Obesity: 5 Tips To Maintain a Healthy Weight

World obesity day is a global movement celebrated on the 11th of October to foster dialogue about the world’s obesity epidemic and bring forth practical solutions to reduce and reverse this global problem and help people live healthier lives.

Obesity is technically defined as having a BMI (body mass index) of 30 Kgs/m2. Morbid obesity affects more than 5% of India’s population and has been linked to a host of dangerous lifestyle diseases like diabetes (Type - II) and cardiac problems. Here are a few tips that can help you in your weight loss efforts.

1. Add fibre to your plate

   
   Fibre is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, and beans. Fibre will not only assist your weight loss efforts but will also help prevent your body from gaining any of that lost weight. Start off by adding fibrous fruits like Bananas and Apples to your morning oatmeal breakfast, have a few sunflower seeds or nuts to beat the mid-meal hunger pangs, and add some fibrous vegetables like Spinach or Peas or beans to your lunch and dinner.
   

2. Avoid sugar

   
   
   
   Quitting sugar can be one of the best steps that you can take in your weight loss efforts. Most packaged drinks (even ones that are branded as natural drinks) can contain loads of sugar. Switch to a naturally sweet fruit instead of a sugary ice cream for your next dessert treat. Make it a point to read the ingredients at the back of any packaged food to ascertain its sugar content before you purchase it.
   

3. Make room for healthy fat

   
   While this point might sound counterproductive at first glance, the truth is that while cutting your body fat is the primary motive of any weight loss diet, some oils can contain “healthy fats” that can actually assist your body in shedding weight. You can find Healthy fats in Olive oil, Avocados, and Coconut oil.
   

4. Avoid refined carbohydrates

   
   
   
   Refined carbohydrates are present in most ultra-processed foods. They are basically any grains or sugars that are stripped of nutrients and fibre during the various levels of production. You can find examples of these foods in your daily white bread, Noodles or Pasta that are quickly becoming staple diets in our kitchens. Your best bet is to quit these foods altogether and eat fresh foods or minimally processed alternatives like Oats as they digest slowly and keep you full for a longer time without compromising on any essential nutrients.
   

5. Start walking

   
   People trying to lose weight tend to go on crash diets and fat loss programmes in gyms. This tends to be extremely tough to maintain and most people will find their weight bouncing back with a vengeance when they quit their gymming. It's, therefore, a better idea to start slow and sustainably scale your weight loss efforts. A 30-minute walk can do wonders to burn your calories and get some much-needed exercise. You can eventually scale up to running for an hour as your stamina improves.
   

6. Lift yourself out of obesity

   
   
   
   Once you're able to make walking or running a daily habit, it is important to add an element of training to this mix to really drive your weight loss efforts. Working with weights in a gym will allow your body to build muscle and burn fat at a faster rate. Weight lifting will also help tone your body and boost your metabolism so that your body continues to burn fat even when you're at your day job.
   
   Consistency is the key to any good weight loss effort. While there are multiple schools of thought as far as weight loss diets are concerned, the fundamentals of burning more calories than you consume remain more or less consistent across the board. Always remember to do your research and avoid any fad diets that promise quick hacks or fixes to quickly burn weight. Choose a diet and exercise plan that can naturally be integrated with your lifestyle for the best results.