Strategies For Effective Weight Loss

Being overweight or obese is associated with many health risks and may even be linked to emotional and social problems. Therefore, to live optimally, we need to maintain optimal weight. Health care providers use the body mass index (BMI) to screen for overweight and obesity in adults. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. Use the BMI calculator here to check if you are of healthy weight. 

Health Risks Of Being Overweight

People who are overweight or obese are at increased risk of many severe degenerative diseases and chronic health conditions. For instance, overweight people have an 80% chance of developing diabetes. Diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, nerve damage, and other health complications. 

Being overweight also predisposes you to high blood pressure, also a precursor to heart disease and strokes, the top 2 leading causes of death worldwide. In addition, overweight people are prone to developing osteoarthritis due to extra pressure on the joints and cartilage. It causes pain, swelling, and reduced mobility in the joints. The American Cancer Society also reported that being overweight or having obesity is linked with a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer. 

Being overweight and obese can also trigger mental health problems such as depression caused by low self-esteem, guilt, or shame, leading to self-destructive behaviors such as eating disorders which can aggravate existing weight problems.

It Is Not Fun To Be Chronically Sick

Having a chronic degenerative condition will mean long-term medical treatment and medication, which can cause uncontrolled weight gain, perpetuating the situation and lowering one’s quality of life. Recently, Singapore Health Minister Mr. Ong Ye Kung expressed concerns about a pandemic of chronic diseases. However, many such conditions are preventable with a healthy and active lifestyle.

While there are many fad diets and lose-weight-quick programs, successful, long-term weight loss involves a permanent change to your lifestyle and health habits. So here is our simple game plan for achieving your ideal weight and body. 

1) Are you ready to make a change?

Before you spring into action, you need to take stock of your readiness for change. Given the risks associated with being overweight, let’s motivate ourselves to lose the excess weight and improve our health to stay vital, productive, and independent. While it may seem like an uphill task at first, it will become easier when you get used to the new routine and build momentum. In addition, having an exercise buddy, an accountability partner, and support from friends or professionals like your doctor or fitness instructor will help you manage the stress of a lifestyle change. 

2) Setting incremental goals

The amount of weight you need to lose to achieve a healthy BMI index will depend on how far you are from your ideal weight. Breaking your weight-loss project into manageable micro-practices with incremental goals may help you stay on track in the long run. As you reach each milestone, you will be encouraged, motivated, and more confident to complete what you set out to do in the first place.

3) Practise Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is an eating plan that switches between fasting and eating regularly. It works by prolonging the period when your body has burned through the calories consumed during your last meal and begins burning fat. Dr. Chia Yin Nin, aka Yanni , a jumping fitness instructor and gynecologic oncologist, formulated our in-house weight watchers program to help cancer survivors maintain healthy weight. She taught her patients and jumpers to practice intermittent fasting to kickstart their weight loss and maintain a healthy weight by simply skipping breakfast and sticking to 2 main meals a day.

4) Enjoy healthier foods

Adopting a new eating style that promotes weight loss must include lowering your total calorie intake by consuming more plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Strive for variety to help you achieve your goals without sacrificing taste or nutrition. Here are tips for better weight loss results

• Eat more nutritious, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables daily. Eat them raw or only lightly cooked to retain as many nutrients as possible. Fruits and veggies also provide the fiber that keeps you feeling full for longer and helps remove cholesterol and other harmful toxins from the body.
• Replace refined grains with whole grains such as quinoa, wholewheat and brown rice. Studies found that whole grains are beneficial for weight loss and increased metabolism.
• Use healthy fats, such as butter, olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, and nut butter. Avoid processed vegetable oils and margarine as they contain trans fats, which will clog up your arteries and sabotage your weight loss project. 
• Reduce sugar intake as much as possible. If you have to, use natural sweeteners such as honey, brown sugar, and molasses as substitutes for refined sugar.
• Enjoy eggs, meats, poultry, seafood, and non-meat proteins such as tempeh and tofu in moderation.

Moreover, avoid all chemical-laced processed and refined foods, artificial additives, taste enhancers, colors, and preservatives. Only Nature’s unadulterated foods could nourish your body.

5. Get active, and jump!

The fastest way to burn excess fats and maintain weight loss is through aerobics exercise, such as jumping Fitness. However, how many calories you burn depends on your exercise frequency, duration, and intensity. We recommend weekly sessions and building up gradually to 2-3 sessions a week. Jumpers have reported that they could torch between 300 to 600 calories during a full-hour jumping fitness class. After your workout, your metabolism stays up, and your body continues to burn calories for some time. It is also essential to allow sufficient time between jumping sessions, to rest and recover while enjoying the benefits of the after-burn effect. 

Jumping Fitness also offers numerous health benefits, including boosting your immunity, strengthening your cardiovascular system, lifting your mood, and reducing your blood pressure. In addition, the trampoline mat provides a soft surface to absorb the landing impact of jumping, thus protecting your bones and joints such as ankles, knees, back, and legs while you engage in high-intensity, fat-burning jumping exercises.

Certain chemical toxins in our body such as heavy metals, pesticides, preservatives, food additives, plastics, and other environmental pollutants are very hard to be eliminated, so the body stores them in our fat cells. Unless you purge these toxins out of the body, they will interfere with your metabolism and fat-burning processes. As a result, you will find it hard to lose weight despite curtailing your calorie intake and exercising. Jumping Fitness enhances your lymphatic circulation to detoxify your body effectively. When you jump on the trampoline, the up and down movement forcefully flushes the lymphatic fluid through the system, opening up tiny lymph valves to remove buildup toxins. As the body detoxifies, excess fats will also rapidly melt away.

Jumping Singapore is in the business of helping people becoming healthier and more beautiful. Join hundreds of jumpers in losing excess weight and experiencing phenomenal health and body transformations. If you have not done so, please download our app, Jumping Singapore, to view our class times and make a reservation. 

References:

1 Nichols, H., “Whole grains increase metabolism, may help promote weight loss,” Medical News Today, February 9, 2017;

2 Tufts University, February 8, 2017;  “New study suggests that eating whole grains increases metabolism and calorie loss.” 

3 American Centres For Disease Control & Prevention, Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity | Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and Physical Activity | CDC

4 National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute, Overweight, and Obesity – Causes and Risk Factors | NHLBI, NIH

5 Falcone, Paul H.; Tai, Chih-Yin; Carson, Laura R., Caloric Expenditure of Aerobic, Resistance, or Combined High-Intensity Interval Training Using a Hydraulic Resistance System in Healthy Men, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: March 2015 – Volume 29 – Issue 3 – p 779-785

6 Rafael de Cabo, Ph.D., and Mark P. Mattson, Ph.D., The New England Journal of Medicine, Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease | NEJM