“Eat Less, Move More” Is it worth for Weight Loss?

A lot of nutritionists and dietitians consider, ‘Eat less, move more’ as the foundation of all the weight loss strategies. But is it really worth preaching? Is the ‘always chanted’ strategy as manageable and straightforward as it sounds? This article brings you the answer to all your perplexed thoughts and questions.

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This advice seems to be based on the first law of thermodynamics, which applies beautifully to internal combustion engines. Not so much to the human metabolism.

Nevertheless, this theory’s simplicity is so intuitively appealing that it has endured, despite all the evidence to the contrary. There are chances that you already know that reducing the amount of food you eat starts well and ends badly, but you keep doing it anyway.

Let’s imagine this scenario; you reduce your calorie intake substantially and quickly lose weight. As counting calories is what you’ve been instructed to do, and that is what you have always done, you know nothing else except eating less.

That sure can offer a significant effect at first as you reduce your calorie intake and quickly lose weight. However, what happens is that you are hungry pretty much all the time.

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This makes your weight reach that inevitable plateau where your hunger is more raging, gnawing at both your stomach and your resolve.

To cut it short, you are sure to regain the weight that you lost given how unsustainable this strategy is. That is what proves that dieting’s long-term result may paradoxically be the opposite of the desired goal. Cutting calories should certainly be a part of the whole weight loss strategy but should not be the only modality used. When used appropriately, in conjunction with other lifestyle changes, it can have a powerful effect on your weight loss.

Here are a few tips that can make you lose weight in the long-run.

Listen to the Podcast on What Carbs Can I Eat?

1. Cutting out carbs: This is one of the most effective solutions for losing weight organically. A low carbohydrate diet works because it stimulates the release of fat from storage by reducing insulin secretion. Too much of this hormone can make you fat and sick.
2. Eat more fat and protein to burn fat: While this may sound counter-intuitive, given the prevalence of low fat diets, nutritional research provides us with mixed results as far as diets do. What we do know for sure is that added and extra sugar is detrimental to you. This is in fact what stimulates the fat production, especially in the liver. Of course when you cut down sugars and carbs, these need to be replaced with something. It might be to your benefit to replace them with healthy fats and proteins. A word of caution here though, it might just be easy to overdo this so you need to watch what you are eating to ensure you do not overindulge with the calories.

Wrapping it up

Unlike an internal combustion engine, the human body is a complex living organism driven by conventional survival mechanisms. You are sure to engage in a battle with your body when you reduce your fat and calorie intake. And trust us when we say, engaging in this battle can be the most futile thing. Work with your body like a dear friend and not a foe.

You can tune to the podcast, Decoding Obesity by Dr. Avishkar Sabharwal, who is M.D. and Dipl. ABOM, trained in Internal Medicine both in India and the U.S. and is board certified in Obesity Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, to know more about Obesity Prevention tips and Weight Management Advice in detail from medical experts.

Disclaimer: Dr. Avishkar Sabharwal, MD is a medical doctor, but he is not your doctor, and he is not offering medical advice in this Blog/Article. If you are in need of professional advice or medical care, you must seek out the services of your own doctor or health care professional. This group provides information only and does not provide any financial, legal, medical, or psychological services or advice. None of the content in this group prevents, cures, or treats any mental or medical condition. You are responsible for your own physical, mental and emotional well-being, decisions, choices, actions, and results. Avishkar Sabharwal, MD disclaims any liability for your reliance on any opinions or advice contained in this post.

BMI & Other Ways to Measure Obesity

Body fat often gets a bad rap. It is not as appreciated as much as it should be. The stored fat has the role to protect the organs, provides energy and helps keep the body insulated to name a few.  However, when you listen to the best obesity podcasts, you’ll get to know that too much body fat leads to obesity and other chronic diseases.

While stepping on the weighing scale is the easiest thing one can do (and it does work most of the times), it does not reflect your body fat percentage. Here is an example of how it may not be very accurate: A bodybuilder and an overweight person might be having the same weight, but they are sure to have different body percentages. That is when other body measurement techniques come into the picture.

