Being overweight is a very worrisome issue most of us face. The annoying part of adding weight is that it has no respect for whoever you are and what time of the year it could be. We do get carried away with the free lifestyle, don’t watch our weight and eat whatever we want because we are human! Even the most disciplined individual can get carried away if he isn’t careful.
Once you have been carried away and realize you need to reduce weight, most people head to the doctor who tells you simple, precise instructions. These instructions could easily be misunderstood if you are not careful, and you would be going about losing weight the wrong way. In this article, we would be giving five instructions a doctor would give you and what the doctor means by these instructions.
Actual meaning: Experts believe that losing 1-2 pounds a week is the perfect recipe for a long term weight loss management. As much as a shedding weight is significant to your health, going for a quick fix of losing weight might be dangerous and annoying for you in the long run. It is dangerous because a quick fix way of losing weight increases the chances of regaining the weight, and in some cases, some people gain more weight than they lost. This is why doctors and professional advice that you go for the long-term weight loss management instead of a quick fix weight loss regimen. That means you cut down on calories in your diet with expert supervision and burn calories through exercises.
Actual meaning: Getting down to a healthy weight could have a different meaning for different individuals. However, what a doctor would mean when he tells you that statement could mean something different. For most people, it means going slim and looking good. However, this might not be the case. “The main reason why you need to reduce your weight is to lower the odds of getting a heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Before you can determine if you are overweight or not does not only depend on your weight on your bathroom scale but also involves you taking into consideration your height,” says Dr.Rodney, a cardiologist at Doctor Spring.
For instance, if you stand at 5 feet 2 inches tall, you would be considered overweight if you weigh 150 pounds this would be a different case for someone who stands at 6feet 2 inches. To determine if you have a perfect healthy weight, you should check the circumference of your waist coupled with measuring your Body Mass Index (BMI), which takes into account your height and weight. This would give you a guide on how much you need to trim and how to go about reducing your weight.
Actual meaning: As important as dieting is in any weight loss program, doctors always want to advise that you include exercise activities to the program. To take your weight loss regime very seriously, you have to make sure that you partake in 60 minutes of exercise a day and 300 minutes a week of aerobic activities. Exercises are to ensure that you burn excess calories in your body, and for this to be successful, you have to follow your exercise regime seriously. You must add lifting weights at the gym or sit-ups/ push-ups at least twice a week to your exercise regime. This is to build and boost your metabolic health, which also helps in the loss of calories. The more muscle mass we gain, the more calories we burn. This is the more reason why we must include lifting weights at the gym to our weight loss program.
Actual meaning: when people hear that they should cut down on junk food all their thoughts go to cutting down on the likes of bugger, soda, chips and a few other fast-food meals they consume. However, this is not the actual meaning of what the doctor means, there are so many other foods that could be considered junk as long as they cause more harm than good to the body. Any food that is high in calories and has less nutritional value to the body can be described as junk food. Substituting junk food for a better alternative would help in your weight loss journey and this is what a doctor actually means when he gives you this particular instruction. Next time you feel like a snack, why not substitute them with a handful of nuts and seeds.
Actual meaning: When doctors give this instruction, they only mean that you should eat grains that have not been refined. Grains like white bread and white rice have mostly been refined, making them lose most of their nutritional value. If you are trying to lose weight, it is ideal to consume at least three ounces of whole-grain meal meaning or a slice of whole-grain bread counts as an ounce. When shopping for groceries, be on the lookout for 100% whole grains" on the food's label.
Next time you visit a doctor, you will have no trouble implementing her advice in your daily life!