According to NIH, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; approx. 70.2% of American adults are considered to be overweight or obese. Furthermore, 17.2 % of American children are considered to be obese, while 6% have extreme obesity. These numbers are alarming, and they are increasing as the years go by. Having a healthy diet and lifestyle is becoming more important: not only as prevention for conditions such as cardiovascular disease but also for women over the age of 50, where obesity may increase breast cancer risk (1) according to the American Cancer Society. Losing weight is hard and keeping it off is harder, however, it can support longevity and lower risk of diseases.
Healthy levels of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides are an important part of this equation, along with fasting glucose, blood pressure, waist circumference and glycated hemoglobin concentrations. Healthy weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint, and long-term weight maintenance is crucial to a healthier lifestyle. According to Alice H. Lichtenstein, a nutrition scientist and director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, “If you lose weight and don't maintain it, the benefits are diminished or disappear. These findings emphasize the dual importance of not only achieving a healthy body weight but maintaining healthy body weight."
In addition, being overweight or obese has been linked to dementia, adrenal fatigue, inflammation, chronic disease, and immune system conditions. So what can we do?
What are effective weight loss strategies?
There are different ways to lose weight, but experts agree that methods should be consistent, easy to track, and healthy for your body and mind.
1. Do you have a food sensitivity? Getting tested to see if your diet is causing inflammation that can alter your microbiome and slow down your metabolism. If your body is working too hard to digest the food you are sensitive to, it can interfere with weight loss and make you feel better.
2. Don’t restrict yourself – your body needs calories to create energy. If you eat consistently over the day your body will move energy and regenerate, as opposed to trying to repair itself, bond amino acids and make more tissues.
3. Try fasting – this is when you are not eating and is a natural part of your body’s cycle. When you sleep you are fasting, that is why the first meal of the day is called break – fast. When you eat your body stores calories as body fat. When you fast your body uses those calories. Intermittent fasting has been found to be an effective and healthy way to lose weight. Eat dinner earlier (6 pm) and breakfast a little later (10 am) – then you have fasted for about 16 hours per day.
4. Go low carb – you may have heard a lot about a ketogenic diet lately. The reason people like it so much is it is effective, increases satiation, lowers feelings of hunger and helps with mood. This kind of diet switches your body from a sugar-burning state for energy to a fat-burning state. This is better energy for boosting metabolism. It has also been found to lower inflammation of the body and support brain function.
5. Get rid of foods that are inflammatory. Losing weight depends on your microbiome to change from processing sugars and fats to calories. Any foods that contain lectin should be omitted from your diet. These include:
- Quinoa
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Peanuts
- Cashews
- Sugars and high fructose corn syrup
- Partially hydrogenated oils
- Soybean oil
- Refined carbohydrates
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Processed meat such as sausage, beef jerky, ham, and bacon.
6. Don’t drink your calories. That glass of fruit juice may seem healthy but can be high in sugar and calories. Drink mostly water, and if you are in the mood for something more, try drinking sparkling water with fruit. Save cocktails for the weekend and you will start to see how many calories you didn’t realize you were consuming.
7. Eat your vegetables. Your mother wasn’t wrong. Cook meals around your vegetables instead of meat or try a plant-based meal a few times a week. You will cut tons of calories and fats from your meals, and your gastrointestinal system will thank you for all the fiber.
8. Eat whole grain. Love bread, pasta, and rice? Eat it in moderation and stick to the whole-grain versions.
9. Walk. Run. Move. Aim for 10,000 steps per day. Cardio at least 30 minutes per day, three days per week. Being active will help your weight loss efforts and help tone your body – especially around the waist where the visceral fat can be a cardiovascular disease risk. (2)
10. Swap your favorites out. Love chocolate? Go for the darker version – 70% cacao or up. Salsa is a low-calorie alternative and so is hummus. Mustard is a better choice than mayonnaise. Sweet potatoes are lower in calories and more nutritious than white potatoes. The salad is healthy, but the dressing is usually not - try to find alternatives.
Finally, find methods of weight loss that work for you and your lifestyle. Food tracking has been found to be a successful way of losing weight. Meal prepping is another popular method. Stress less – constant stress increases cortisol levels and can interfere with weight loss. Planning – making appointments with yourself to do the things you need to do to get into a healthier routine, diet, and lifestyle. Find supportive people that will help you celebrate the small and big goals. Do things that are fun that don’t involve eating. It isn’t easy, but your body and health will thank you for it!
References 1 Lauren R Teras, PhD, Alpa V Patel, PhD, Molin Wang, PhD, Shiaw-Shyuan Yaun, MPH, Kristin Anderson, PhD, Roderick Brathwaite, MS, Bette J Caan, DrPH, Yu Chen, PhD, Avonne E Connor, PhD, A Heather Eliassen, ScD, Susan M Gapstur, PhD, Mia M Gaudet, PhD, Jeanine M Genkinger, PhD, Graham G Giles, PhD, I-Min Lee, ScD, Roger L Milne, PhD, Kim Robien, PhD, Norie Sawada, MD, PhD, Howard D Sesso, ScD, Meir J Stampfer, MD, DrPH, Rulla M Tamimi, ScD, Cynthia A Thomson, PhD, Shoichiro Tsugane, MD, PhD, Kala Visvanathan, MD, Walter C Willett, MD, DrPH, Anne Zeleniuch-Jacquotte, MD, Stephanie A Smith-Warner, PhD. “Sustained weight loss and risk of breast cancer in women ≥50 years: a pooled analysis of prospective data”. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, djz226, https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djz226 Published: 17 December 2019
2 Québec Heart Institute, Québec, QC, Canada. “Cardiovascular disease under the influence of excess visceral fat” Crit Pathw Cardiol. 2007 Jun;6(2):51-9.
