Healthy Weight Loss

In September we invited “Cedarvale on the Road” to run a series of programs , the notes that follow are the main points from their second session (Losing weight without losing your mind).
Enjoy!
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We have a culture of excessive eating today.
  • 1 in 3 Australians are overweight.
  • 1 in 4 people are overweight.

Why the problem?

  • Sedentary lifestyle
    • Labour saving devices
    • Transport
    • Urbanisation
    • TV, computers
  • Change in dietary habits and availability of fast foods

Possible causes of weight gain:

  • Poor dietary and/or eating habits
  • Lack of exercise
  • Diabetes and other medical conditions
  • Emotional issues
  • Boredom
  • Lack of self-control
  • LOVE of food!

What is a healthy weight?

Some people ask the question of what is a healthy weight for them. BMI (Body Mass Index) is one way of measuring this.
    • A person is considered to be a healthy weight if they fall within specific ranges for their height and age.
  • BMI – weight (kg) / height (m2)
    • e.g – 80kg/1.6m2 = 31
  • BMI Ranges:
    • Underweight BMI – less than 18
    • Healthy weight BMI – between 18.5 and 24.9
    • Overweight BMI – equal to or greater than 25and up to 29.9
    • Obese BMI – equal to or greater than 30

Fat:

  • The average human body has 30-40 billion fat cells. When calories are consumed and not used for immediate energy the body stores them as fat.
  • Each kilogram of fat has up to 700 kms of blood vessels – meaning more strain on the heart.

Measuring Weight:

  • Measuring weight on the scales is not always the best method.
  • The abdominal then hip/thigh circumference measure is usually a better indicator of progress.
    • ‘Carrying excess fat around the waist is more of a health risk than ifthe fat is on the thighs and hips. This increases the risk of heartdisease and stroke.’ National Heart Foundation
  • Waist circumferences associated with greater risks are:
    • Men: greater than 94cm
    • Women: greater than 80cm

Distribution of body fat:

  1. Abdominal
    • Increased risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, gall stones and heart attack
  • More common inmales
  1. Hips/Thigh
    • Increased risk of diseases such as breast cancer and colon cancer
    • Suggestive of an estrogen dominance therefore more common in women

Why a weight problem?

  • Diet is heavily concentrated in high calorie dense foods
    • 51% Refined & Processed Foods
    • 42% Dairy & Animal Products
    • 7% Fruit & Vegetables

Primary Causes of Excess:

  • Fibre deficiency
  • Result: over consumption of calories due to artificial concentration in diet
    • Rich foods naturally excite our senses because it’s way of telling us they will provide highest amount of dietary pleasure with the least amount of effort.
    • Removing fibre and water results in a hyper-concentration of sugar, fat, and salt = food becoming a low grade addiction

Achieving healthy weight loss:

  • Weight loss will initially be at its greatest in the first 3-4 weeks of starting a weight loss regime. This is the time when the body begins to lose fluid, bowels start moving and the shock of doing something different kicks in.
  • Successful weight loss is not short term as in going on a diet. It should be a LIFESTYLE change and then the weight will stay off forever! A loss of 0.5 – 1kg per week after this initial stage should be the aim until a healthy weight is achieved.

12 Weight Loss Tips:

  1. Address obvious issues and create an actionable plan
  2. Write down all the things that your weight inhibits your from doing
  3. Set goals – clothes tit into etc
  4. Drink more water – 2L per day = less hungry
  5. Be as active as possible
  6. Eat as much fresh food as possible (no crackly packets and processed foods)
  7. Start the day with a good breakfast
  8. Decrease the size of, or eliminate dinner
    • Overnight fast – 18hrs
    • Avoid being too full/hungry
    • 5hrs between meals
    • Eat on time
    • Don’t graze
  9. Avoid snacking – if you must eat between, eat fruit
  10. Consume good fats (nuts, avocados, olives)
  11. Eat a wide variety of plant based foods to increase nutrition and decrease calories
  12. Find support – family, friends, network