "quick but short-term weight loss" however, the unnecessary restrictions make it difficult for people to adhere to such diet programs and as a result individuals are likely to fall off the bandwagon. Owing to the eliminatory properties possessed by these fad diets, they increase the risk of developing chronic diseases in people and leave a negative impact on a person's medical health.
The relationship between good nutrition, workout and wellbeing is a direct relationship, meaning that they all follow each other in a way that if one increases the other multiplies accordingly. Stand alone, a good nutrition such as whole foods, lean protein fruits and vegetables is no doubt the mandatory for overall wellbeing, however balancing it with workout can enhance the health benefits of nutrition and it helps inculcate a healthy lifestyle. Even though both of these things go hand in hand, if we are made to choose between these two, then nutrition can be a game changer.
Two things to remember:
- You are not what you eat but what you digest and
- You can never out-train a bad diet.
Understanding nutrition
Calories are the base for any nutrition plan and creating a caloric deficit is necessary for losing fat. But a lot of us focus on "HOW MANY" calories we consume per day instead of paying attention towards how these calories are being ingested through various means. So, it is very important to understand what you put in your body. The two things that need to be understood here are "calorie dense" and "nutrient dense".
For example, a handful of candies and any protein source of the same quantity can have an equal caloric count, but different nutritional value. Candies lack on nutrients but are caloric dense whereas protein sources are nutrient dense with the same caloric count.
As it is said, "you are what you eat", so stock up on healthier, micronutrient dense options to stay healthy and fit. Regular physical activity combined with better nutrition will help you stay fit, active and healthy at the same time. Hence, it is recommended to balance your calories with regular workout in order to keep a healthy lifestyle.
Hydration
No other thing can be more important than "staying hydrated" when it comes to workout and nutrition. Excess sweat secretion during workout can sometimes leads to excessive fluid loss from body. Hence, a little extra hydration is needed to replenish the lost fluids while doing cardio and training. Sating hydration throughout the day is also important to maintain regular blood volume, normal body temperature and proper muscle function.
Macronutrients
Macronutrients are basically energy yielding nutrients that include carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for our body and often demonised. But, there's nothing wrong with carbohydrates as they are amazing for satiety, sustainability, taste and can help with stress modulation.
Proteins are described as the building blocks of body, and they are essential for repairing and regenerating body cells and tissues, strengthening the immune function and muscle performance. High quality protein sources such as meat, eggs, dairy, soy etc. should be a part of your nutrition plan.
Fats are the most misunderstood macronutrient. You need a good amount of fats to allow the body to function in a healthy manner. Fats are important for healthy brain function and better joint and organ health. But one needs to be a little careful about selection of fats. Intake of artificial trans fats should be minimised.
Choose sustainable options over quick fixes
Having nutritionally dense meals, incorporating physical activity in your routine and avoiding sugary foods and processed carbs can help balance your nutritional needs while keeping you on the track of weight loss. Running after fad diets, lacking sustainable habits and a wrong mindset may help you lose weight quickly, but you will gain it back as quickly as you drop it off. Therefore, choose sustainable options over quick fixes if you want your weight loss journey to be successful in the long run, Ruchi concludes.
What is the ideal weight for your height?
Excess body fat can lead to many diseases and health issues. However, being underweight or too low body fat is a health risk too. Body Mass Index (BMI) is commonly used screening tool to estimate a person's weight status. BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. If your BMI is in the 18.5 to 24.9 range, you have a healthy weight for your height.
