How to Lose Weight – The Best Steps to Take

How to Lose Weight – The Best Steps to Take

Obesity is an increasingly common condition in the UK. It affects approximately 1 in 4 adults and is generally when you have a high body fat percentage. Keep reading to learn our top weight loss tips & exercise ideas to help you lose weight in a way that’s right for you.

Is your Weight Healthy? – When to Seek Weight Loss Tips & Exercise

Body mass index (BMI) is the most used measure to assess if your weight is healthy. It considers your weight against your height. In most cases, BMI is useful to assess healthy weight but it should not be used in more muscular people as it may not be accurate.

The below values will help you interpret your BMI:

• 18 to 24.9 generally means you’re a healthy weight
• 25 to 29.9 generally means you’re overweight
• 30 to 39.9 generally means you’re obese
• 40 or more generally means you’re considered severely obese.

You can calculate your BMI using the NHS calculator.

What Causes Obesity?

Obesity can be caused by different factors. Most commonly it is seen when consuming on average more calories daily than your body requires. These extra calories are stored within the body as fat, increasing your weight and leading to obesity.

There are also medical reasons for weight increase, including thyroid problems, as well as certain medications such as steroids, and heart, liver and kidney problems amongst others. If you suffer from unexplained weight gain please speak to your GP as you may require further investigations.

Risks of Obesity

Obesity will increase your risk of the following conditions amongst others:

• Asthma
• Acid reflux
• Coronary heart disease including high cholesterol.
• Certain types of cancer including breast and bowel cancer
• Depression and low self-esteem
• Liver and kidney disease
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes

Weight Loss Tips & Exercise Methods

There are several methods to help you lose weight. In most cases using a combination of methods is the only way to effectively lose weight and prevent regaining weight. Weight loss should be a gradual process, and you are unlikely to see quick changes.

1. Diet

You should initially always implement a lower-calorie diet when attempting to lose weight. There are various diet plans available across the internet and in books which often complicate things. Initially, it is best to take simple steps to help modify your diet.

Regular meals

You may think skipping meals is an effective way to lose weight. But this method in most cases will not be effective. Most people when skipping a meal will end up overeating later in the day which ultimately leads to weight gain. If you eat regular well-balanced meals this will limit hunger and will regulate your metabolism.

Running a calorie deficit

You may believe that you need to consume very little food and calories to lose weight. This is in fact not completely true as in most cases you only need to consume fewer calories than your body uses up to lose weight (known as the calorie deficit.) Many individuals make the mistake of setting their calorie deficit too large and this often leads to increased hunger and can increase the risk of their weight loss plan failing. You should slowly increase the deficit to allow your body time to adapt.

Counting your calories

Men and women have a different number of average calories required for weight maintenance per day. Online you will find many approximations of how many calories you need to maintain or lose weight. The true reality is it will be very different for each individual depending upon gender, age, weight, and physical activity among other things. In most cases, if the average weight loss per week is more than 2 pounds (0.9kg) it is likely too quick and harder to maintain in the long term. Counting calories is now easier than ever with almost all foods listing calories and now even most restaurants in the UK have to display calories contained in each meal.

Not just calories

Although counting calories is very important in any weight loss plan it is important to ensure you are not consuming foods that meet your target in terms of calories but are high in fat as this is likely to work against your weight loss efforts.

Balanced diet

You should implement a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables – alongside ensuring you maintain a good protein intake. Ensure you also drink plenty of water as quenching thirst can often relieve your hunger at times.

2. Joining support groups

You may find that joining a local weight loss group is helpful to your weight loss experience. Many people find it useful to discuss their weight loss plans with others who are trying to reach similar goals. This can lead to higher levels of motivation and encouragement and can lead to better outcomes.

3. Physical activity 

You must be physically active along with a healthy diet to maximise the chances of weight loss. Physical activity and a well-balanced healthy diet are a powerful combination to help you reach your weight loss goals.

You may need to build up your physical activity levels depending upon your exercise tolerance or fitness, but it can also be helpful to choose an activity that you enjoy. This may include swimming, jogging, football, and tennis amongst many others – the choice is yours. When trying to lose weight you must implement as much physical activity as possible each week but generally, 2.5 to 5 hours of strenuous exercise would be a good target. Remember to ensure on exercise days to consume extra calories as this may otherwise lead to increased hunger and can again lead to a failure in your weight loss plan.

4. Treatments to work alongside weight loss tips & exercise 

Licensed treatment options are available to help in weight loss. However, you should not use these before you have attempted to lose weight through both diet and physical activity together. If weight loss tips and exercise alone have not worked, then you may be able to consider weight loss treatments.

There are currently two main licensed treatment options available to aid weight loss:

• Weight loss tablets – These work by blocking enzymes in the stomach responsible for breaking down and absorbing fat. This reduces the amount of fat absorbed by the body which in turn aids weight loss.
• Weight Management Pen – The medication within this treatment mimics a hormone released by the body. It helps to reduce appetite which can lead to lower calorie intake and ultimately weight loss

You should only use treatment options alongside a healthy balanced diet and physical activity. Using treatments without these changes usually leads to poor or very little impact on weight loss.

If after trying treatment options you have not experienced any significant weight loss, you may need to speak to your GP to consider further options.

Conclusion

You may be considering weight loss but often it can be very difficult to start and being without support can make your weight loss journey feel lonely. At WePrescribe we are committed to helping you in your weight loss journey and offer you both advice and treatments to help you begin your journey to improved health outcomes.