READING about celebrities' diet practices can give you quite a
headache. What is the macrobiotic diet that Gwyneth Paltrow
follows, or the Zone diet that Jennifer Aniston is on?
Do magazines and tabloid newspapers really have all the secrets
to the stars' diets and weight loss methods?
Are those contestants on The Biggest Loser for real?
These are some of the common questions I get from women who
confide in me about their dieting problems. And, of course, the
most frequently asked question of all is: How can I lose weight
quickly?
Do crash diets work?
We all want to lose weight fast. It might be because there's a
party around the corner and you want to squeeze into that great
dress you bought. Or maybe you're getting married soon and you want
to look fantastic in your wedding photos.
Most likely though, it's because you find it hard to maintain a
long-term diet and exercise plan, so it seems easier to go on a
crash diet whenever you find your clothes getting too tight.
I don't blame you, as we've all been guilty of this at some
point in our lives.
If a diet method sounds too good to be true - using
words like "guaranteed" and "secret" - and promises fantastic
results, it's probably just hot air.
But the bad news is, crash diets do not work. Doctors and
scientists have been saying this all along, and things have not
changed.
If a diet method sounds too good to be true - using words like
"guaranteed" and "secret" - and promises fantastic results, it's
probably just hot air.
Some of these fad diets involve eating only cabbage soup or
grapefruit, taking diet pills and laxatives, replacing meals with
supplements and potions, or fasting.
You may wonder why they don't work. After all, they all result
in reduction of calories, which is what causes weight loss.
Slashing your daily calories to below 1,000 can make the scales
drop, but it will also backfire on you later.
When you don't have enough calories, you are not able to
exercise effectively because you are burning your muscles, which
weaken you.
As you burn muscles, you are also slowing your metabolism. Once
you stop dieting, you will find that your metabolism remains at
that pace and you burn calories slower than ever before. This is
why you gain your weight back even faster when you come off a crash
diet.
Diet pills are also not recommended because they are not proven
to work and can be extremely dangerous, as we have seen from some
reports of people suffering serious conditions after taking pills
and supplements.
You can't escape exercise
The good news is, you can lose weight rapidly, but you have to
do it safely and be absolutely committed to sticking to it in the
long term.
It's very simple: simply burn more calories than you eat. You
cannot achieve this just by dieting alone, but with a combination
of increasing physical activity and eating fewer calories.
You will need almost an hour a day of moderate exercise in order
to lose weight. The most effective calorie-burning exercise is
cardio-exercise, such as running, cycling, swimming, aerobics,
brisk walking, and anything that gets your heart rate up.
The most effective calorie-burning exercise is
cardio-exercise which gets your heart rate up.
Doing an hour may be easy, but it's more important to increase
the intensity of your exercise so that you sweat for the entire
hour. If you find that you can't spend one straight hour on
exercise, then break it up into a morning and evening workout.
Interval training is also a great way to burn more calories in
less time. This is where you spend a short period doing the
activity at high intensity (such as sprinting or cycling uphill)
and then drop to a low intensity to allow the body to recover,
before repeating the cycle again.
You also need to include a few hours a week of strength
training, which strengthens your muscles and increases your
metabolism. At least twice a week, use weights to work all your
major muscle groups. Be sure to get advice on doing
strength-training the right way, so that you don't hurt
yourself.
Smart dieting
When it comes to your diet, what you eat is as important as how
much you eat. Don't just blindly reduce your total food intake -
it's smarter to cut down on certain types of food that contribute
the most calories to your daily diet.
Reduce carbohydrates like rice, noodles, breads, potatoes, and
cereals. However, I do not encourage cutting them out altogether,
as they provide you with daily energy. Try to choose the wholegrain
versions.
Cut down on high-sugar stuff and avoid adding sugar into your
meals or drinks. As much as possible, trim the fat from meats and
dairy foods.
The minimum level of calories you need a day is
1,200kcal, but do not go down to less than 1,050 calories a
day.
Foods that you can eat include fruits, vegetables, egg whites,
soy products, fish, shellfish, low-fat dairy products and lean meat
(without the skin, or the breast portion). Protein will give you
energy with fewer fat calories, minimise muscle loss and maximise
fat loss.
Drink plenty of water, which keeps you hydrated, particularly
since you are doing more exercise, and it also helps simulate a
feeling of fullness.
You should be able to comfortably achieve cutting back on 500
calories a day, with a moderate exercise regime and healthier
eating habits. The minimum level of calories you need a day is
1,200kcal, but do not go down to less than 1,050 calories a
day.
By being disciplined and sticking to a moderately intense - but
safe - plan, you can lose at least one-and-a-half kgs a week.
Lastly, don't be ashamed of wanting to lose weight because of a
wedding or a beautiful dress. A reason like that can be a great
motivator to help you stick to the plan.
In my next article, I will share some of the most common
mistakes that people make when trying to lose a few kilos quickly.
These mistakes can sabotage the most disciplined weight-loss plans,
so it is best to be mindful of them!
Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar is a consultant obstetrician
& gynaecologist (FRCOG, UK). For further information, visit
www.primanora.com. The information provided is for educational and
communication purposes only and it should not be construed as
personal medical advice. Information published in this article is
not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a
health professional regarding the reader's own medical care. The
Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness,
functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content
appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for
any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly
or indirectly from reliance on such information.
-The Star/Asia News Network
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