Weight loss is a decrease in the total body mass due to loss of fluid, adipose tissue and lean mass from the body. It has basic two types.
Two types of weight loss:
●Unintentional weight loss: This is the decrease in total body mass that isn’t voluntary. It occurs in many disease conditions including some serious diseases such as cancer, AIDS, diabetes and starvation. Cancers which are to be suspected in patients with unexplained weight loss includes: gastrointestinal, prostrate, pancreatic and ovarian cancers. AIDS can cause weight loss and should be suspected in high- risk individuals (immune deficient individuals). Diabetes can cause weight loss when insufficient amount of insulin in the bloodsteam triggers the release of triglycerides from the adipose (fat) tissue and breakdown of amino acids in the muscle tissue. This in turn results in a loss of both fat and lean mass leading to a significant decrease in total body weight. Starvation which is a state of extreme hunger resulting from the lack of essential body nutrients over a prolonged period of time can lead to a decrease in total body mass.
●Intentional weight loss: It refers to the loss of total body mass in an effort to improve health and body fitness possibly achieving desired body structure. Therapeutic weight loss in individuals who are obese can decrease the possibility of developing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and cancer. Attention to diet in particular can be beneficial in lowering the impact of diabetes and other health risks of an obese individual. Note, it is uncommon for some people who are currently at their ideal body weight to seek additional weight loss in order to improve athletic performance. Notably, being underweight is associated with health risks such as decreased muscle strength, osteoporosis, difficulty in fighting off infection and increased risk of death. However, there are many diet plans and recipes that can be helpful for weight loss. Diet plans are generally designed according to recommended caloric intake by specialists.
Dietary Plans and Recipes for weight loss:
Eat heart healthy diets:
●Choose fibre rich foods(whole grains eg: maize, wheat, rice, millet, guinea corn, rolled oats,whole rye etc) as main sources of carbohydrates along with a high intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Legumes like walnuts have cholesterol lowering properties and are good sources of antioxidants and alpha-linolenic acid.
●Avoid saturated fatty foods found mostly in animal products and hydrogenated fats example: cream cheese, butter, kidney , liver, egg yolk, custard, coconut oil, palm oil, whole milk products(full cream milk) etc.
●In selecting proteinous foods to eat, choose beans, lean meats (poultry meat) and fish. Note: White meat like (poultry meat) have lower cholesterol content than Red meat (beef, mutton etc). Thus, white meat is much more preferable.
Note: Weight loss and its degree is proportional to the amount of triglycerides and cholesterol levels in the body. Ideally, dieting should be done by eating a nutritionally balanced,low calorie diet and increasing physical body activity.The safest method to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume.
Weight loss tips: One pound of fat contain nearly 3,500 calories, so to lose one pound a week, a person should consume approximately 3,500 fewer calories per week. This can be done by reducing daily intake by 500 calories per day (500 × 7 days) will give a deficient of 3,500 calories per week Thus, this can be achieved more effectively by combining increased physical activity and reduced calorie intake on daily basis. Therefore you don’t need to deprive yourself of food in other to lose weight. The lowest intake per day recommended for women is 1,200 calories while for men it is 1,500 calories per day. A very low calorie diet can be used by men and women who are under medical supervision by specialists.
Important Tips for Preventing Weight Gain:
●Drink more water like 8-10 glasses of water each day. This helps flush the body impurities and fats in the body.
●Avoid foods that are high in fats eg: butter, cheese, and Carbohydrates eg: cassava, potato, garri etc.
●Reduce alcohol intake.
●Break up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller ones. This will help to speed up your body metabolism and keep you from getting too hungry in between meals.
●Cleanse and detoxify your body system. This means to get rid of harmful toxins and chemicals in the body like insecticides, lead and other harmful substances while allowing the body to function normally. This in turn can be achieved by eating a medicinal fruit called Acai Berry which aids in cleansing the body system from harmful impurities.
●Avoid sweat (sugary) drinks like Coke, Mountain dew, Sprite etc.
Avoid sedentary lifestyle by increasing your activity level:
●Perform aerobic exercise like running, jugging and jumping for at least 30 minutes daily, 3 times a week.
●Increase your physical activity by walking rather than driving.
●Climb stairs rather than using elevator.
●Engage yourself in early morning exercise and consult a specialist before choosing an exercise program.
●Find a hobby eg: take up knitting or painting to keep your hands busy.
Medicinal Leaf Extracts for Body Weight Loss:
●Olive leaf extract (used for making Olive tea) : It helps in getting rid of obesity. The best way to consume this extact is to boil the crushed leaves in about 5 litres of water and drink the tea(extract) about 5 to 6 times daily for complete benefit. It also cures stomach discomfort like ulcer and provides immunity against disease causing germs in the body.
●Green tea extract: It can also be prepared with hot or boiled water. It contains polyphenol compounds called Catechins which stimulate the body to burn calories and decrease body fats. This substance in Green tea has antioxidant, anticancerous and antiviral properties and can be used in curing cancer.
●Bitter leaf extract: It can be prepared with either cold or boiled water.It has hypoglycaemic properties which helps in reducing the sugar level in the blood and also repairs impaired pancrease. It also has hypolipidaemic properties which helps the liver in maintaining optimum health function by releasing bile salts involved in fat digestion when we eat fatty foods.
However, there are other ways by which weight loss can be achieved. It includes:
Drug therapy: This technique (method) involves the use of drugs and supplements that reduce appetite and block fat absorption in the body. Many classes of drugs including statins, L-carnitine, bile acid sequestrants and nicotinic acid are available to not only reduce cholesterol but improve overall cholesterol profile in the body. However in advanced countries, Bariatric surgery can be used to artificially reduce the size of human stomach, thus limiting the rate of food intake which can also assist in loss of body weight.