We often depend on crash diets and fad diets in the name of losing weight. Sometimes the lure of quick results with minimal effort is too much to ignore. According to a latest study, published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, weight cycling (the repeated loss and regain of body weight, usually because of on and off dieting) - has been associated with a higher risk of death.
Weight cycling can lead to adverse health outcomes, the study suggests. By some estimates, 80 percent of people who lose weight will gradually regain it to end up at the same weight or even heavier than they were before they went on a diet. The Endocrine Society found this was because once an individual loses weight, the body typically reduces the amount of energy expended at rest, during exercise and daily activities while increasing hunger. This combination of lower energy expenditure and hunger creates a "perfect metabolic storm" of conditions for weight gain.
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Weight loss: Weight cycling can lead to adverse health outcomes, the study suggests.
"This study shows that weight cycling can heighten a person's risk of death," said lead study author Hak C. Jang. "However, we also concluded that weight loss as a result of weight cycling can ultimately reduce the risk of developing diabetes in people with obesity," Jang added. In the 16-year prospective cohort study, researchers examined 3,678 men and women from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study and found weight cycling was associated with a higher risk of death. The health benefits of weight loss overshadowed the adverse effects of weight cycling for individuals with obesity looking to lower their diabetes risk. Yo-yo dieting or yo-yo effect is a term coined by Kelly D. Brownell at Yale University, in reference to the cyclical loss and gain of weight, resembling the up-down motion of a yo-yo.
There are many weight loss tips that we bring to practice in order to slim down in a hurry. These methods or diets may work at first, but will not continue to help us in longer run. You end up gaining all the weight back without any real long-term benefits. If you want sustained weight loss, then you need to be patient and follow a healthy diet, which comprises all the essential nutrients that our body requires to remain healthy.
According to Health Practitioner, Nutritionist and certified Macrobiotic Health Coach, Shilpa Arora ND, we must aim to lose not more than 1 kg of weight in one week. Losing more than 1 Kg per week could also make you lose muscle along the way.
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Weight loss: We must aim to lose not more than 1 kg of weight in one week.
Shilpa Arora has laid down a few simple mantras to achieve your goals comfortably and for sustained weight loss:
- Don't cut your calories dramatically. Cutting down your calories will lead to short supply of protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals, and all at the expense of your health.
- Add more protein to your diet. Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. Including protein in food, or as many as possible, will facilitate weight loss.
- Avoid refined carbohydrates and sugars. Did you know that all refined carbohydrates break down in your body to produce sugar. This in turn will cause your blood sugar levels to rise. Refined carbohydrates and sugar also make you retain water and cause bloating, which is something you especially want to avoid.
- Say goodbye to processed food. These are foods you want to completely avoid as they are full of sodium and such few nutrients that you might as well be eating the cardboard box.
- Forgo the fried. Skip all the deep fried chips, spring rolls and your favorite junk food. It will seriously undo all your good work. The fats in fried foods are trans-fats. They increase inflammation and free radical damage.
Losing weight the healthy way is the only way to make sure you are able to maintain it for a longer time. Make sure you are eating a healthy diet and engaging in lots of physical activities and exercises even after you go 'off a diet'.
(With Inputs From ANI and IANS)