Weight loss is a complex journey. It's important to remember that weight loss doesn't work the same way for everyone, as every body is different. Weight loss may happen quicker for some, and slower for others. This article explores various weight loss methods, emphasizing sustainable lifestyle changes over quick fixes, and provides advice for achieving lasting results.
The Pitfalls of Fad Diets and Quick Fixes
Many individuals struggle with weight loss, often falling prey to fad diets and unsustainable strategies. Some people tried all the fad diets: not eating, eating strange food combinations. Some even did a shake diet plan for ages and lost a lot of weight but soon put it all back on again. These approaches often lead to initial weight loss followed by rapid weight regain, a phenomenon known as yo-yo dieting. Yo-yo dieting, when your weight has more ups and downs than a hotel elevator, catches women and men, the young and the old. And it’s not just your waistline that takes a hit. It may hurt your long-term health, too.
The Downside of Yo-Yo Dieting
Fruitless Chase: No matter which diet your try, the data is in. And the message is clear: Diets don’t work. At least not in the long run. Sure, you can lose weight, but after a year, at least 1 in 3 of us gain it back. After 5 years? Almost no one keeps it off.
Hunger on Overdrive: Your fat cells make a hormone called leptin. It tells your brain when you have enough fat stored up. As you lose weight, less fat means less leptin. That makes you hungry. Plus, your body slows things down to save energy. So once you quit the diet, you have an oversized appetite but you burn fewer calories. That’s partly why after several cycles of yo-yo diets, you might weigh more than when you started.
More Fat, Less Muscle: When you drop pounds from your body, you lose both fat and muscle. When you gain it back, fat gets the fast lane and builds up first. But your appetite stays in high gear until your muscle returns, which means you keep adding fat, too. Oddly, this seems more of a problem for lean people than those who are overweight. Repeat the cycle over and over, and you get the triple whammy of more weight and fat and less muscle.
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Deep Changes Inside Your Body: Just a few extra pounds can set off huge changes in your body. You get more inflammation, which normally helps you fight disease. And it can harm your heart and make you more resistant to insulin. Genes that can lead to an enlarged heart get switched on, too. Lose the weight, and you mostly erase these changes. But you don’t totally reset, and the long-term health effects are unclear.
Link Between Stress and Fat: Dieting isn’t easy. Every episode of weight gain and weight loss can toy with your mind. That alone might raise your level of cortisol, the stress hormone. And when you cut your calories? That does it, too. That’s a problem because high cortisol means you’re more likely to add fat around your belly, which raises your risk for problems like diabetes and heart disease.
A Path to Binge Eating: Not everyone who yo-yo diets ends up bingeing, but it can set you up for it. It’s like stretching a rubber band too tight. When you finally let go of all the tension around short-term, gotta-lose-weight-now thinking, it’s a perfect storm to let loose. And it’s very harmful for young people, especially girls. Teens and preteens who call themselves dieters are more likely to binge eat and become overweight.
Links to Heart Disease: Scientists aren’t yet sure what yo-yo diets do to your heart over time. But the results so far don’t look good. In the short term, regaining weight stresses your heart and blood vessels. A large study showed that the more your weight goes up and down, the more you’re likely to have problems like angina, heart attack, and stroke. And the bigger the swings, the bigger the risk.
Links to Gallstones: You’ve heard of kidney stones. Well, your gallbladder can get stones, too. Being overweight can make you get them. Tricky thing is, so can losing weight too quickly, like on a crash diet. As you repeat the weight gain-loss cycle, your chances for having a gallstone keep going up. And the odds rise higher the more weight you lose and regain.
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Messes With Gut Bacteria: Your gut’s loaded with germs. Don’t cringe. They help you digest food. And it turns out that yo-yo dieting can change the number and types of bacteria hanging out inside you. Since they play a role in everything from heart health to depression, that could affect your overall health, too.
Variety Is Your Friend: Skip fats. Never mind. Skip carbs. Go high in proteins? When you swing from one fad to the next, your body’s going to feel like a, well, yo-yo. And the more extreme you get, the more problems might arise. Food is a necessity, but it can start to feel like the enemy. If you don’t eat a healthy assortment, you may not get all the nutrients you need. And that can lead to serious health issues.
Give Yo-Yo a Shove: Scientists are divided on what yo-yo dieting means for your long-term health. Some say it’s not an issue. Others say that it affects everything from your bones to your risk for diabetes and cancer. The upshot? It’s complicated. We do know this. If you’re stuck in a yo-yo pattern, something isn’t working. And if it might harm you to boot, it’s time for a different path to a healthy weight.
