Shape up for summer without crash dieting

As the weather warms up and you eye your summer wardrobe, you may feel a pang of remorse when recalling all the roast dinners and steamed puddings you ate over winter.

It is normal to gain some weight over winter – cold weather makes us hungrier and the foods we eat are richer and higher in kilojoules. However, in warmer weather, our appetites usually reduce and we eat lighter foods – so most people naturally lose any extra weight as summer arrives.

But if you overindulged with extra helpings of your favourite dishes and didn’t get enough exercise over the winter months, you may have put on more weight than you can easily and safely lose. And while it is a good idea to aim long term for a healthy bodyweight, when your waist bands are tight and extra rolls appear in unsightly places, it’s easy to panic and go on a crash diet. 

Dieting dangers

You will lose weight if you follow most diets – it’s inevitable if you consume fewer kilojoules than your body uses. However, when you return to normal eating habits, it’s likely you will regain the lost weight, plus more. This is when people begin another diet, which starts the cycle all over again – a phenomenon known as ‘yo-yo’ dieting.

This kind of short term ‘quick-fix’ dieting is only successful if you maintain it long term – which is difficult, if not impossible, for most people. It’s also dangerous to your health to constantly gain and lose weight. Yo-yo dieting slows down your metabolism, which means your body burns less energy, or kilojoules. In effect, the message your body gets from drastic dieting is that it is being starved – so it conserves as much energy as possible. When you go back to normal eating, or overeating, it stores away as much energy as possible for the next period of starvation, or dieting.

There is also a risk of depriving your body of vital nutrients and energy during the period of dieting. This compromises your health – you may feel tired and weak and be more at risk of becoming sick.

And although the scales may be telling you that you have lost weight during a crash diet, the weight you lose can include muscle mass, as well as fat. Muscle burns energy, so losing muscle mass means you have less chance of losing more weight. If you regain weight, it is likely to be fat that you put on, and not muscle.

Lifestyle changes

The way to lose weight and keep it off is through lifestyle changes you can maintain long term.

It is a good idea to first visit your doctor or nutritionist to check your overall health. Then discuss a healthy weight for you. Many health professionals use body mass index (BMI) as a guide. However, it is important to realise BMI reflects the height and weight of the average population only – it does not account for lots of muscle or if your body type doesn’t fit ‘the average’. For example, a rugby player or person with a larger build may be ‘obese’ according to the BMI scale, which may not be the case. A nutritionist or fitness professional can discuss other methods of assessing a personal healthy weight goal.

What’s healthy?

A good way to take a close look at what you eat is by keeping a food diary. Many people are surprised when they look at what they really eat, as opposed to what they think they eat, after keeping a record for a week or two. It is easy to forget the extra helping at dinner on Monday, the biscuits for morning tea on Wednesday or the glasses of wine at the end of the week.

Ultimately, slow and steady weight loss – always safer for your health and more likely to be permanent – is achieved by consuming less energy than you need. This means reducing your kilojoule intake and exercising more. However, it doesn’t mean starving or denying yourself – it simply means making healthier food choices.

Fats, sugars and salt

While it’s a good idea to reduce foods containing lots of fat and sugar, you don’t have to cut them out completely. In fact, your body needs some ‘good fats’ for essential nutrients. Good fats include those found in:

• avocado
• vegetable oils
• oily fish
• nuts and seeds.

Try to cut down on foods high in fat – particularly saturated fat such as in cheese, butter, and fatty meats – and avoid fried foods and takeaways. Processed and takeaway foods often also contain a lot of salt.

It is best to source sugar naturally from fruits and vegetables, which are also packed with important nutrients and fibre. However, don’t deny yourself the odd chocolate or glass of wine. By denying treats altogether, you may end ‘blowing out’ and overeating or bingeing on them.

Try to remember, moderation and eating a wide variety of foods is the key to healthy eating. There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods – try to think of foods as ‘everyday’ or ‘sometimes’ foods to get them in perspective.

Fruit and vegetables

Most health professionals recommend eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables every day. You can include frozen and canned foods – which can be cheaper and just as healthy. Try to eat a wide variety of red, green and yellow fruits and vegetables, and those in season. If you find this difficult to achieve, aim to include a small helping of these foods every time you eat a meal or snack. As you get used to this, you can gradually increase your fruit and vegetable portions.

Protein

Good sources of protein include lean meat, fish, eggs, legumes such as beans and lentils, and nuts and seeds. Use the span and width of your palm as a guide to portion size for most protein foods.

Cereals and grains

Bread, cereals, rice and pasta, which are complex carbohydrates, are important sources of energy and nutrients. New Zealand men and women get about half their energy from eating carbohydrates says the Ministry of Health 2003 report Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Adults. It’s very important to include them in an average healthy diet. Try to choose wholegrain products.

Dairy

Dairy food is an excellent source of calcium and is an important part of the average diet. Choose low-fat milk, cheese and yoghurt.

Exercise

You don’t have to join a gym or spend lots of money on exercise. Walking, gardening and housework are all good ways to get active. Go to you local park with friends and take a ball – you’ll be amazed how much fun you can have while being active.

The Ministry of Health recommends healthy adults exercise moderately for about 30 minutes each day, with some added vigorous activity for extra fitness and health. See your doctor before you begin an exercise programme, and start off slowly if you are unfit. 

The benefits of exercise include:

• a healthier, stronger body
• helping you achieve a healthy weight
• helping you concentrate
• improved sleep
• improved mental and emotional health
• a lower risk of many illnesses.

Positive self-image

Sometimes it’s difficult to feel good about your body if you are overweight and unfit, especially when media images of super-slim women and muscle-bound men are everywhere and are touted as ideal.

Although achieving a healthy weight and being fit and strong contribute to good self-esteem, there are many other aspects that make up who you are.

Take time to consider what else is important to you, aside from your physical appearance. Family, friends, your job and interests are all important factors in your life. Ideas to boost your morale and empower you include:

• take up a new hobby
• spend quality time with family and friends
• get involved in your community
• help someone who needs it – a child with homework or an elderly neighbour to do chores
• raise money for a worthy cause
• learn a new language
• take up dancing
• join a sports team
• explore philosophy and religion
• study to further or change your career.

Stay motivated

Measuring your progress will keep you motivated to reach your healthy weight goal. There are many ways to do this:

• weigh yourself – once a month is plenty to indicate overall weight loss
• measure around your waist, chest, arms and legs each month 
• take note of how your clothes fit
• acknowledge comments and compliments about weight loss and healthy appearance from family and friends
• notice the improvement in your ability to exercise
• notice your increased energy levels.

Try to stay focused by surrounding yourself with positive people and ignore unhealthy and unrealistic body images in the media. It’s crucial to realise there are many body types, and some people are naturally bigger or smaller.

Most importantly, develop a relationship with your body – learn to listen to when it is hungry and when it is full. Your body is the best self-regulator and will let you know exactly what it needs when you learn to trust it.

Original material provided by everybody. Reviewed by Jacquie Dale, Real Nutrition, September 2008.