My doctor told me to lose weight. What is the best way to do it?
Healthy eating and regular physical activity are keys to a healthy lifestyle and weight management. There is no one best diet for everybody. Some diets are too extreme and restrictive in terms of what you can and cannot eat. Instead, the best weight loss diet is the one that you can stick with for life. For an individually-designed weight loss plan, talk to a Registered Dietitian.
Here are a few general tips to get you started on the right track.
- Be sensible about your weight loss. A weight loss of one to two pounds a week is realistic, safe and more likely to stay off.
- Keep a diary of the foods you are eating and when. Write everything from the amount of butter you put on bagels to the 10 baby carrots you had with your lunch. This will help you to see if there are any places where you can make healthier, lower fat or lower calorie choices instead.
- Eat breakfast every day. People who eat breakfast have healthier body weights than breakfast skippers.
- Don't skip meals. This actually works against you! Instead, sit down and enjoy regular meals and snacks throughout the day.
- Take smaller portions of foods, except vegetables and fruit. Fill at least half your plate with a variety of colourful ones like red peppers, sweet potatoes, spinach, eggplant, cantaloupe, mangos and oranges. One quarter of your plate should be a lean protein, and the last quarter should be wholesome grains such as barley, brown rice or whole wheat pasta.
- Read food labels in the grocery store, and choose foods that are calorie-reduced and lower in fat.
- Keep moving every day. Physical activity is a great way to stay fit, manage stress, and shed some pounds.
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I heard that I can lose more weight on a high carbohydrate/low glycemic index diet. What do you recommend?
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that ranks carbohydrate foods by how much they raise blood sugar compared to white bread (used as the standard food). Researchers have categorized foods as having either a low, medium or high GI. Foods with a low GI tend to be digested more slowly, leading to a slower rises in blood sugar and sustained energy levels. On the other hand, foods with a high GI raise blood sugar levels quickly.
Low GI foods include pumpernickel bread, barley, bulgur, sweet potatoes, bran cereal, baked beans, and al dente pasta. Certainly, these carbohydrate foods can be part of an overall healthy diet. Keep in mind that choosing lower GI foods is just one part of healthy eating. Remember to watch portion sizes, limit fat and enjoy a variety of foods. For weight management, combine healthy eating with regular physical activity.
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I'm a female in my forties, and have been losing weight. But the weight isn't coming off anymore. Am I doing something wrong?
It may be that you've hit a weight loss plateau, which is common. Plateaus may be a sign that your body has become used to the new eating and physical activity habits that you've made.
There are few things that you can do to get through a weight loss plateau:
- Try something new on the food front. For example, if your main meal is usually in the evening, try having a bigger lunch instead and a lighter supper. Pick higher fibre and more filling foods like whole wheat pasta, barley, oatmeal and legumes.
- Try something new on the physical activity front. If you're already walking, then pump up the intensity, go up some hills and stairs, or increase your walks by 15 minutes. You can also try a new type of activity like jogging, swimming, strength training or power yoga. The change in activity will put your body on the learning curve again and hopefully help you burn off a few more calories.
- Think about your weight loss success so far and how it has improved your health. Not only have you lost pounds, but you've also gained stronger muscles and a stronger heart. It may be that this is the weight that works best for your body.
I would like to lose a few pounds. What do you think about low carbohydrate diets?
Low carbohydrate diets are based on the theory that carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels, which in turn triggers insulin production. Insulin is claimed to lead to weight gain by making the body store fat. The Atkins diet is one type of low carbohydrate diet that encourages the consumption of meat, cheese, eggs, poultry, fats and oils while restricting carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice and fruit.
The fact is, you will lose weight on a low carbohydrate diet – at least for the first three to six months. That's because you're probably eating fewer calories on these diets than what you're used to. That in itself will lead to weight loss. Plus, by eating more protein and fat, as low carbohydrate diets recommend, you tend to feel fuller and this might help you better control your hunger.
But there are a number of problems with low carbohydrate diets:
- A low carbohydrate diet might be too challenging to stick to for the long run. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that almost half (47%) of adults dropped off one popular low carbohydrate diet within a year.
- There's little scientific research on the long-term (more than 1 year) safety of low carbohydrate diets. Following these types of diets may lead to long-term health concerns such as heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, gout, kidney stones, and constipation.
- When on low carbohydrate diets, you might be missing out on some very wholesome, fibre-rich carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole grain bread and whole wheat pasta. Low carbohydrate diets may be nutritionally inadequate in dietary fibre, potassium, magnesium, and water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C.
- Since low carbohydrate diets encourages more protein, there's a good chance that you might be upping your intake of fat, saturated fat and cholesterol – unless you're only picking mostly vegetarian sources of protein.
- Reported side effects while on low carbohydrate diets include: bad breath, constipation, headaches, muscle cramps and diarrhea.
The bottom line is that the best diet for weight loss is really the diet you can stick with. Losing weight is usually the easy part; keeping the weight off is trickier and requires both a commitment to healthy eating and regular physical activity. If you're on, or thinking about starting any low carbohydrate diet, talk to your doctor or dietitian first.
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