Understanding Weight Gain
When individuals consume more calories than their bodies require, it leads to weight gain. However, diet isn’t the only culprit. Factors such as hormones, genetics, metabolism, and lifestyle also play pivotal roles in weight gain.
Why Lose Weight?
The motivation to lose weight varies:
- Appearance: Many aim to enhance their physical look.
- Health: Achieving physical fitness and staying healthy is a common goal.
- Self-confidence: Weight loss can boost confidence and help combat body shaming.
- Disease Prevention: It acts as a preventive measure against ailments like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and more.
- Athletic Performance: Athletes may lose weight to excel in competitions.
- Fertility: Weight loss can address fertility issues, such as PCOS.
Effective Weight Loss Strategies
Intermittent Fasting: This involves cycles of eating and fasting. Methods include alternate-day fasting, the 5:2 diet, and the 16/8 method.
Diet and Exercise Tracking: Monitoring your diet and physical activity can be pivotal. Consider using online trackers for both food and exercise.
Balanced Diet: Emphasize a nutrient-rich diet. Incorporate a protein-rich breakfast, avoid refined carbs and sugars, and increase dietary fiber intake.
Gut Health: The gut microbiota plays a role in metabolism. A diet rich in fiber, fermented products, and prebiotics can promote gut health.
Sleep and Stress: Ensure proper sleep patterns and manage stress to avoid hormonal imbalances that can lead to weight gain.
Medications: Some may require FDA-approved medications to assist in weight loss.
Bariatric Surgery: In extreme cases, surgeries like gastric bypass or gastric sleeve can be considered.
Diet Plans
For Women:
- Reduce refined carbs
- Hydrate more
- Increase protein and fiber intake
- Limit added sugars
- Practice mindful eating
- Maintain a food journal
- Control portion sizes
- Consider intermittent fasting
- Limit processed foods
By Dr. Waseem:
- Breakfast: Options include omelette with cream tea, boiled eggs, or Greek yogurt.
- Lunch: Meat options like beef, mutton, or chicken paired with vegetables.
- Dinner: Choices range from steak, grilled chicken, steamed roast to grilled fish with vegetables.
- Snacks: Protein smoothies, low-carb panjiri, or vegetable salad.
Keto Diet by Dr. Waseem:
A low-carb, high-fat diet. It includes:
- Carbohydrates (5%) from keto-friendly sources.
- Fats (75%) from sources like desi ghee, cream, and oils.
- Protein (20%) from meats and seeds.
- Dietary supplements like omega 3 fish oil, vitamins, and magnesium.
Overcoming Weight Loss Plateaus
Hitting a plateau can be challenging. Dr. Waseem suggests recalibrating caloric intake, adjusting exercise routines, managing stress, and ensuring adequate sleep. If these don’t work, consider taking a short break before resuming your weight loss journey.
Conclusion
While there are numerous weight loss programs and diet plans available, the key to successful weight loss lies in a balanced diet and increased physical activity. It’s essential to make permanent lifestyle changes for sustained weight loss results.