Nestlé

Weight Management Strategies
Losing to win!!

Too much fat!!
Overweight and obesity is being targeted as the number one risk factor for most of the chronic non-communicable disease such as elevated blood pressure, cholesterol level and increase blood glucose. Controlling your weight is a very important step that you can take to reduce your healthy risk and to have a better quality life.  But, how do you get started when you have trying to attain a healthy weight through reduction can successful once simple guidelines are understood.

Fad, Crash diets – why they do not work?

• Crash diets usually have time span (2 weeks, 6 month, 1 year). To be effective, it must be continuous to avoid regain of weight. A diet cannot be effective if it not continuous to achieve a specific weight loss, only to switch to previous eating habits.
• Crash diets offers inflexible and rigid menus. (high protein diet, only fruit diet, no/low carbohydrate diet). These type of diets deprive the body of important nutrients offered by the other food groups and overload with certain nutrients. They lack variety since it only insist on eating specific food combination and recommend certain foods in large quantities. When you are losing weight you still need  a fresh supply of carbohydrates for your brain, central nervous system and muscles to function.
• Crash diets promote miracles or magical foods – No foods can undo the long-term effects of overeating and not exercise or melt away fat. There are no fattening, slimming, bad or good foods but only bad choices and sizes.
• Crash diets have very small portions. The body has difficulty has great difficulty adjusting to very small quantities to quickly. You suffer with hunger pangs, which leads to cheating, over-eating and addition of excessive weight.  Apart from that you may also suffer with aches – stomach, head and many other side effects.

GOAL for weight reduction – to make lifetime changes, stop weight gain and reduce health risks. Remember you goal is not to look like a supermodel but to reach a healthy weight for you.

STRATEGY - Weight reduction and maintenance
Reports by the American Dietetics Association advise that a slow, gradual weight loss is healthier, easier to manage and more likely to be permanent and less likely for you to feel like a failure because of weight gain instead of loss.

Calories – Reduce and not restrict!
Persons who are overweight need to monitor both total calorie and fat intake. Fat is the major nutrient since it provides the most calories in food.

        1 gram of fat  =                       9 kilocalories
        1 gram of carbohydrates =     4 kilocalories
        1 gram of protein =                 4 kilocalories
        1 gram of alcohol =                 7 kilocalories

Your body still requires carbohydrates to burn calories for without it fat is not burned completely and undesirable substances would be released into the blood.  Therefore to lose weight, reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories each day and burn the calories taken in through physical activity.

Tip! Starvation or restriction of calories sends your body into “storing mode”. Your body would try to keep everything in.

Tip! The first step to losing weight starts with having breakfast. Skipping meals or starvation causes you to suffer with hunger pangs and snack on eat empty nutrient high calorie foods or eat more at the next meal.

Remember! Major calorie restriction must only be done under the observation of a medical team. Health complications can arise if it is not monitored.


Secrets to successful weight management

• Do not try to lose weight too quickly. A steady loss of weight ranging from ½ - 1 pound per week until you reach your healthy weight is generally safe. One pound is 3500 calories, therefore less your daily caloric intake by 500 calories to achieve 1 pound loss per week.  (i.e. 7 days x 500 calories)

                                                  Calorie pound conversion
                                                  3500 calories = 1 pound
                                                  3500 ÷ 7 days = 500 calories less/day

• Avoid quick-fix and crash weight-loss diets that severely restrict the variety of foods or calories you can have. Your plan should be focused on lifestyle changes.
• Chose foods from the Six Food groups – to ensure variety and avoid cheating. Use the smaller servings recommended.
• Use more whole wholegrain foods e.g. ready to eat cereals, whole-wheat or bran products.
• Fill up on salads with low-calorie or no dressing as caloric content of vegetables is small and the fibre in them help to keep you full longer.
• Use low calorie, low fat, nutrient dense foods e.g Supligen lite. Again! Obtain advise from your dietitian to reduce your caloric intake sensibly.
• Bake, boil and steam foods. Reduce the addition of fats when cooking
• Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied.
• Reduce the portion sizes. Large servings of even low fat foods can undermine your weight loss goals.
• Eat five small frequent meals rather than three large ones. Set eating times.
• Avoid engaging in other activities while eating (i.e. reading, watching TV etc.) as you will eventually, out of habit, eat every time you engage in that activity.
• Avoid the use of medications such as laxatives, or appetite depressors and diuretics. Research has found weight is usually regained after withdrawal and with continued use of the medications.
• Try to weigh yourself once per week , at the same time of day and try to keep a written record of your progress where you can constantly see it.
• Include at least 30 minutes of additional physical activity to your daily routine. Gradually increase amount or intensity to continue to lose while maintains new weight. Try to include a brisk evening walk regularly.
• Reward yourself for each pound lost. Vary your reward and do not use food only.
• Be patient, consistent, creative and persistent on your plan to loss weight. The weight did not come on yesterday so do not expect it to come off tomorrow.
  

How to start – Get it together

Get sorted out – In many cases food is used as a comfort to deal with many of your problems – relationship, parents, death, school or competition or stress which affect your self esteem. You need to deal first with these issues through professional assistance and self-evaluation.  You would better able to focus on these lifestyle changes and be more successful at sticking to the programme.

Get organised – Prepare yourself for success by planning good menus on paper, new low- fat idea, a shopping list, scheduling time for exercise on your calendar, pack gears for exercising. Don’t always organise your plans around your family.

Get writing – Keep a diary of eating habits and your feelings. Record everything that you ate to assist you in reducing your caloric intake and making better food choices. Record you successes and areas that need improving.

Get control – Losing weight is not about depriving yourself, but is about taking good care of yourself. It is the only body you have so feed it well. Make a better choice. But remember control, moderation and knowing when it is enough.

Get moving – Start simple and set realistic goals. You don’t have to join the gym or purchase equipment, walking is still one of the safest and easiest ways to start.