Are you looking for a way to lose weight more effectively? Dieting is a lifelong task for men and women of all ages. As you spend more time at home since the pandemic, you will more likely gain weight and become lethargic.
For your health, it is important to maintain an appropriate weight for your height. Let’s find out what makes you gain weight and how to effectively lose weight!
Discover Your BMI (Body Mass Index)
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of your body size.
BMI Calculation:
Visit the CDC website to use BMI Calculator (Click on the Link)
How to interpret your score:
In general, a higher BMI is associated with a higher quantity of body fat. Excessive body fat can be associated with certain health conditions like diabetes and hypertension.
Calculation of BMI may not be appropriate for certain athletes, muscle builders, pregnant women, the elderly, or children because, for these individuals, weight may not necessarily reflect the amount of body fat. For example, an athlete may have a higher BMI due to their increased muscle mass and not because of increased body fat.
Ultimately, BMI is only a screening tool and does not definitively diagnose the health of an individual. To determine if your BMI poses specific health risks for you, you should consult with your doctor. Your doctor may consider other parts of your medical history and may run additional testing. Common tests include lab values such as blood cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels.
Why Am I Gaining Weight (post-pandemic)?
If you fall into the overweight or obese category, you need to try to lose weight to an appropriate level through various methods. Before implementing different dieting methods, it’s important to know why your appetite increases and you gain weight first.
1. Check Your Grocery Lists
How often do you go grocery shopping? Do you usually buy packaged food that can be stored longer instead of fresh ingredients? Foods stored for such a long time contain a lot of salt, sugar, and fat, and this is the main culprit for gaining weight.
2. Stress Leads to Weight Gain
Some people crave more food when they are stressed out. Eating carbohydrates produces a lot of hormones called serotonin, which makes you feel better. In addition, the higher the GI level (which indicates the rate at which carbohydrates affect blood sugar), the better you feel, so you keep reaching for it.
3. Risk Factors
Besides your lifestyle habits and environment, age, family history, race, and other genetic/socio-economic factors may contribute to weight gain. People who do not exercise regularly or eat unhealthy meals are at higher risk of obesity. In addition, the obesity rate of low-income people is increasing because eating a lot of unhealthy foods that are cheaper economically is easy to gain weight.
Gender is another risk factor. When you are stressed, it is more common for women to refresh themselves by eating or drinking, which leads to obesity. On the other hand, men tend to relieve stress by consuming alcohol or smoking.
How to Lose Weight
1. Setting a regular mealtime
Eating irregular meals and a lot of late-night snacks makes the stomach work nonstop. Make sure your stomach can rest and eat regularly at intervals of 4 to 5 hours. These eating habits help your digestive health and restore your biological rhythm to help you sleep comfortably.
2. A balanced diet
The quality of your meal is also important. Consciously increase your intake of fresh vegetables even once a day, and try high-quality protein. Instead of eating out, try cooking yourself so you can reduce the amount of sugar, salt, and seasonings.
3. Eat healthier snacks Replace cola with tea bags, and candy or chocolate with nuts. Be careful of false hunger signals so that you don’t eat habitually!