BY MARILYN C. ARAYATA
It’s among the most difficult challenges – dropping extra pounds. Whose standards are considered when we define “extra”?
Many parents want to see their children chubby. Even adults are a little sad when they see that their loved ones lose weight. We had a notion that being chubby is healthy and being thin is equated to ill health. Doctors tell us that it is not true. In fact, the more we gain weight, the susceptibility to develop different illnesses increases. Yes! According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the United States, excess weight
may increase the risk for many health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes, certain types of cancer, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, kidney disease, and pregnancy problems.
What can be done to drop those extra pounds and decrease the chances of acquiring diseases?
Eat less and move more. There are conflicting stands on this, but surely excess calories are not used by the body and are stored as fat. If you move more, you burn more calories. If you eat more and move less, you tend to gain more weight, so it is but natural to expect that doing the opposite might help.
Add more fiber to your diet. Fiber makes you feel full and helps lose weight. Eat fiber rich food like vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and oatmeal.
Reduce your consumption of sweet, salty, fatty, and starchy food – chocolates, burgers, potato fries, meat, and rice. Never stock up on chocolates, chips, ice cream, softdrinks, and other items that will tempt you to indulge. Substitute eggs, nuts, oatmeal, and cucumber. If it’s not convenient for you to get sweet and high-calorie items, it will be easy for you to forget them. Decide when to give yourself treats. Choose the small size.
Be active. Boredom makes us eat more. Devote more time to your hobbies and do more physical activities. Walk. Use your bike. Take the stairs. Water your plants without using a garden hose most of the time.
These are not the only considerations. Heredity, metabolism and medications are factors that affect weight gain, too. Losing extra pounds is a challenge, but the rewards are significant and life-changing, so it’s okay to keep trying. Good luck!
