Weight Loss the Healthy Way

Being overweight and eating foods that aren’t good for us raise the risk of many serious conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and some cancers, according to Julie Grett, NP-C, Prowers Medical Center Family Nurse Practitioner.

“Many people know they would be healthier if they could lose a few pounds,” she said. “I often talk to my patients about the importance of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, but I also know that weight loss can be hard.”

Grett offered a few tips to help you lose weight sustainably and achieve better health. She advises everyone to check with their medical providers before beginning any diet or exercise plan.

Avoid Refined Foods

The best way to attain a healthy weight is to focus on lean meats, whole grains and complex, unrefined carbohydrates. This will prevent unwanted spikes in blood sugar and aid in a slow, steady release of glucose.

Grett suggested choosing unrefined foods over refined foods when you have the choice. Refined foods (white bread, pasta, pizza dough, sugary breakfast cereals, pastries, and white rice, just to name a few) have been stripped of nutrients and fiber. They are digested quickly and leave us feeling hungry again a short time later.

What’s more, junk ingredients are often added to refined foods, such as sugars and preservatives. Sugar is in everything from ice cream to spaghetti sauce. Learn how to recognize it. It is listed on the label as fructose, glucose, lactose, sucrose, maple syrup, corn syrup or cane sugar, to name a few.

“I recommend limiting sugar or avoiding it like the plague,” Grett said.

Lose Fat, Not Muscle

Not all weight loss is good weight loss. It’s possible to lose muscle mass if nutrition isn’t planned for along with calorie restriction and exercise.

To maintain muscle while losing fat, incorporate some strength training into your routine, Grett said. This will help you keep the muscle that you already have or increase it if you have more fat than muscle. Getting enough of the right kind of protein is also important. Above all, avoid starving yourself.

Use Medications with Caution

Grett has seen that weight loss drugs like Ozempic can be quite helpful in the treatment of diabetes, with the added benefit of curbing appetite and therefore promoting weight loss.

“But it’s essential to eat well and get physical activity while using these drugs,” she added. “Too little food can be harmful, and too little exercise will not give you the results that you are hoping to achieve. Also, people using these medications should always be monitored by a health care professional because there are risks and side effects.”

Think Lifestyle Change

Healthy weight loss is sustainable, Grett emphasized. First, be realistic about the amount of weight to lose. Second, go slowly. Losing one to two pounds per week offers a better chance of keeping the weight off long-term.

In addition, exercise regularly. Begin with 150 minutes of cardio weekly, then increase slowly and safely. Try not to eat after 7 pm, and avoid snacking on sugary, salty or fatty foods. Get plenty of sleep, and manage stress with deep breathing and/or meditation.

“Thinking about weight loss as a lifestyle change and not as a diet is key,” Grett said. “When you look at it from a health-maintenance perspective, it becomes more than just a personal desire to lose weight. It becomes a commitment to remain as healthy as possible, not only for yourself but for those you love.”