Health & Beauty

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT – AND KEEP IT OFF

As we emerge from lockdown, Dr Tanja Harrison – programme leader on obesity and weight management at the University of Chester – gives us some tips to tackle those expanded waistlines

Are you among the many that did their fair share of comfort eating over this past year (or even before that)? Does the waistband feel just that bit tighter now? Or do your summer clothes seem to have shrunk? Rather than splashing out on a new wardrobe, you may want to go back to feeling (and dressing) like your former self. At this stage it is very tempting to follow a quickfix crash diet just in time for the holiday next month. However, our bodies often sabotage this kind of weight loss and even if we lose those extra pounds, the weight can come back on – and more.

Our bodies have one major job: to provide us with enough energy to keep us alive. This is a system that serves us well when we are battling a illness (or when we’re stranded on a desert island). The problem is that our bodies do not know the difference between losing weight because of illness or starvation and losing weight because we are on a calorie-restricted diet. This means that after a while our bodies become better at preserving energy and holding on to body fat. Suddenly a jog around the block expends less energy than before our successful diet, so we require fewer calories than before and can end up overeating again. The successful diet is no longer successful.

What can we do about this?

Slowly does it. Think tortoise rather than hare. It is better to improve the quality of the food that we eat rather than simply focusing on calories as a quick fix. One way of doing this is by incorporating more fruit and vegetables in our diet, for example by snacking on fresh pineapple rather than a chocolate biscuit. This way not only are we consuming fewer calories, but we are also eating more fibre, which will help us not to feel hungry again quite so soon. Calcium-rich foods such as dairy products, fortified plant milks (check the label!), seeds and some dark green leafy vegetables have also shown promising results for weight loss. A part of the calcium is thought to bind to fat in the gut, meaning we absorb less of it (and so fewer calories). These foods also give you lots of extra vitamins and minerals.

The bottom line

Ultimately, the priority should be to eat more healthily in order to feel better. Going slow and steady and decreasing your energy intake gradually by eating more of the authentically colourful foods (think fruit and veggies) and less of the artificially colourful foods (think chocolate-coated

“Improve the quality of the food you eat” peanuts and sweets) will tell your body that you are not on the brink of starvation.

This will give it time to adjust and successful weight loss can turn into successful weight maintenance. And there’s no better time to start sharing those wonderful colourful meals together with loved ones, now that we can spend time with family and friends freely again!

Eat colourful, fi bre-rich foods

Myth buster

Whether you’re a buffer or a nibbler, here’s the truth behind myths about nails

1It’s harmless to cut your cuticles Most of us don’t think twice before pushing back our cuticles or allowing a technician to cut them, but they are there to keep bacteria out. When you trim them away, you risk infection or nail problems. Instead of trimming them, keep them soft with moisturiser so they continue to act as a natural barrier.

2White spots indicate a calcium deficiency This is one of the most persistent nail myths but more often than not, white marks are actually the result of nail trauma: picking, biting, a bad gel or acrylic manicure, using nail tools improperly or any other damage to the nail can cause white spots, which are harmless and grow out. The NHS says: “White spots or streaks are normal and nothing to worry about, but parallel white lines that extend all the way across the nails, known as Muehrcke’s lines, are a sign of low levels of protein in the blood.”

3Men’s nails grow faster than women’s This one’s true – although the difference is hardly mind-blowing. A study found that men’s nails tend to grow faster; they also discovered that the nail on our pinky grows slowest and that fingernails grow much faster than toenails.