The Turning Point: Embracing Sustainable Lifestyle Changes
The key to successful weight loss lies in shifting focus from short-term diets to long-term lifestyle changes. What clicked for some people was to not look for the answer. Not strive for results. Instead, they invested in a plan that made them feel comfortable, that seemed achievable and that they trusted. They enjoyed the process and it wasn't a chore or a struggle. Putting all their energy into the recipes and following the workouts, the more they did it, the better they felt. That was the leading factor. More energy, healthier and confident. Then all of a sudden they noticed a massive physical change. They looked different and all their clothes were too big. They felt amazing and it encouraged them to keep going. It wasn't a diet or even a plan anymore but a lifestyle change, that's what they tell everyone. It was the confidence they felt and the pride in their body that inspired them to carry on. How they felt internally but also mentally.
Key Elements of a Sustainable Approach
Trust the Process: The biggest, most important message someone who is struggling to lose weight should keep in mind is to trust the process. Honestly, it might sound far fetched but you just have to keep going. You might not notice a change straight away and you might have the odd treat, but it does not mean you need to give up.
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Find an Achievable Plan: It's important to find a plan that seems achievable and fits into your lifestyle. For example, some people saw info on an app on Instagram and realised they could do all the workouts at home and create their own meal plan. It seemed achievable and they loved being able to see them exercise.
Focus on Feeling Good: The focus should be on feeling good, having more energy, and improving overall health rather than solely on the numbers on the scale. They feel a sense of achievement after a workout and feel more energised for the day. If they don't workout now, they really feel the difference, which is what keeps them going. Their workouts are that little space in the day they reserve for themselves!
Change Your Mindset: Instead of focusing on being skinny, shift the mindset to being strong. The food should be healthy and nutritious, and you should eat more than before as you regularly used to skip meals.
Practical Strategies for Sustainable Weight Loss
Several practical strategies can aid in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
Stay Committed: Stay committed, it doesn't happen overnight, but it will be so worth it. Eat healthy but make sure your meals are full of flavour so you don't get bored! And meal prep so you are always prepared.
Eat More Protein: Eating more protein and realized you would be fuller for longer. You should stop snacking, and you'd go to shops without being tempted into things. You should stop eating out of boredom. It's important to realize that salads without protein that you were eating before just won't fill you up!
Drink More Water: Drink more water than you think and stay in a small calorie deficit.
Incorporate Strength Training: Give weights a try - it's amazing being stronger and fitter. Be proud of all your non-scale victories, and always be on the lookout for them. Take photos and measurements - don't rely on the scales for your progress.
Make it a Habit: You just have to put a tiny bit of effort in until it becomes a habit.
Consistency is Key: There is no magic bullet, but consistency in exercising and eating well is the worst-kept secret to fat loss. It's out there for everyone, but it's hard. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. The hardest part is starting, but that's where the transformation begins. Once on your journey, focus less on the numbers on the scale and more on how you look in the mirror, how your clothes fit, and how you feel mentally.
The Benefits of Walking for Weight Loss
Walking is a beneficial form of exercise that can contribute to weight loss and overall health. Like any type of cardio, “walking is beneficial for weight loss, but it’s important to recognize that exercise alone is not the most effective strategy for losing weight,” says Sabrena Jo, Ph.D., ACE (American Council on Exercise) senior director of science and research. For health benefits, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), among other health authorities, recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity.
Integrating Walking into Your Routine
Start Slowly: If you’re new to exercise, experts recommend starting slow and gradually increasing your time and distance by up to 20 percent every two weeks until you reach the 150-minute mark and, eventually, 250 minutes.
Utilize a Treadmill: Depending on where you live, that may be easier to do on a treadmill that allows you to increase speed and incline as your endurance improves. “On a treadmill, you can walk three miles per hour at an elevation that equals a steep hill,” notes Wall.
Sample Weekly Plan:
- Monday: Walk for 10 minutes at a moderate pace. Focus on maintaining a steady speed.
- Tuesday: Rest or do gentle stretching.
- Wednesday: Walk for 10 minutes. Try to incorporate some inclines or hills if possible.
- Thursday: Rest or consider a low-impact activity like a gentle yoga session.
- Friday: Walk for 10 minutes.
Maximizing Your Walks
Increase Intensity: Generally speaking, “there are two things you can play with,” says Wall. “Walk longer or walk faster.
