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What You Should Know Before You Start A Weight-loss Plan

What You Should Know Before You Start A Weight-loss Plan

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You may want to lose weight for personal reasons. Or you may need to lose weight to improve your health. It can reduce your risk of certain issues, like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It can lower your blood pressure and total cholesterol level. It also can relieve symptoms and prevent injuries related to being overweight.

Either way, there are several factors that can affect your efforts to lose weight. These include making changes to your diet, exercise, and lifestyle. There are tools and tips that can keep you on track. In addition, you should know what not to do. Talk to your doctor before you begin a new plan. They can help you customize a program and safely monitor your progress. Keep in mind, even small changes can make a big difference in your health.

Path to improved health
In addition to talking to your doctor, there are things you should do before you start. You need to commit to the weight-loss plan. Consider telling people close to you. They can help monitor your progress and provide support. This important act holds you accountable.

When it comes to weight loss, there are 3 important facts you should know in advance. The first is your weight. The second is your body mass index (BMI). Your BMI is based on your weight and height. Doctors consider BMI to be the best measure of your health risk. In fact, the medical terms “overweight” and “obesity” are based on the BMI scale. A BMI of between 25 and 30 is considered overweight. A BMI of more than 30 is considered obese. The higher your BMI, the greater your risk of a weight-related illness. This includes type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Your doctor can help get your BMI, or you can use a BMI calculator. The BMI chart is the same for male and female adults. There is a separate chart for girls and boys under 20 years of age. There is also a separate BMI calculator for Asian patients.

The third fact to know for weight loss is waist circumference. Body fat often collects in your stomach area. This is more of a health risk than body fat that builds up in your thighs or buttocks. For this reason, your waist circumference is a valuable tool. To begin, place one end of a tape measure on top of your hipbone. Wrap the other end around your stomach, making sure it’s straight. The tape shouldn’t be too tight or too lose.

Doctors consider 40 inches to be too high for men and 35 inches too high for women. A high waist circumference is known as abdominal obesity. It can be a sign of metabolic syndrome. This is a group of conditions that increases your risk of a weight-related illness. It can lead to type 2 diabetes or heart disease. Your doctor will diagnose the syndrome if you have at least 3 of the 5 conditions listed below.

Metabolic syndrome condition Treatment Recommendations
Abdominal obesity (measured by waist circumference)
Men: greater than 40 in.
Women: greater than 35 in.

Lose weight
Increase physical activity

Cut 250 calories a day to lose ½ pound a week. Aim to lose around 20 pounds a year.
Get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 days a week.

High blood pressure
130/85 mm Hg or greater

Lose weight
Reduce salt intake

Eat more fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy products

Aim to lose around 20 pounds a year.
Keep the saltshaker off the table and don’t use salt when cooking. Avoid high-sodium (salt) foods. Check food and drink labels for sodium content.

Get at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Get 3 glasses of skim milk, low-fat yogurt, or cheese a day.

Low HDL (good) cholesterol
Men: less than 40 mg/dL
Women: less than 50 mg/dL

Lose weight
Increase physical activity

Eat less carbs and more monounsaturated fats

Stop smoking

Aim to lose around 20 pounds a year.
Get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 days a week.

Replace cookies, candy, and cakes with unsalted almonds, walnuts, and peanuts. Eat nuts in moderation.

Get help to quit smoking.

High triglycerides level
150 mg/dL or greater

Lose weight
Eat less simple carbohydrates

Limit alcohol intake

Aim to lose around 20 pounds a year.
Increase amount of omega-3 fatty acids by eating fish 2 times a week. Replace juice and soda with water, seltzer, or diet soda.

Consume less than 2 alcoholic drinks a day for men, and 1 drink a day for women.

High blood sugar (measured after fasting)
110 mg/dL or greater

Lose weight
Eat more fiber

Aim to lose around 20 pounds a year.
Replace white bread with brown bread, whole grains, and cereals.

Once you have measurements, set goals that are practical and safe. Your doctor also can help with this. Your goals should be specific. Be prepared for setbacks, but don’t give up. Reward yourself with something healthy when you hit a goal. For example, you could try a new activity, get a massage, or buy a new outfit. These efforts will help you keep going.

Nutrition

In general, you need to eat fewer calories than your body uses in order to lose weight. Calories come from the foods you eat and drink. Some foods have more calories than others. For example, foods that are high in fat and sugar are high in calories, too. Some foods are made up of “empty calories.” These add a lot of calories to your diet without providing nutritional value.

If you eat more calories than your body uses, your body stores them as fat. One pound of fat is about 3,500 calories. To lose 1 pound of fat in a week, you have to eat 3,500 fewer calories. That divides out to 500 fewer calories a day. One thing you can do is remove regular soda from your diet. This alone cuts over 350 calories per day. You also can burn off 3,500 more calories a week. You can do this by exercising or being more active. Most people do a combination of the two. If you do this for 7 days, you can lose 1 pound of fat in a week.

Most experts believe that you should not lose more than 2 pounds per week. This can mean that you are losing water weight and lean muscle mass instead of stored fat. It can leave you with less energy and cause you to gain the weight back.

Try taking a food habits survey. It will tell you where you need to make changes to your diet. It also can identify what nutrients you lack. Tips for improving your diet include:

Only eat when you are hungry. This could mean 3 meals and 1 snack every day. Or it may mean 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day. If you aren’t hungry, don’t eat.
Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals on purpose does not lead to weight loss. It can make you feel hungrier later on. It could cause you to overeat or make poor food choices.
Wait 15 minutes before getting a second helping of food. It can take this long for your body to process whether it’s still hungry.
Try to eat a variety of whole foods. This includes lean meats, whole grains, and dairy. When choosing fruits and vegetables, eat the rainbow.
Avoid processed foods and foods high in fat or sugar.
Drink plenty of fluids. Choose no- or low-calorie drinks, like water or unsweetened tea.
In some cases, your doctor may refer you to a nutrition specialist. They can help you with grocery shopping and recipes that fit your needs.

Exercise

Both adults and children should get regular physical activity. It is important for losing weight and maintaining good health. Below are ways to increase your activity and burn calories.

Add 10 minutes a day to your current exercise routine.
Challenge yourself. Move from moderate to intense activities. (See chart below.)
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Park further away or walk to your destination instead of driving.
Do more household chores, such as dusting, vacuuming, or weeding.
Go for a walk or run with your dog and/or kids.
Exercise at home while watching TV.
Be active on your vacations. Try going for a hike or bike ride.
Buy a pedometer or activity tracker. This measures how many steps you take each day. Try to increase your daily number of steps over time. (You can buy pedometers at sporting goods stores.) Some experts recommend walking at least 10,000 steps a day.
Limit time spent online, watching TV, and playing video games. This should equal less than 2 hours total per day.

Haz clic para leerlo en español:Lo que usted debe saber antes de comenzar un plan para bajar de peso

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