Losing weight without losing health

59% of Ukrainian adults are overweight, including almost 25% of obese people. This is one of the highest rates among the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. These are the findings of the STEPS study conducted in Ukraine in 2019. This means that the majority of Ukrainians are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease or other diseases associated with being overweight. 

Losing 5-10% of body weight has a positive impact on health, but losing weight too quickly can lead to certain problems: reduced muscle tissue, gallstones, nutritional deficiencies, etc. But even more importantly, losing a significant amount of weight in a short period of time often leads to weight gain.

So what should you do if your weight is a concern and how can you make losing weight safe?

1. Conduct an audit of your eating habits 

How and where do you eat? How many times a day? Do you take time for lunch or do you eat on the go or in front of the TV? Start a food diary and write down (or even better, take pictures) absolutely everything you drink and eat for several days in a row, as well as in what quantity. Sometimes the result of such monitoring can be very surprising. 

2. Analyse your lifestyle and think about what might be hindering your weight loss

How do you feel? Do you skip lunch/breakfast? Do you finish everything on your plate even after you are full? Do you move enough during the day? The answers to these and other questions will be useful and will help you to develop a further action plan. At this stage, you may want to seek the support of your doctor. 

3. Set a goal that will motivate you and create a plan to achieve it

Why do you want to lose weight? Write down your reasons on a piece of paper and re-read them periodically. Also think about a plan for achieving your goal - for this, it is better to use the tactic of small but specific and realistic goals. For example, ‘I will exercise more’ is not the best goal, but ‘I will walk for 15 minutes every night before going to bed’ is. Don't try to change all your habits at once, do it gradually. Remember that sometimes you may experience setbacks on your way, and that's normal. However, it is important not to give up.  

4. Learn to distinguish physical hunger from emotional hunger

We often eat out of boredom, sadness, or when we are anxious. It is important to learn to eat when we are hungry, not when we need to calm down. Try to stop eating a little earlier than you feel full, because the brain needs about 20 minutes to process the signals from the stomach about satiety. 

5. Pay attention to what you eat

Remember that we are not talking about a short-term diet, but about a gradual change in the amount of food, the presence of healthy foods, dishes and drinks, and improving eating habits and lifestyle. Give preference to foods that give you a feeling of satiety and contain a lot of fibre: vegetables and herbs, whole grains, nuts, berries, beans, lentils; protein animal products (fish, poultry, eggs). Focus on seasonal products. Remember to drink water when you feel thirsty. 

It is very important to realise that changes in diet and lifestyle must be permanent. Otherwise, it is useless to expect stable results.

6. Don't be too hard on yourself

Often, in the desire to become better ‘from Monday’, we try to force ourselves into a very strict framework. This can lead to breakdowns and a return to old habits, and we feel guilty about it. So leave some room for a few indulgences. For example, don't give up dark chocolate, but instead of half a bar, eat a few small pieces.

7. Treat changes as a contribution to your overall health

Try to enjoy the changes, treat them as steps towards a healthier you. Walk, dance, do yoga, run, clean your room - find activities that you enjoy and do them as often as possible. It's also a good idea to learn stress management skills, as mental health also affects our physical well-being. 

8. Eat slowly and thoughtfully. Enjoy the process

Don't ignore your meals and don't combine them with other activities, such as answering emails. Take time to eat quietly, appreciate the taste of the food, and feel full. At least 20 minutes should be allocated for main meals.

It is worth limiting the number of meals to three classic ones - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Remember that each snack adds calories to your energy balance. 

Many scientific studies confirm that limiting the time of meals during the day is beneficial for weight control. So try to have breakfast later and dinner earlier. This will help you see better results in your efforts to lose those extra pounds.

9. Periodically review your goals

Go back to the list of goals you set and evaluate your progress. If something goes wrong, think about what you can change and update the list. Add new goals to the ones you have already achieved to keep the momentum going. Praise yourself for your successes! Small rewards (not food!) will keep you motivated.

The advice to ‘just eat less’ does not work for everyone and not always, because many factors affect a person's ability to lose and maintain weight. So there is no universal ‘diet’ for everyone. However, you will have to change your lifestyle. It is not easy to change habits that have been formed over the years, but you don't have to do it all at once - just take small steps every day and you will succeed! Remember: people who lose weight gradually (400 to 900 g per week) are more likely to maintain the result than those who lose weight quickly.

Take care of yourself and be healthy!