Tips for losing weight healthily

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommends that we all achieve and maintain a healthy weight. More than half of all Australian adults are above their healthiest weight.

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How do you know if you are carrying extra weight?

Most adults can use the following graph as a guide to the healthiest weight for their height.  Draw a line across from your height without shoes in centimetres and a line straight up from your weight in kg with light clothes but no shoes. The point where these two lines cross will land in a BMI range. Your weight will be classified as ‘underweight’ (less than your healthiest weight), ‘normal’ (healthiest weight), ‘overweight’ (above your healthiest weight and at greater risk of some health problems) or ‘obese’ (significantly above your healthiest weight and at greatest risk of health problems).

You can also use the graph to work out what is the healthiest weight for your height. The graph cannot be used for children or people under eighteen years of age because they are still growing and developing.

If you are carrying extra weight losing even 5kg can make you feel better and lower your risk factors for health problems.

Everyday there are new ideas, diets, programs and books telling us how to lose weight. It can be very confusing and hard to know what to try.

It’s easier than ever before to gain weight and harder to take it off. Discretionary foods are cheaper and tastier, portion sizes are larger and we are less active at work and in our spare time.

So to lose weight that stays off we need to make small changes that turn back the clock. We need to limit discretionary foods, down size our portions, and find ways to be more active in our everyday lives.

To lose weight, we need to eat and drink fewer kilojoules that we use. Choosing foods from the Australian Dietary Guidelines will help us choose foods that provide the most nutrients, without the extra kilojoules. For example eating more coloured vegetables and salad will keep us feeling fuller for fewer kilojoules. In fact making half our meals coloured vegetables or salad and having smaller portions of the other foods, we can reduce the kilojoules by up to half.

There recommended number of serves can be used to plan meals and snacks for weight loss. Following the serves from the Five Food Groups and avoiding discretionary foods will help most people lose weight while staying healthy. Younger men, people who are taller than average or more active may find they need to include the ‘additional serves’.

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Planning is the secret to successful weight loss. By thinking ahead about meals and snacks we can spread the number of serves from the five foods groups over interesting meals and snacks and avoid unplanned eating of extra serves or discretionary foods.

Making a plan for meals and snacks will also make food shopping easier and quicker and cheaper and avoid unplanned extra kilojoules, because then we can buy exactly what we need. Also, knowing a few tips for getting the most out of food labels when shopping can help avoid extra kilojoules.

Eating away from home can be a challenge when wanting to lose weight, but again, thinking ahead and knowing some useful strategies can make it work.

If we eat more ‘mindfully’, turning off the TV, slowing down and savouring food, we can enjoy food more, be more in touch with how hungry or satisfied we are and eat less.

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5 Ways To Stop Yo-Yo Dieting And Stick To A Healthy Weight

Why do so many people struggle with yo-yo dieting?

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One of the most common things I notice is that many people treat weight loss as a “project,” something to focus on for a few weeks at a time. 

You wouldn’t take a bath once and think you were clean for the rest of your life! Similarly, a few weeks of healthy eating will not help you to maintain your weight for a lifetime. 

As soon as you consider trying to lose weight, you need to make sure that whatever method you choose is one that is likely to work long-term.

When I ask people how they can avoid yo-yo dieting, most of their responses revolve around resisting temptation and persevering with unpleasant diets or exercise. But your real focus should always be on how to make changes that are long-lasting in the first place.

Here are 5 tips to ensure your weight loss really lasts: 

1. Make it easy to stick with. 

Most people approach weight loss with an all-or-nothing mentality. They think that in order to lose weight, they have to completely overhaul their life. They replace their old diet with a new one that is completely different. Even if they haven’t exercised for years, they decide they will wake up at 6am every morning and go for a 3 mile run.

It's very difficult to stick to these drastic changes because they are so different to what you were previously doing. And any disturbance to your routine (getting busy at work, getting a cold, going on vacation, or even a poor night’s sleep) can derail your progress.

