This article is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your own doctor regarding any medical questions or conditions.
INTRODUCTION
Develop a relationship with a doctor who has experience in helping people lose weight and make the accompanying lifestyle changes, as the doctor can find the best plan for you, monitor your progress, and provide advice and support.
STARTING A WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM
Different approaches work for different people so keep trying until you find what works for you.
First Stage: Weigh yourself; Measure your waist circumference; Calculate your body mass index (BMI)= weight in Kg divide by the square of your height in meters.
●BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight
●BMI of 30 or greater is considered to be obese
A waist circumference greater than 35 inches (88 cm) in women and 40 inches (102 cm) in men increases the risk of complications such as heart disease and diabetes.
First Goal: Avoid gaining more weight!
TYPES OF TREATMENT
Your doctor can help determine what combination of weight loss treatments would work best for you. These treatments include:
LIFESTYLE CHANGES
This approach may involve these:
The triggers that make you want to eat — Find out the situations that make you eat even when you are not hungry.
The trigger may be related to a certain time of the day or to a certain activity, like watching tv or sitting at a desk working.
Eating — Change your eating habits by;
●Using a smaller plate for meals
●Eating more slowly
●Making your meals more colourful by adding carrot, cucumber, tomato, etc.
●Keeping healthy snacks (like carrots and fruits) around in case you get hungry between meals
Proteins, fruits and vegetables = Lower weight Foods like fries or chips, baked goods, soft drinks and meats like beef = Weight gain.
Goals and rewards — You might set a goal to avoid eating after a certain time for a week, with a longer-term goal to lose 5% of your weight by a certain date.
Don't use food as a reward.
The idea is to reward yourself for changing unhealthy behaviours.
Avoid temptations – When possible, avoid situations in which your ability to stick to healthy eating may be threatened. In addition, learn how to say "no" when urged to eat at social gatherings.
Support system – Have a friend to provide support and reinforce good behaviour. Family support is also essential; if your family doesn't support you, this can slow your progress or even keep you from losing weight.
Positive thinking – If you eat an unplanned meal, thinking negatively may lead you to eat more. Think "since I've eaten outside my diet, I should do something to get back on track".
Reduce stress – Stress triggers unhealthy eating habits in some people so find a way to deal with difficulties without eating.
CHOOSING A DIET OR NEW EATING PLAN
How quickly you lose weight depends upon factors, such as your age, gender, and starting weight. Generally;
●Young people lose weight faster than older people.
●When dieting, men lose more weight than women of similar height and weight.
●Extremely overweight people lose weight faster than mildly overweight people.
Choose foods that contain enough protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and vitamins (balanced diet).
Avoid alcohol, soft drinks, artificial fruit drinks and baked goods since they have calories but lack important nutrients.
Low-fat diet —
●Eat low-fat foods like beans, egg white, etc.
With this diet, increase healthy carbohydrates in your diet (eg, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables).
Low-carbohydrate diet — Eating between 60 and 130 grams of carbohydrates per day.
●With a very-low-carbohydrate diet, you eat between 0 and 60 grams of carbohydrates per day
Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, bread, rice, pasta, cereal and dairy products. With this diet, make healthy choices for fat and protein (eg, fish, nuts, beans); eating a lot of saturated fats (butter, beef) increase your cholesterol level and raise your risk of heart disease.
Which diet is best? Choose a diet or meal plan that includes foods you like to help you follow it.
Fad diets — Promise quick weight loss (more than 0.5 to 1kg per week) and may claim that you don't need to exercise or give up your favorite foods. They lack any scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness, instead relying on "before" and "after" photos or testimonials.
WEIGHT LOSS MEDICINES
Medication may aid weight loss when combined with diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. In addition to their expensive nature, it's important to understand their risks, benefits, and limitations. Although weight loss medicines may not help you reach your "dream" weight, they can contribute to reducing your risk of diabetes or heart disease.
Consult your doctor to guide you on what medications to use.
Some of the available weight loss medications are;
Phentermine — (brand names: Adipex-P, Lomaira) reduces food intake by causing you to feel full more quickly while eating.
Side effects; increase in blood pressure and heart rate, insomnia, dry mouth, constipation and nervousness.
Do not take phentermine if you have heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, or a history of drug abuse.
If you don't lose at least 5% of your initial body weight after 12 weeks, stop the medication and talk with your doctor about other options.
Bupropion-naltrexone — Side effects include nausea, headache, constipation, insomnia, vomiting, dizziness, and dry mouth.
If you don't lose at least 5% of your initial body weight after 12 weeks, the medication should be discontinued.
Do not use bupropion-naltrexone if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, a seizure disorder, or an eating disorder. Or if you take (or have recently taken) other medications containing bupropion, chronic opioids (narcotics), or monoamine oxidase inhibitors.
DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS NOT RECOMMENDED
This is because some are unsafe, while others have not been proved to be safe or effective.
WEIGHT LOSS SURGERIES
Bariatric (stomach) surgery may be an option in certain situations, if a person is unable to lose weight with lifestyle changes and medications.
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