Diet for Healthy Weight Loss – Best diet for weight loss
There are many healthy ways to lose weight. The following diet tips can help you avoid pitfalls and achieve long-term success.
1. Overweight and Obesity – The Problem
Being overweight or obese increases the risk of serious diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and some cancers. The risk of developing these diseases increases as your weight goes up. Obesity can also impact your quality of life and lead to psychological problems, such as depression and low self-esteem. Eating healthy, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy weight throughout life can help avoid these issues. However, weight gain is a common problem, so the information below will help you lose weight sensibly and healthily.
Your body weight depends on the amount of energy you get from food compared to the amount of energy your body uses. Excess energy is stored as fat. To lose weight, the energy you get from food must be less than the energy your body uses, which means eating less and exercising more.
There is no “quick fix” for obesity. Losing weight takes time and commitment. However, even losing and maintaining a small amount of weight (such as 3% of your body weight if you are obese, or about 5% for most people) can produce significant health benefits and reduce the risk of obesity-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. For example, a 5% weight loss means losing 5 kg if you weigh 100 kg.
2. Diet for healthy weight loss
2.1. Reduce sugar and starch
One effective way to lose weight is to reduce your sugar and starch intake. This can be achieved by following a low-carb eating plan or by reducing your intake of refined carbohydrates and replacing them with whole grains.
By doing this, you’ll naturally lower your hunger levels and consume fewer calories. Additionally, a low-carb eating plan can help you burn stored fat for energy.
If you prefer to include whole grains in your eating plan while maintaining a calorie deficit, you’ll benefit from higher fiber content and slower digestion, which will help you feel full for longer.
However, it’s important to note that there are potential downsides to a low-carb, high-fat diet, so you may want to consider alternative approaches. Reduced-calorie diets can also lead to weight loss and are generally easier to maintain over the long term.
A 2019 study linked a high intake of whole grains to a lower body mass index (BMI), so if you choose to focus on whole grains instead of refined carbs, you may see benefits in terms of weight loss and overall health.
2.2. Eat protein, fat, and vegetables
Every meal you have should include a source of protein, a source of healthy fats, vegetables, and a small portion of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains.
Protein:
Eating enough protein is crucial for maintaining your health and muscle mass while losing weight. Evidence suggests that consuming an adequate amount of protein can improve risk factors for cardiac metabolism, appetite, and body weight.
A diet that contains enough protein can also help:
reduce cravings and obsessive thoughts about food by 60%
reduce the desire to eat late at night by half
Healthy sources of protein include:
Meat: beef, chicken, pork, and lamb
Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, and shrimp
Eggs: whole eggs with yolks
Plant-based proteins: beans, legumes, quinoa, tempeh, and tofu
Vegetables:
Don’t hesitate to load up your plate with vegetables. They’re packed with nutrients and you can eat a large amount without consuming a lot of calories or carbs.
Vegetables that are suitable for a low-carb or low-calorie eating plan include broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, kale, cabbage, and cucumber.
Healthy fats:
You should still consume healthy fats, regardless of which eating plan you choose. Olive oil and avocado oil are excellent options to include in your eating plan.
However, you should consume other fats like butter and coconut oil in moderation because they contain higher amounts of saturated fat.
3. Tips for Healthy Weight Loss
Here are some tips for healthy weight loss that you can incorporate into your lifestyle:
Have a protein-rich breakfast: Eating a high-protein breakfast can help reduce cravings and calorie intake throughout the day.
Avoid sugary drinks and juices: Empty calories from sugar are not helpful for your body and can hinder weight loss.
Drink water before meals: Drinking water before meals has been shown to reduce calorie intake and may be effective in weight management.
Choose weight loss-friendly foods: Some foods are better for weight loss than others. Here is a list of healthy foods for weight loss.
Eat soluble fiber: Studies show that soluble fiber can promote weight loss. Fiber supplements such as glucomannan may also help.
Drink coffee or tea: Caffeine consumption can promote your metabolism.
Base your diet on whole foods: They’re healthier, last longer, and are less likely to cause overeating than processed foods.
Eat slowly: Eating fast can lead to weight gain over time while eating slowly makes you feel fuller longer and promotes weight loss hormones.
Get enough sleep: Sleep is important for many reasons, and poor sleep is one of the biggest risk factors for weight gain.
4. Health Benefits of Weight Loss
Losing weight can have significant health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. In addition, it can also lower the risk of other health problems, such as:
High blood pressure
Angina (a heart condition that causes chest pain)
High blood cholesterol levels
Lower back pain and joint pain
Fertility problems
Measuring Your Weight:
To determine if your weight is healthy, you can use a measurement called Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms (kg) by your height in meters (m) squared. For instance, a woman who is 1.60 m tall and weighs 60 kg will have a BMI of 23.4 kg/m² (calculated as 60 ÷ 1.6²).
For most adults:
A BMI between 18.5 and 25 is considered healthy.
A BMI over 25 is classified as overweight.
A BMI over 30 is classified as obese.
However, very muscular individuals may have a high BMI without excess fat, so for these individuals, waist circumference may be a better indicator of whether they have excess fat. Waist circumference (measurement) can also be used to assess the risk of obesity-related diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, as these conditions are affected by where your body fat is stored as well as your weight. To measure your waist circumference, measure your midsection at half the point between your lower ribs and the top of your hips.
Waist circumference increases the risk and high risk of obesity-related health problems for:
Men ≥94 cm (37 in) or ≥102 cm (40 in)
Women ≥80 cm (31.5 in) or ≥88 centimeters (34.5 in)
In summary, losing weight can provide many health benefits and measuring your weight using BMI and waist circumference can help assess your risk of obesity-related health problems.
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