WEIGHT LOSS is an interesting topic and by now most of you would have learned that it's just simple maths - eat fewer calories than your body needs. I am sure it is a rare person who would eat only for hunger. Remember the piece of pastry you happily tucked into since it was juniors' birthday and you are right, you can't expect your best friend to treat you on a bowl of salad after he got his driving licence!
The logic behind this is that all of us have been tuned from an early age to eat for far more reasons than hunger.
I almost always have patients telling me that they 'gain weight in kilos, but seem to lose in grams'! Sorry but this is just not true (though we'd like to believe it). What is true is that we just don't notice the ways the calories add up…Let's take a quick look at the pitfalls and believe me, once these are avoided - you won't even have to step on the scales (or see a dietician!).
I don't eat proper meals and I often eat too late
This is so true about almost all my patients coming in with various medical problems. A dietary recall questionnaire reveals that almost all of them are caught in a starve-binge cycle. You did not have breakfast, you keep drinking tea/coffee (loaded with condensed milk and sugar) that the office boy prepares, all day at work. And by the time you get home -you simply stuff in as much food as possible because you are starving. (Does the above scene ring a bell?). Remember, any sane person who becomes too hungry gets impatient which leads to bad nutrition and far too many calorie-loaded take-aways. To make things worst, late-night eating can add on the kilos. Dinner should always be light, perhaps grilled fish or chicken, salad and fruit and taken at least 2 hours before bedtime. Why? Simply because by evening your metabolism starts to slow down.
I eat too much processed food
This is growing to be a major cause of concern in this part of the world. With both partners working their way up the management tree, many grab food that can be eaten on the run - processed foods tend to have lots of hidden sugar and fat and no doubt, this can pile on the weight.
Food shortage is definitely not a problem in the Gulf region and with all those promotions - junk food is usually the cheapest option and unfortunately, your health may pay a heavy price later. You can't say the same for a nice salad and some grilled chicken.
I am bored
A lot of housewives would find this a core reason for the progress in weight gain. The children are back to school, you don't feel like cleaning, there's nothing on the TV and suddenly you find yourself in front of the refrigerator, picking at the leftovers from dinner. Hey stop! You are not really hungry, it's just that there's nothing stimulating, worth your attention…
The answer - check out ways to frame your time, interact with people - ever thought of voluntary work? Feeling lonely is fine but food is definitely not the answer to your boredom.
I am stressed out
Answering the varied needs of your children, business meetings, crucial contracts to bag for the company, impressing clients, driving down the Sharjah-Dubai road so reach office before your boss - A patient who is a working women who has to juggle all these stressors tells me that she would have a packet of chocolate biscuits and a cup of cappuccino as 'breakfast'. Not surprising - it's only natural that person under stress would eat more sweet, fatty and thus energy-dense foods. When your stress response is activated, your brain releases a chemical called corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), that suppresses appetite. The adrenal glands then fire out the powerful stress hormones, adrenal and cortisol, which shoots sugar into the blood stream for a short term energy rush.
After that rush, cortisol whets your appetite for carbohydrates and fat. So when you are stressed out, a tuna salad is the last thing on your mind. No question that chronic stress can make you fat.
I don't move much
I am not very surprised when I hear this. You can't expect much since technology has taken care that we don't put much physical effort into any job - remote controls, e-mails, mobiles….Thanks to them, we are saving far too many calories. It's the same for most - drive to office, sit in front of the computers for hours, drive back home and order food with free delivery to your doorstep.
I eat to cheer myself up
Oh yes, lots of us do this - people use food as a treat and for comfort- if things don't go right, a chocolate would be the answer! I have come across people who over-eat because they could be depressed about their size itself!
The list can go on but at the end of the day, all of us need to understand that being overweight isn't just about food. Of course, it is what actually packs on the pounds, but overeating is often a response to stress, low energy, depression and more. You just need to increase your awareness about the various pitfalls.
Picture courtesy: kanda.or.jp
Ms Lovely Ranganath, Dietician, Al Zahra Hospital, Sharjah and Al Zahra Medical Centre, Dubai will be regularly writing on Diet and Nutrition on womenone.org. She would also be answering readers' queries related to diet and nutrition.
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