Weight loss can be a challenging journey, especially for women with families who often face unique lifestyle and dietary demands. Texas’ obesity rate of 35.8% is the 12th worst in the nation, but this isn’t a surprise to many locals. Native Texan mom Samina Hargrove explains how she grew up with limited access to healthy foods. Junk food is cheaper, and the closest thing to a grocery store from her house is a gas station or a Dollar General. Hargrove admits that these conditions change “the way you think about the food that you eat and what’s good and what’s not good becomes based on what you have access to.”
It doesn’t help that there is plenty of misinformation on the internet on how to lose weight. While efforts such as calorie counting are commonly employed, many individuals find that they don’t always lead to the desired results. In this article, we will explore why traditional approaches to weight loss may not always be effective and delve into science-backed strategies for weight loss techniques to help you reach your fitness goals.
Challenges of traditional weight loss methods
The practice of calorie counting can be appealing to those on a budget because its principle seems to bank on the quantity of food consumed. This implies that families can eat whichever meal is available, so as long as the overall food consumption falls within the appropriate calorie count.
It is correct that all foods in equal amounts may be isocaloric. However, this does not mean that they are all isometabolic. Simply monitoring calorie intake doesn’t account for the quality and nutrient composition of the food consumed. If you obtain your daily calories only from sugars and refined carbohydrates without adequate intake of protein, huge rises in blood sugars will result. This will lead to increased insulin spikes and increased fat storage — as opposed to if you were to include a healthy balance of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
It’s also key to remember that each person’s metabolism differs. Factors such as genetics or hormonal imbalances can impact weight loss outcomes. This makes it challenging to rely solely on generic calorie guidelines. Oftentimes, these short-term restrictive diets focus on temporary fixes, leading to weight regain in the long run.
Science-backed strategies for effective weight loss
There are other strategies that are as accessible as calorie counting while also being scientifically proven to help with weight loss. A great place to start is by paying attention to portion sizes. Unlike calorie counting, paying attention to portion sizes means making sure that you have the right “portions” of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. This prevents you from depriving yourself while still helping you maintain a calorie deficit. At the same time, this ensures that you obtain your nutritional requirements because it is easier to introduce a diversity of foods in each meal.
You can supplement your diet with exercise too! In our previous blog post on fitness goals, we explained how starting each morning with a workout class at the gym can give you an extra boost of energy. It also helps you make fitness a priority activity until getting up a little earlier to work out eventually becomes a habit. You can also involve your family in physical activities, such as going for walks together or playing active games to make fitness a shared experience.
In some cases, lifestyle modifications may not be enough for healthy and sustainable weight loss due to underlying biological mechanisms such as genes and hormones. Consequently, medical weight loss interventions are recommended by healthcare professionals, mainly through prescription medication that address your biology and help regulate appetite. These FDA-approved medications, however, can only be prescribed if you meet certain body mass index (BMI) and medical requirements. They can take the form of tablets or injections, and must also be complemented with a lifestyle program for diet and exercise to help achieve an average of 15% clinically significant weight loss.
This means that although Ozempic has recently become popular in weight loss circles, it is not meant to be taken for chronic weight management. Ozempic may contain the GLP-1 semaglutide for appetite regulation, but it’s technically medication for diabetes and remains excluded from FDA’s approved weight loss medications. In an interview with PEOPLE, Texan mom Natasha Robinson even stresses that the trend of using Ozempic for weight loss is causing the medication to be more inaccessible for those who actually need the drug to address insulin resistance. Ultimately, it’s best to consult with your physician for the proper medical approach to your weight loss journey.
Weight loss can be challenging, but with the right approach, you can improve the overall health and well-being of you and your family members. Be patient with your progress, and you can eventually boost your and your family’s long term health.