For changes to have the best chance of succeeding, you have to make them as gradual and pleasant as possible. Make small changes each week, and build it up slowly.

2. Have a life. 

“No pain, no gain” is a great motto for weight trainers, but not for dieters. So many people think of losing weight as a painful and depriving activity. They put off vacations, and avoid eating out during these times.  Long-term changes cannot be painful or depriving. You will not stick with them unless you can still “have a life.” 

This means you have to learn how to eat out, travel and enjoy life, while still losing and maintaining your weight.

3. Welcome the bad days. 

Most diets are strict regimes in which, if you do exactly are you're told, then you're "cheating" or "failing." 

But life really doesn’t work that way. Think of a child learning to walk. Falling over is part of the process. And when you’re trying to change a lifetime of eating and exercise habits, you need to expect to have a few setbacks along the way. Not just expect them, but welcome them. Because they are a key part of improving your eating habits.

What this means on a practical level is that you need to expect:

• A day, a weekend or even a week, when things don’t go to plan. (Expect lots of them!)
• A week or more, in which you're doing all the right things, but your weight still doesn’t budge ( a weight loss plateau).

This is really important! Your weight loss will more than likely not go smoothly, and the more you expect this and plan for it, the more likely you will succeed.

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4. Abandon all deadlines and expectations of speedy weight loss.

Most people who lose weight have built-in expectations of how fast they should lose weight. 

Much of this is the result of brainwashing from fad diet promises  like “lose 30 pounds in 30 days.” 

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, then you need to shift your focus from the speed of weight loss, to the stickability of weight loss. The less you focus on deadlines, the more you can focus on making long-term changes.

Often this is one of the hardest things for people to accept. We all want results quickly. But once you can let go of deadlines, you take the pressure off. If you are in it for the long haul, then the only way things can go wrong is if you give up.

5. Always think long-term. 

Ultimately making weight loss last, and avoiding yo-yo dieting requires staying focused on the long-term. You must always be thinking, Would I still be willing to do this in two years? How about five years? Or ten years? 

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When you put every new action through that filter, you can ensure that you lose weight in a way that makes it much easier to keep it off.

Have you found any tips that have helped you stop the yo-yo dieting cycle? Comment below and share your experiences!


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How to lose weight & the importance of mindset

It's so easy to get stuck thinking about your weight; how to lose it, how to keep it off, and even for some; how to gain it.  Whether you're a man, woman or teenager, we've all compared ourselves to billboards and fit-stagrammers. Our image-focused society focuses on appearance so much, it can seem inescapable. 

What actually works to help you lose weight?

Comparing yourself to others and shaming yourself every time you stray from your diet or workout regime is a bad habit, and leads to overeating, bad self-esteem, binging, trying crazy unrealistic diets and ensures a lifetime of fluctuating weight. But for some reason, we all do it.

Instead of focusing purely on weight loss though, it's been found that focusing on a positive outcome like better health is way more effective for long-term weightloss. Now's the time to stop making yourself feel bad about your weight, and start focusing on the end goal: Living a happier, healthier life. 

Focus on healthy habits for long term weight loss

When you focus too much on any outcome, you get exhausted along the way. If you focus on day-to-day goals though, you'll find you reach the same outcome without all the worry. Let's be honest though, it's easy to say you want to lose weight, but harder to stick to your strategies. So instead of putting excessive pressure on yourself like banning yourself from eating cheese and saying you'll run 15 kms every day, make your day-to-day goals more achievable. 

Instead of these negative goals:

- I'll fit into my skinny jeans in 4 weeks

- I won't eat carbs for 2 months

Try these positive, achievable, measurable goals

- I'll try to eat 5 veggies everyday

- I'll get moving for 30 minutes 5 days a week, even if it's just a walk down the street and back.

- I'll find new healthy recipes and plan 3 meals each week (leaving less time to eat fast food)

- I'll eat vegetarian meals 5 out of 7 days

- I'll have 5 alcohol-free nights a week

The goals above are weight-loss strategies disguised as wellness strategies! By aiming to enhance your health, you approach weight loss in a positive way rather than from a negative, self-punishing angle.

