Ten Answers on Weight Loss

Here's a quick compilation of the questions I have received over the years on weight loss:

1. How to lose weight? Eat in a calorie deficit.
2. Is weight loss easy? Yes, with the right guidance and support, most people can lose weight.
3. Why do people find it difficult? Because most people gain back the weight they lost. More than half of the lost weight is regained within two years and by five years, more than 80% (KD Hall). Due to this, fewer people are now trying to lose weight, and many believe it is a futile endeavour in the first place.?
4. Why does this happen? When people exercise, they start eating a lot more, and they also become more inactive during the day. Whereas daily activity over and above exercise is a bigger contributor to fat loss. Lastly, people use crash diets and unsustainable methods, which can’t be maintained in the long term. Crash dieting also leads to muscle loss which reduces the metabolic rate and makes it difficult to keep the lost weight off. In the absence of a disease, the biggest reason of all is choosing short-term, rapid weight loss hacks instead of long-term sustainable change.?
5. How to prevent regaining lost weight? Make sustainable lifestyle changes for the rest of your life, not just for weight loss. Eat a balanced diet, eat enough protein, exercise, and stay active throughout the day. Don’t be an active couch potato.?
6. How to lose only fat and not muscle? Calorie deficit, stay active, & and eat more protein. Additionally for diabetes prevention and prediabetes remission (for Indians), keep fat around 25%, protein 20% and carbs <55% of total energy intake. 80% of your carb intake should be complex carbs. Aim to get 25-40 grams of fibre per day based on your individual tolerance levels.
7. Why should I preserve muscle mass? While excess body fat has health hazards, so does the erosion of muscle. When we try to lose weight some amount of muscle loss will also happen. But if you lose excess muscle due to a sedentary lifestyle, even if you lose weight, you end up paying with precious gold to buy a little bit of copper. It doesn’t make good financial sense, as now weight loss becomes highly overpriced. With physical activity, you get a much better deal.
8. Which type of exercise is best to lose fat but not muscle? Resistance training is best for muscle growth. Cardio for fat loss. A combination of both gives the best of both. This combo also has THE STRONGEST evidence for diabetes prevention.
9. Can I start with walking or yoga? YES! When you’re a beginner and have been sedentary, you’ll gain muscle with any activity, even walking or yoga. So don’t overwhelm yourself when starting out. Anything will work as long as it is new or slightly challenging.
10. How much weight is safe to lose? Weight losses of 5-10% over 6 months are considered safe. Weight loss >1.3kg a week is not advisable. and around 0.5 to 1 kg/week is considered manageable. A lot depends on your initial starting weight.?

Please also remember that weight loss is not linear; it will vary week on week. So, while weight loss is important, instead of hyperfocussing on it, start looking at other markers of well-being as well - your mood, energy levels, blood sugar, lipid profile, etc. Only tracking your weight can be highly demotivating, so put the lifestyle changes in place and then choose more numbers or markers to track or measure progress - whatever keeps you motivated :)

For more evidence-based insights and tips on health and well-being, you can join my WhatsApp group here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/BeBlJSY1vxjI7AIjXlhnJA