Introduction to Weight Loss and Nutrition
- Victor Shen
- Mar 6, 2022
- 3 min read
Importance of Losing Weight:
● Increased risk of heart failure: the heart needs to pump harder in people who are overweight. Like other muscles in your body, the heart will get bigger. However, it will eventually not be able to get any bigger or stronger to pump the amount of blood your body needs. This is “heart failure.”
● Fat in your body doesn’t just sit there and do nothing. They act as signals and tells your body to release things that can negatively impact your health.
○ Fat can signal your body to release things that make your blood clot easier, increasing your risk of stroke.
○ Fat can also tell your body to release more sugar, leading to diabetes
○ Fat can tell your body to retain more fluids, leading to high blood pressure
[1],[2],[3]
What can help me lose weight?
1. The bottom line is that you must consume less calories than you burn. Otherwise, the extra calories will be turned into fat. [4]
2. Track what you eat. Studies have shown that significant weight loss occurs more often when participants track what they ate at least 5 days of the week. [5]
3. Diet is just as important as exercise. Exercise alone won’t lead to significant weight loss. Studies have shown that exercise without dietary intervention only led to small weight loss. Without watching diet, people in the study lost an average of 3.5lbs over 6-12 months when doing a moderate intensity exercise program. [6]
How do I know how much calories I’m consuming and track them?
Apps such as MyFitnessPal can help you track what you eat, and it will tell you the nutrition in your food.
What nutrients do I need to keep an eye on when dieting?
Fat, carbohydrates, and proteins. You might’ve heard the phrase of “tracking macros.” They are talking about tracking these three nutrients. These three nutrients give you energy and make up the “calories” in your food.
[Note: fibers are good carbohydrates. Your body doesn’t break down fiber for energy. They act like a scrub to clean your body.]
After looking at fat, carbohydrates, and proteins, it’s important to look at sodium and cholesterol.
● Sodium causes your body to retain fluid and can raise your blood pressure
● Cholesterol is a waxy and can clog your blood, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Warning: Eggs are a popular food when dieting but it is high in cholesterol. 1 egg has 187mg of cholesterol, while 1 serving of chicken breast or salmon typically has around 100mg of cholesterol. The American Heart Foundation recommends eating only up to 6 eggs per week if you’re at risk for heart disease. However, most healthy people can include eggs as a part of their normal diet. [7], [8], [9], [10], [11].
Conclusion: When trying to lose weight, it’s important to develop a healthier eating habit and tracking what you eat. Exercise is something that can help, but exercise alone won’t help you lose significant weight.
Sources:
1. Conway B, Rene A. Obesity as a disease: no lightweight matter. Obes Rev. 2004 Aug;5(3):145-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2004.00144.x. PMID: 15245383.
2. Landsberg L, Aronne LJ, Beilin LJ, Burke V, Igel LI, Lloyd-Jones D, Sowers J. Obesity-related hypertension: pathogenesis, cardiovascular risk, and treatment: a position paper of The Obesity Society and the American Society of Hypertension. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2013 Jan;15(1):14-33. doi: 10.1111/jch.12049. Epub 2012 Dec 18. PMID: 23282121; PMCID: PMC8108268.
3. Lavie CJ, Milani RV, Ventura HO. Obesity and cardiovascular disease: risk factor, paradox, and impact of weight loss. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009 May 26;53(21):1925-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2008.12.068. PMID: 19460605.
4. Rolls BJ, Bell EA. Dietary approaches to the treatment of obesity. Med Clin North Am. 2000 Mar;84(2):401-18, vi. doi: 10.1016/s0025-7125(05)70228-5. PMID: 10793649.
5. Ingels JS, Misra R, Stewart J, Lucke-Wold B, Shawley-Brzoska S. The Effect of Adherence to Dietary Tracking on Weight Loss: Using HLM to Model Weight Loss over Time. J Diabetes Res. 2017;2017:6951495. doi:10.1155/2017/6951495
6. Thorogood A, Mottillo S, Shimony A, Filion KB, Joseph L, Genest J, Pilote L, Poirier P, Schiffrin EL, Eisenberg MJ. Isolated aerobic exercise and weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Med. 2011 Aug;124(8):747-55. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2011.02.037. PMID: 21787904.
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