Marry science with discipline: Here’s how to keep those lost kilos away

By Saliha Nasline

You need the right mix of nutritious diet and a healthy exercise regimen to maintain the right weight. Also, make sure that the steps you take to lose weight are scientific in the first place.

Many of us react with shock when we step on the weighing scale, set out on a weightloss mission and manage to shed some of the extra kilos too. We try varied combinations of diets and exercises. The challenge for most of us is the phase that follows -- how do we keep the lost kilos away forever?


Luke Coutinho, holistic nutritionist, said: “Most people regain the lost weight, in fact, more weight than what was before because they punish their bodies through rigorous exercise regimes and fad diets to lose large amounts of weight in a short span of time. These fad diets are very restrictive in nature and, hence, not sustainable.”

IMPRACTICAL WAYS
The main perception of dieting prevailing today is to eat less and stay hungry all the time. People go on extreme low-calorie and crash diets when trying to lose weight which causes their metabolism to slow down and as soon as they start eating normal food, they gain weight, said Trina Roy, head of Hyderabad-based wellness centre SQUATS.

On rigorous exercise for weight loss, Mahesh Surve, fitness trainer from TheFitnesity.com, said: “When people start exercising, their Basal Metabolic Rate increases (it is the rate at which your body burns calories when it is at rest or not doing any physical activity). This increased BMR helps them burn more calories and they lose weight. However, when they stop exercising, the BMR comes down and body regains the weight.”


Unscientific diets also make the lost weight rebound with a vengeance. Surve added: “You will regain your weight if you follow a fad diet such as keto, liquid diet and fruit juice diet. These diets make your body go into starvation mode and deprive your body of its most important energy source like carbohydrates. So, individuals are not able to sustain these diets for long and they eventually give up. Thus, they put on more weight than before as they eat more carbohydrates because they were not eating it for so long.”

Coutinho, who is also the author of ‘The Great Indian Diet’, said, “The fad diets do help lose a couple of kilos initially, but that comes along with a lot of repercussions like severe nutrient deficiencies, crippled immunity, lethargic metabolism, low energy levels, poor skin and hair health, hormonal imbalances and so much more. Once a person gets back to normal eating or strays from the diet even for a couple of days because of travel or holiday, all the lost weight bounces back as ugly fat around thighs, arms and belly as these fad diets are focused on losing weight, but not gaining health.”

MARRY SCIENCE WITH DISCIPLINE
Roy said maintaining your weight is absolutely not hard. “Losing weight comes with discipline. If you can make small changes every day, and look for long-term sustainable approach, it is very easy to maintain. People usually follow an “all in” or “nothing” approach which does not help them create the balance that is needed for maintaining weight loss, so they find it hard to maintain,” she said.

Surve said if you starve yourself, you will lose muscle mass and bone density, which will lead to weight loss but not fat loss. To lose fat, focus on following a balanced diet and exercise consistently. “Exercising for an hour hour everyday will increase your BMR and you will continue to lose fat while losing weight as well,” he said.

According to Coutinho, “there are so many who literally starve in the name of fasting and lose copious amount of weight, but once they resume normal eating all the weight bounces back. Fasting is not a way to lose weight, plus such quick fixes blind us from making lifestyle changes, which honestly does require discipline and effort,” he added.

“In fact, discipline is the only ingredient one would honestly need to maintain to lose weight. If you have been able to lose weight with a disciplined lifestyle, then you are guaranteed to maintain it forever,” he said.

LOOK AT THE LONG TERM
In order to maintain the lost weight, first make sure the lifestyle changes that led to a successful weight loss are sustainable, said Coutinho.

Roy advised: “Form small habits which you can stick to and practise them. If you have a bad eating day or a cheat day, stop worrying about it and get back on track the next day. Getting a good workout at least three-four days a week and trying to eat home-cooked meals on most days really helps. When healthy eating paired with workouts becomes a habit, then the journey becomes effortless. Keeping a check on your weight on a regular basis and fixing your diet and lifestyle accordingly will keep you away from putting back the weight.”

She added: “Follow a diet which you can adhere to for your life. Start working out, keep yourself active. Focus on not doing excess cardio rather try to lift more weights at the gym as preserving muscle will help during losing and maintaining weight loss. Bring in small changes, form habits and be accountable to yourself. Also, do not stress on what the weighing scale says.


Focus on feel fitter and healthier from the inside.”

Coutinho said, “Create a unique weight-management plan for yourself. When it comes to losing weight, the philosophy of “one size fits all” doesn’t hold true here. You, your lifestyle, your body, metabolism, culture, gut health, environment and season are all unique and so should be your lifestyle plan.”

REMEMBER THESE
Weight loss should be slow and gradual --ideally you should lose 1 kg in a week. If you are losing more than that, it means you are starving your body and losing muscle tissue along with bone density. The rule of thumb is to go by how you feel and look in the mirror than the weighing scale, explained Surve.

Losing weight should come effortlessly. If you have to try or chase too hard, then you are doing it wrong. If you are losing weight and in turn experience a surge in your energy levels, moods, glow on your skin and hair, then you are on the right path. This means that your current lifestyle plan is not depriving you of the vital nutrients your body really needs to support good health, Coutinho said.