How can weight management be done through lifestyle changes? | Zyla Health
The one stress factor that you come across with everyone these days is “I’m not losing weight”, ``I enrolled in a diet program but my weight is stuck”, ‘’ Is there any tablet which can make you lose weight?” and so on. Can maintaining a healthy weight be achieved if we follow the right steps?
In the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day routine, at times our routine goes upside down. We either tend to overeat or we end up eating fried or oily food that we should not have eaten. Thereafter we start worrying that our weight might increase again.
If I tell you that weight management can be done with just a few lifestyle changes, it might amaze you. They include many factors such as sleep, stress, hydration, physical activity and so on. We will see about all these factors much more in detail going forward.
We often wonder if our weight is in the right range and at times gets confusing to understand if we are in the overweight or obese range.
If you are looking for a weight management program to help manage your weight, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website- Zyla.in and get the right guidance.
Let us first see…
What is obesity and why should we fight it?
In simple terms, obesity refers to having too much body fat that further leads to unhealthy weight gain. This weight over a long time becomes a root cause of various health issues.
This unhealthy weight is not something we achieve in a short period of time. When your energy input is more than the energy output i.e eating more with less physical activity for a long time the body weight increases and falls into the unhealthy range.
As per a study conducted in India around 2015, the prevalence rate of obesity was at around 31.3% which increased to 40.3% in 2020 as per another study.
Going further if this is not managed properly can become a huge burden on the country. Being obese for a long period is the root cause of various health issues like diabetes, disturbed cholesterol levels and elevated blood pressure, PCOS and many more.
If you are having PCOS and looking out for different ways to treat it, do read the blog Living with PCOS: Different ways to treat PCOS
According to an interesting study in India, the prevalence of diabetes in India has risen from 7.1% in 2009 to 8.9% in 2019. Increased abdominal fat is the main cause of heart-related diseases in our country as stated by another study.
The rate of increase is quite alarming, Isn’t it? This is where the tips to fight obesity come into the picture for healthy weight management.
Did you know that losing weight post menopause is difficult? This is because the estrogen levels reduce thus slowing the metabolism and making weight management a tedious task.
Need for lifestyle changes
Lifestyle changes refer to adding a positive change to our routine. This can be done by having a balanced diet, improving sleep, managing stress, involving in physical activity and keeping your body hydrated at all times.
Let us dig in some more and try to understand about each lifestyle change in detail.
1. Balanced diet
Food is the main source of energy for the body. This is something we all are aware of. The question now is if the body is getting all the nutrients through the food we eat?
It becomes important to add a variety of foods to our diet to meet the nutrient needs of the body for good health. The nutrients required by the body include carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and fibre. This is essential for weight management.
Through food, we can be sure to meet the body’s needs by adding cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat for improving our overall health.
2. Improving sleep cycle
In recent days due to the hectic schedule, getting 6–7 hours of sound sleep has become a difficult problem. Getting adequate sleep, repairs the body overnight and prepares it for the next day.
Let me tell you some interesting remedies that you can follow for improving sleep.
- Milk contains a sleep hormone called melatonin. Add a pinch of turmeric or nutmeg powder to a glass of milk and have it at bedtime.
- Rubbing your feet soles with a tsp of ghee before bedtime.
- Make sure to keep your gadgets at least 30 minutes away before bedtime.
3. Managing stress
Stress is something which is always there. It might be there on and off but we should not allow it to affect our daily routine and our health.
Here below are a few easy but effective strategies to manage stress.
- Listen to your favourite music
- Try doing your favourite hobby i.e something you love.
- It also becomes important to put that stress out rather than keeping it within. Make sure to talk to some whom you feel comfortable.
4. Physical activity
No matter how well we follow our routine, if there isn’t an adequate physical activity, energy input will be greater than the output. This will eventually lead to weight gain and obesity.
As per the World Health Organisation an average of at least 150–300 minutes of physical activity throughout the day for individuals between the age of 18 to 64 for healthy weight management.
Doing all of it at a time might sound exhausting. Start with 15–20 minutes a day and then gradually increase the duration.
Read the blog, The top 10 benefits of regular physical activity to learn in-depth the benefits of physical activity.
5. Hydration
We often forget that we need to keep our body hydrated too along with lifestyle changes. Hydration is the key to flushing toxic materials from the body. Many studies suggest drinking at least 2–3 litres of water in a day.
In spite of all the above positive changes, we often tend to look out for short-cut methods to achieve desired results for weight management.
If you need guidance to help manage your weight the healthy way, do not delay further and download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in for a holistic approach.
Did you know that weight loss tablets may help a person lose weight temporarily. However in the long term it might have severe side effects like mood swings and depression
Though weight loss cannot be achieved through shortcuts, here are a few tips to help manage a healthy weight.
Tips for healthy weight management
Once you feel you have achieved the ideal body weight, it becomes important to continue making healthy lifestyle changes to prevent regaining the weight you have lost.
- Have small, frequent and balanced meals and keep a check on your portion size.
- Try to be consistent with exercises for at least 3–4 days a week.
- Avoid intake of processed, packaged and refined foods.
- Keep yourself hydrated with water and natural fluids like coconut water, buttermilk, lemon water etc. and avoid intake of sweetened beverages and juices.
- Ensuring that you manage stress and get sound 6–7 hours of sleep.
- Plan practical goals ahead of time which can be achieved on a daily basis.
- Decrease your screen time and avoid using gadgets while eating to ensure proper digestion and avoid overeating.
In recent times, we might have come across many diets in the market that promotes weight loss in a short span. Are these really helpful in our weight management in the long term? Let us see…
Do’s and dont’s to keep in mind for managing a healthy weight
There are innumerable FAD diets around us. These diets often promote weight loss instantly. The question is, will it be sustainable for a long period of time?
In our hectic day-to-day routine, it becomes difficult to keep up with these diets for a long time. Eventually, we go back to our normal routine, our weight goes back to what it was.
It is advised to follow a consistent routine right from the beginning. We need to follow a routine which is suitable in all instances, be it a function or a birthday party.
When we stop considering our routine as a diet and instead think that we are just making a few healthy choices in our routine, it becomes an easy task to follow and we feel good. To know more about the role of a diet plan, read the blog, “What is the role of a diet plan in weight management?”.
Therefore, I would recommend sticking to what our ancestors used to follow. That is, having meals at the right time in a balanced way is what our body needs for weight management and to prevent nutritional deficiencies in the long run.
By now, I am sure you might have understood the right way we need to adopt for managing our weight. Let us try to incorporate these positive changes in our lifestyle which will benefit us in the long run.
Even though we might not have major health issues, once you start managing your weight, going further will be of great help for a healthy life.
If you are looking for a holistic program that will help with weight management, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and select the best program for managing your weight and for a healthy lifestyle.
Through Zyla’s experienced panel of doctors, nutritionists and physiotherapists we can help give what is best for you for a healthy life.
Stay happy and stay healthy!
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