Managing obesity includes a combination of lifestyle changes, dietary modifications, and increased physical activity over time. The first step in treating obesity is managing your expectations. A transition to a healthier lifestyle takes time, effort, and commitment. You may not see results right away. You’ll also likely go through periods where you don’t lose weight even though you’re doing everything right.
Losing weight is about getting healthy, not about the number on the scale. Avoid putting pressure on yourself to set and then try to achieve unreasonable expectations. Set your goals based on what you feel most comfortable with.
You’ll likely experience some setbacks on your weight loss journey. That’s OK. The key is sticking to your plan and continuing your weight loss journey. Lifestyle changes won’t happen overnight. It takes time.
Weight loss aims and benefits
As you may be aware, obesity is associated with a range of health consequences including metabolic diseases (like diabetes), heart disease, some cancers, and arthritis. Lifestyle modifications aim to reduce the burden of obesity and reduce the associated conditions. In general, the greater the degree of weight loss achieved, the greater the health benefits. However, even a small amount of weight loss (5-10% of body weight) can lead to significant benefits.
Diets that work
Dietary control has probably been the main treatment used for weight loss in the past. Diets are based on the principles of metabolism and work by reducing the intake of calories (energy) to create a negative energy balance (i.e. more energy is used than is consumed). The simplest diet approach is to increase your intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins while avoiding sugary snacks and processed foods.
Diets that teach you how to select and prepare healthy foods may be more successful in the long term than restrictive diets with strict daily eating regimes or pre-prepared meals.
What won’t work
Any diet that promises a “quick fix” in a short amount of time likely won’t be what you need to manage obesity. In fact, these types of diets can make things worse.
Avoid heavily restrictive diet plans such as:
- liquid diets
- “detox” diets
- fad diets that only allow you to eat just a few types of food each day, like the cabbage soup diet or the grapefruit diet
Lifestyle changes
Managing obesity goes far beyond your diet. You also need to adjust your lifestyle. But there’s no need to make all these changes at once.
Here are a few lifestyle changes you can add to your daily routine over time:
- keep your refrigerator stocked with fruits, veggies, and healthy snacks
- increase your water intake
- use a smaller plate
- eat slowly
- don’t eat while sitting in front of a TV
- make sure you’re getting enough sleep
- park far away from the entrance of a building so you have to walk a bit to get inside
- use the stairs instead of the elevator
- avoid fast food restaurants
- eat high-fiber foods
- reduce your stress levels
- eliminate all sugary drinks; if you’re having a hard time giving up soda, switch to diet soda or try sparkling water
- start your day with a healthy, high-protein breakfast, like eggs instead of cereal or bagels
- when dining out, ask for a take-home box and put half of your dish in it to eat the next day
- read food labels carefully and pay attention to what’s considered a serving size and the number of calories in each serving.
Exercise programs
Exercise is a key part of healthy living. Exercise improves your physical and mental health. It can also help you lose weight. You’ll want to aim for a combination of cardiovascular exercise and resistance training.
Beyond the specific measures highlighted above, it is also important that you maintain an overall balanced and healthy lifestyle. You should avoid stress, depression, boredom, and frustration as these can be triggers to unhealthy eating behaviors. Keeping yourself occupied with enjoyable activities such as sports or socializing with friends and family can help you achieve a healthy lifestyle.
Obesity is a complex disease. The ideal way to treat obesity is with a combination of diet, physical activity, and lifestyle changes. Managing obesity is about improving your overall health, not just about losing weight. The key to effective weight loss is consistency. The best diet for you is the one that you can stick to in the long term.