Goal setting & Technology

One of the best things about technology is it's ability to change our behaviour with cool apps and programs and this works for weight loss and wellness too. My favourite for goals setting is WOOP: Where you set a wish, outcome, obstacle and a plan. 

Eg. Wish: To be lighter and healthier

Outcome: I'll feel more confident in my own skin & with my partner

Obstacle: I don't have enough time to shop and cook healthy food

Plan: (when I encounter my obstacle, I'll....)

eg. When I don't have enough time to cook and shop for healthy food I'll...

-Order a weeks' worth of veggies and groceries online, and prepare 3 quick, healthy meals to freeze for the week.

The Woop app is an evidence-based way to stick to your goals, and find actionable ways to make them happen. There are plenty of other fitness and goal-setting apps, but I think Woop seems more authentic. It works with you and your mindset rather than using financial motivation, like apps such as Pact. It's amazing how goals pop into your head when you're using the app - things you didn't even know were important to you. 

Goal setting doesn't have to be a mission

The term goal setting sounds like boring terminology used in stuffy conference rooms and tedious hour-long meetings; but it doesn't have to be. Change the word 'goal' to 'ways for me to be healthier,' and the focus and accountability comes back to you. 

Weight loss for health not looks

Another important weight loss mindset change: Remember being in a healthy weight range is better for your body, it's not about looking a certain way. Carrying extra weight around your tummy is directly linked to heart problems, while generally carrying extra weight is hard on your joints and can accelerate osteoarthritis and joint degeneration.

What do you think are important aspects of weight loss?

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Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight

Why is physical activity important?

Regular physical activity is important for good health, and it's especially important if you're trying to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight.

• When losing weight, more physical activity increases the number of calories your body uses for energy or "burns off." The burning of calories through physical activity, combined with reducing the number of calories you eat, creates a "calorie deficit" that results in weight loss.
• Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake. However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity.
• Most importantly, physical activity reduces risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes beyond that produced by weight reduction alone.

Physical activity also helps to–

• Maintain weight.
• Reduce high blood pressure.
• Reduce risk for type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and several forms of cancer.
• Reduce arthritis pain and associated disability.
• Reduce risk for osteoporosis and falls.
• Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

How much physical activity do I need?

When it comes to weight management, people vary greatly in how much physical activity they need. Here are some guidelines to follow:

To maintain your weight: Work your way up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent mix of the two each week. Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity can help you maintain your weight over time. However, the exact amount of physical activity needed to do this is not clear since it varies greatly from person to person. It's possible that you may need to do more than the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to maintain your weight.

To lose weight and keep it off: You will need a high amount of physical activity unless you also adjust your diet and reduce the amount of calories you're eating and drinking. Getting to and staying at a healthy weight requires both regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan.

What do moderate- and vigorous-intensity mean?

Moderate: While performing the physical activity, if your breathing and heart rate is noticeably faster but you can still carry on a conversation — it's probably moderately intense. Examples include—

• Walking briskly (a 15-minute mile).
• Light yard work (raking/bagging leaves or using a lawn mower).
• Light snow shoveling.
• Actively playing with children.
• Biking at a casual pace.

Vigorous: Your heart rate is increased substantially and you are breathing too hard and fast to have a conversation, it's probably vigorously intense. Examples include—

• Jogging/running.
• Swimming laps.
• Rollerblading/inline skating at a brisk pace.
• Cross-country skiing.
• Most competitive sports (football, basketball, or soccer).
• Jumping rope.

Source
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/

Type 2 Diabetes: How to Lose Weight

Weight loss is a common recommendation for treatment for type 2 diabetes. Many people are overweight when they’re first diagnosed, and that extra fat actually increases their insulin resistance (when their bodies can’t properly use the hormone insulin).

By losing weight, people with type 2 diabetes can become less insulin resistant, and they’re able to use insulin better.