Incorporate Intervals: Try intervals: Add short bursts of speed to spike your heart rate. One way to do that: Walk as fast as you can for 30- or 60- or 120-second intervals, followed by double the time at a normal pace. Continue alternating between fast and slow for 15 to 20 minutes. Easier yet, walk briskly for one block and switch back to your usual pace for a couple of blocks.
Vary the Terrain: Walking across a variety of surfaces - such as pavement, sand or grass - boosts the intensity of your walk and works your muscles in different ways to improve strength, increase endurance and help you burn more calories, says Jo.
Walk at an Incline: According to ACE, walking uphill activates three times more muscle fibers than walking on flat terrain. It also burns up to 60 percent more calories. No hills on your regular route? Try taking the stairs whenever possible or setting the treadmill to include an incline.
Add Weight: Wear a weighted vest or backpack to increase resistance, “but be mindful of posture and back health, and discontinue if discomfort sets in,” says Jo.
Focus on Form: “Walking with good posture can help engage your core muscles, making your walk more effective,” says Jo. Over time, as your legs get stronger and endurance improves, use a slightly longer stride, suggests the ACSM.
Measuring Your Pace
Think: brisk. “What we’re looking for is brisk walking,” says Wall. Of course, one person’s brisk walk is another’s casual stroll. A good way to measure your pace: Use what’s known as the talk test. “If you’re walking at a brisk pace, you’re able to talk to someone, but you’re not able to hold a conversation,” says Wall. Another trick: Track your steps. According to ACE, people who track their steps walk 2,500 more steps a day, on average.
Found: A Holistic Approach to Weight Care
Found is a holistic weight care program that helps users lose weight and improve their health. Found utilizes scientifically proven methods, rather than the latest “health trends” you see elsewhere.
Weight Care vs. Weight Loss
Weight care of course is about losing weight, but it is also about victories off the scale, meeting yourself where you are, and finding healthy habits that last a lifetime. Found puts weight care into action by focusing on the biological drivers of weight health, instead of constantly counting calories or requiring never-ending exercise regimens. A holistic focus on the many contributors to weight means that Found works for people who have tried those “health trend” diets but not seen lasting results. Found is for the people who have tried it all, only to realize there’s no silver bullet for weight loss.
Core Pillars of Found
Found’s emphasis on weight care, rather than weight loss, informs the core pillars of the program: prescription medication via licensed healthcare providers, and a personalized wellness and nutrition plan tailored to your lifestyle needs.
Whole-Person Health and Wellness
Found is different, prioritizing your overall well being, not just the number on the scale. This is because Found recognizes that weight loss is more complex than simply “eat less, move more” and considers a variety of biological, psychological, and social contributors. As part of the whole-person weight care approach, Found prescribes medications, tailors a personalized nutrition and movement plan, and provides advice on stress reduction, amongst dozens of other topics.
Continuous Support and Sustainable Programs
A key factor in Found’s holistic weight care approach is an emphasis on sustainable lifestyle changes that go far beyond rapid weight loss. Found’s unique program pairs you with resources that will serve as your backstop throughout your weight care journey. The Found support network also grants you access to a private community of fellow members who have been in the same situations. By empowering you to form new, sustainable weight care habits, Found ensures that you have the tools to take back control of your weight and overall health.
Non-Judgmental and Body-Positive Approach
Found is different: the focus is on building a healthier lifestyle together, rather than punishing your body and mind for biological predispositions ultimately outside of your control. Prescription medicine and nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress management tackle weight care from all sides.
Shifting Your Mindset
Diets suck you into short-term thinking, and they can mess with your feelings around food. So it helps to step back and reset. Why do you diet? If you want to be healthier, it’s really about changing how you eat for the long term. You’ll also need to exercise regularly to keep the pounds off. So ditch the idea of a quick fix and think about how to make changes that can really work for you.
Setting Realistic Goals
To get healthy, you need a plan that fits your life. Set goals that are small, clear, and doable. Instead of aiming to lose 20 pounds, maybe start with a pound a week. Or practice mindful eating for a week. Notice when you feel hungry or full, chew with attention, and savor your food. Start small and add more goals as you go along. It’s easier to stay motivated when you set yourself up for success.
Seeking Support
It’s not a matter of willpower. Your body doesn’t want to shed the weight, and it’s got all kinds of ways to hang on to it. That means you, too, need to pull hard. Gather up a team. Talk to your doctor and a dietitian. Get friends and family involved, or find an online community. You’ll need them.