Here are a few different methods that we commonly employ in the measurement of obesity

#1 BMI

This is one of the most significant body measurements ever to grace the fitness industry. BMI or Body Mass Index is a calculation that is generally used in healthcare settings as an indirect technique to determine obesity. This measure is also fraught with the same problem as body weight since it employs using the body weight to calculate the BMI. This measure has been extensively studied as it relates to obesity and still remains one of the most widely used modalities to measure health and fitness. The BMI cut-offs of course vary by race and ethnicity.

#2 Waist Circumference

The most basic way to measure abdominal fat is by using a soft measuring tape. Waist circumference has consistently been shown to be associated with various health parameters including cardiovascular health in multiple studies.

#3 Bioimpedance

Ever visited a gym and they ask you to step on a machine to give you your body composition? Well they use bioimpedance to give you a breakdown of your fat percentage and fat free mass. The machines vary in quality with many medical weight loss clinics using the higher quality machines. The number that the machine shows can vary depending on your hydration status.

#4 Hydrostatic Weight

The process of measuring hydrostatic weight is known as hydrodensitometry. It is a weighing method where you sit undressed in a chair that is submerged in water. Your weight underwater or your body density is recorded as your body places a buoyant counterforce on the water and displaces it. The weight recorded can be used to calculate your body fat percentage.

These are some of the body measurement techniques generally discussed in the best obesity podcasts. These ways are sure to help you estimate your obesity with accuracy. Stick to one measurement technique for getting the best results.

Cutting Calories. The Key To Losing Weight

There is no denying the fact that the thought of cutting calories springs up with the imagination of an unpleasant exercise. The kind that involves sapping all the joy out of your meals. But, honestly, it does not have to be that way. While you are losing weight, cutting calories is usually just the part of the equation, along with making sure to work in some exercise and eating healthier food. 

For losing weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. However, reducing the amount of food you eat can be problematic in the long run. Here are a few obesity prevention tips and highly effective ways to cut calories.

• Eat a simple, healthy breakfast.

Morning meal is the most important meal of the day, and it deserves a well-strategized nutrition plan. You can pick easy, make-ahead recipes that include ingredients high in protein and fiber. Sweet potato egg cups or blueberry banana oatmeal muffins are the best breakfast options for losing weight.

• Count your calories

Counting your calories is the best way to make sure you don’t intake too many of them. Long gone are the days when logging calories used to be time-consuming.

Also you can listen to the detailed Podcast on Calorie Counting

The advent of apps has made it easier and quicker than ever to track what you eat. Choose the apps that also offer daily lifestyle tips to keep you motivated.

• Make black coffee your best friend.

This is one of the most discussed and debated obesity prevention tips. We hate to burst your bubble, but even a 16-ounce plain latte has about 190 calories. You can swap your plain-latte for a cup of black coffee, and it won’t even be five calories.

• Soda is your foe

A can of soda contains 155 calories, and almost all of it is because of added sugar. Many research reports show that people who drink soda don’t eat fewer calories to compensate for the calories they are intaking.

• Top your toast, waffles, or pancakes with mashed berries

Avoid using jellies or syrups on your toasts or waffles and top them up with berries and other fresh fruits instead. The berries are sure to give you a good punch of fiber, which helps keep you full and satisfied. They won’t even spike the blood sugar levels like the jellies.

• Stack your house with healthy snacks instead of junk food

You are sure to find it easier to gorge on junk food if it is kept within reach. And it can be a thousand times more problematic if you tend to eat when you are stressed or bored. Keep unhealthy snacks out of the house and reach for the healthier ones. These are some of the most effective obesity prevention tips that can help you lose weight without going the extra mile.

You can tune to the podcast, Decoding Obesity by Dr. Avishkar Sabharwal, who is M.D. and Dipl. ABOM, trained in Internal Medicine both in India and the U.S. and is board certified in Obesity Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, to know more about Weight Management Advice and best weight loss advice in detail from medical experts.