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and you're overweight, you should get started as soon as possible on a weight loss plan. It is important to work with a registered dietitian to help you figure out a plan that will work for you—a healthy meal plan, physical activity, and realistic goals will help you reach a healthy weight.

There are many advantages to losing weight (and not just diabetes-related ones):

• Boost your energy level
• Lower your cholesterol levels (especially important for people with type 2 diabetes)
• Protect your heart (also important for people with diabetes, since heart-related complications are very common)
• Make it easier to control your blood glucose level

As you may already know, losing weight can be a challenge, but don’t let that stop you. Do whatever you need to in order to stay motivated.

It is the amount of calories we eat that contributes to weight gain. Make small changes. Learn portion sizes and reduce the amount of snacks in your day to reduce the total amount of calories you consume each day. Find cookbooks with healthier recipes using low-fat options.

Work with a registered dietitian who specializes in diabetes to help you set reasonable goals.

Physical activity can help with weight loss, and in the article on exercising when you have type 2 diabetes, you can learn about how to start an exercise plan.

A Final Weight Loss Note

For some people, losing weight doesn’t help them have better control of their blood glucose levels, and that’s all right. They may need to use medications or insulin to keep their blood glucose level in the normal range, but they should also still eat healthy foods and increase physical activity.

Everyone should strive for a healthy weight. Losing weight can help lower your body’s insulin resistance, but if it doesn’t help you achieve better blood glucose control, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed—or that you should give up. Losing weight and then maintaining a healthy weight are healthy choices for life—whether you have type 2 diabetes or not.

Source
http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/type-2-diabetes/type-2-diabetes-how-lose-weight
SOURCES:

• American Diabetes Association.  Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2009. Diabetes Care.2009;32:S13-61.
• Becker G. Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the newly Diagnosed. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Marlowe & Company; 2007.
• McCulloch D. Patient information: Diabetes type 2: Overview. UpToDate Web site. January 30, 2009. Available at: http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~n0K0MIfI1iZs.&selectedTitle=5~150&source=search_result. Accessed April 20, 2009.
• McCulloch D. Patient information: Diabetes mellitus type 2: Overview. UpToDate Web site. December 4, 2008. Available at: http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~X0jjLnBn4._ko&selectedTitle=4~150&source=search_result. Accessed April 20, 2009.

Healthy Weight

What's your ideal weight? Learn how many calories you need, how much your BMI matters, and more.

Happy Weight vs. Healthy Weight

Wondering how much you should weigh? You can be healthy and happy by eating well and exercising often, even if you aren’t at your 'perfect' weight.

How Many Calories Do You Need?

See how many calories you need each day to maintain weight, lose weight or gain weight.

Calculating Your Weight Circumference

Do you need to lose weight? Measuring your waist circumference is a good way to tell.

Check out:

>> Does Alcohol Prevent Weight Loss, or Cause Fat Gain?

>> What is Weight Watchers? What are the benefits of Weight Watchers?

>> How to Tighten Skin After Weight Loss

Source
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/healthy-weight

Weight Management - Are You at a Healthy Weight?

Your first step to find out if you are at a healthy weight is to find out what your BMI, or body mass index, is and what your waist size is. For most people, these are good clues to whether they are at a healthy weight.

What's your BMI?

A healthy weight is one that is right for your body type and height and is based on your body mass index (BMI) and the size of your waist (waist circumference). If you are age 20 or older, use the Interactive Tool: Is Your BMI Increasing Your Health Risks? to check your BMI when you know your height in feet, weight in pounds, and waist circumference.

• If your BMI is less than 18.5, you are in the underweight category. Talk to your doctor to find out if your weight is a symptom of a medical problem. A registered dietitian can help you learn about healthy eating.
• If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, you are in the recommended weight range for your height. But your health may still be at risk if you are not getting regular physical activity and practicing healthy eating.
• If your BMI is 25 to 29.9, you are in the overweight category. This may or may not be unhealthy, depending on some other things, like your waist size and other health problems you may have.
• If your BMI is 30 or higher, you're in the obese category. You may need to lose weight and change your eating and activity habits to get healthy and stay healthy. See the topic Obesity.

