Mataba daw ako. Is it time to lose weight?
Is it time to lose some weight? Whether you’ve been advised by a doctor to shed a few pounds, or are unsure if you’ve crossed over into becoming overweight, or having obesity, proper weight management is the way to go.
Being overweight or having obesity poses various health risks, such as diabetes1 and heart disease.
Diet changes and exercise is the way to lose that ‘taba.’ However, not all weight loss methods are created equally. Even if you feel that the best way to escape looking or feeling ‘mataba’ is through fad diets, these can actually cause more harm than good.
What is a crash diet2?
Who doesn’t want to lose weight quickly? In order to this, some people resort to crash diets.
This form of dieting involves severe restriction of the food we eat for faster weight loss. However, this form of weight management has unwanted effects on our overall health2, including:
Gallstones
Crash diets can heighten the risk for potentially dangerous gallstones. Gallstones form when substances in bile, the substance that helps break down fat in the food you eat, crystallize and grow together.
When you are undergoing a crash diet, gallstones may form due to the sudden changes in fat metabolism. Similarly, weight cycling, or losing and gaining weight over and over again, might also increase your risk for gallstones.
Loss of lean body mass
When you lose weight, some of that is made up of lean body mass. This includes muscle and bone rather than fat.
Losing lean body mass may cause health concerns, with reduced bone tissue leading to frailty in old age, and muscle loss affecting metabolism and strength.
Diets that are prepared and overseen by health professionals are designed to curb too much lean body mass loss. In the same way, you would need a doctor’s guidance if you’re interested in trying out a very low calorie diet (VLCD).
Weight regain
Losing weight is hard because you need to lose the weight – and keep it off. However, when you try a crash diet, the body slows down metabolism because it thinks you are starving.
Having a slower metabolism leads to slower weight loss. When you consume more calories afterwards, the weight can come back quickly.
Weight management strategies that work
If crash diets don’t work, how can one maintain an ideal body weight?
Diet and exercise3
Proper diet and exercise are recommended for weight loss, as the effects they have go hand in hand.
Lowering calorie intake results in weight loss, while exercise helps you avoid regaining that weight.
Doing one without the other – for instance dieting without exercise – can result in reduced bone density and muscle mass.
You may also consider meal planning4, which can contribute to healthy weight loss. When buying groceries, choose low-calorie ingredients. Consuming more fiber-rich foods like vegetables and fruit are also alternatives to high-calorie meals.
Packing your own snacks or meals is also an option. Think apples, oranges, or bananas; celery or carrots; sugar-free yogurts or low-fat cheeses; or whole grain crackers or bread.
Intermittent fasting5
Another way of addressing feeling ‘mataba’, is intermittent fasting. This focuses on eating only during a specific window of time within a day.
This approach is based on the evidence that fasting for a certain number of hours everyday or having just one meal some days per week, helps the body burn fat. For instance,you may try eating during an 8-hour window and fast the rest of the time, or you may choose to eat just one meal a day, twice a week.
When the body runs out of food, ‘metabolic switching’ happens: the body depletes its sugar reserves and begins burning fat, leading to weight loss.
It is always best to consult with a doctor or healthcare practitioner if this method of weight management is best for you.
Hunger-suppressing medication
Certain medications help people who have obesity shed the pounds by making them feel less hungry, or full sooner.6
One such medication is tirzepatide. This has been found to improve blood sugar control and promote a feeling of fullness. This leads to less food consumption and less body weight.
This medication is also used to treat type 2 diabetes, which can occur as a side effect of obesity.7
It’s important to note that medication can’t replace exercise and good eating habits when it comes to weight loss. Rather, these work best when done together with a lifestyle program.6
Surgery8
Various types of surgery for weight loss exist, depending on what you and your doctor determine is most suited for you.
A gastric sleeve is when most of your stomach is removed, lessening the food that can fit in it, and leading you to feel full faster.
Similarly, a gastric bypass is when your stomach is stapled to make your stomach smaller. Your small intestine is also halved, and the surgeon attaches the lower portion to the small stomach pouch. In this way, food bypasses much of the stomach and upper small intestine, resulting in less absorbed calories.
Key Takeaways
To find out what works best for you, consult with your dietitian or physician.
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