If you are Asian, your recommended weight range may be lower. Talk to your doctor.

It's important to remember that your BMI is only one measure of your health. A person who is not at a "normal" weight according to BMI charts may be healthy if he or she has healthy eating habits and exercises regularly. People who are thin but don't exercise or eat nutritious foods aren't necessarily healthy just because they are thin.

What's your waist size?

After you know your BMI, it's time to look at your waist size.

Measuring your waist can help you find out how much fat you have stored around your belly. People who are "apple-shaped" and store fat around their belly are more likely to develop weight-related diseases than people who are "pear-shaped" and store most of their fat around their hips. Diseases that are related to weight include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Measure your waist size with a tape measure. The tape should fit snugly but not press into your skin.

For most people, the goal for a healthy waist is:1

• Less than 40 in. (102 cm) for men.
• Less than 35 in. (88 cm) for women.

If you are Asian, the goal for a healthy waist is:

• Less than 36 in. (91 cm) for men.
• Less than 32 in. (81 cm) for women.

Waist size: What to do

If you are ...	Then ...
In the underweight range on the BMI chart:	See your doctor to find out if you have a medical problem that is causing your low weight.
Within the recommended BMI range and your waist size is within the recommendations:	Your weight is not a problem for your health. Good eating and activity habits are still important for your health. See Healthy Eating and Healthy Activity.
At or above the recommended BMI range and your waist size is higher than recommended:	See your doctor to find out if you have health problems that might be related to your weight. You may need to change your eating habits and get more active. See Getting to a Healthy Weight: Making Lifestyle Changes.
In the overweight category on the BMI chart but your waist size is within the recommendations:	Your weight may be right for you. But you need to see your doctor to find out if you have health problems that might be related to your weight. Good eating and activity habits are still important for your health. See Healthy Eating and Healthy Activity.
In the obese category on the BMI chart, no matter what your waist measurement is:	You may need to lose weight to be healthier, as well as change your eating and activity habits. See the topic Obesity.

Your doctor may want to take another measurement, called a waist-to-hip ratio. This measurement is a comparison of your waist size to your hip size. A higher waist-to-hip ratio means that you are more "apple-shaped" than "pear-shaped" and therefore at a higher risk for weight-related disease.

Body fat testing is sometimes used to help find out if a person has a healthy percentage of body fat.

Do you have other health 

problems?

If you are in the overweight or obese category and your waist size is too high, it's important to talk to your doctor about weight-related health problems you may have, including:

• High cholesterol.
• Heart disease.
• High blood pressure.
• Sleep apnea.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Metabolic syndrome.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Some forms of cancer, such as colon, breast, and prostate cancers.

If you have two or more of these health problems, your doctor may advise you to make some lifestyle changes and/or lose weight. He or she may also refer you to a dietitian, an expert in healthy eating.

Interactive Tool: Is Your Weight Affecting Your Health Risks?

Are you unhappy with 

your weight?

If you're at a healthy weight but are still unhappy with your weight, you're not alone. Lots of people are.

It can be hard to be satisfied with how you look when TV and magazines show unrealistic images of what it means to be thin. Here are some things to think about:

• There is no "ideal" body shape or body size. We let society tell us what "ideal" means. But the way a skinny model looks in a magazine or TV ad is not normal or "ideal."
• Do you feel good and have plenty of energy? Can you do the activities you want to do? That's what healthy living is all about, no matter what your weight is.
• Trying to lose weight when you don't have to can actually be bad for you. Most people who diet end up gaining back the pounds they lost—and more.

As always, comment below what you thought of this article! Are you struggling with weight management or just trying to lose those last few kilos off your waist line? Read these articles below to find helpful tips to trim those last few kilos!

>> One a Day to Keep the Kilos Away: 5 Breakfast Smoothies
>> 20-Minute Burn and Tone Tabata Workout
>> The Ideal Weight Loss Exercise Plan At The Gym


Source
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-weight-what-is-a-healthy-weight