Calculate and achieve your ideal weight – with these expert tips

Reaching your ideal weight again is your goal? These expert tips will help you

Christmas excesses know no mercy and always take their toll in the end. That’s why getting back to your ideal weight is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. The bad news is that there are no magic formulas or shortcuts and the classic recipe of a healthy and balanced diet, regular exercise, and a lot of stamina is still the only way to achieve the goal. (Also read: The 16: 8 Diet: What’s Behind the Weight Loss Trend Intermittent Fasting?)

However, the more you know about fat, how it accumulates and the various factors that affect weight, the sooner you will achieve your goal. When you don’t need a belt to put on your trousers, when your new intelligent Libra doesn’t stop scolding you, or when your belly, which just a month ago was identical to Cristiano Ronaldo’s, has become a mess Follow the recommendations of María José Crispín, nutritionist at Clínica Menorca.

Which parameters determine the ideal weight?

Years ago people spoke of the ideal weight and only the height of the patient was taken into account for its calculation and the body mass index was set as close as possible to 21. The BMI is obtained by dividing your weight by the square of your height, and if it was 21, it was okay. For example, for a man who is 1.70 cm tall, BMI 21 would equate to 61 kilos, his ideal weight. A BMI under 25 corresponds to a “normal” weight, between 25.1 and 29.9 to overweight and over 30 to a person with obesity.

Over the years of counseling, I’ve learned that BMI is an important, but not the only, factor. The amount of body fat, both absolute and percentage, and the waist size (visceral versus subcutaneous fat) are also important.

In the past, people spoke of the ideal weight, but today they speak of the “distribution” of body fat, whether the fat is “well distributed” everywhere or occurs in localized areas. The weight that I recommend to the patient varies depending on the four parameters mentioned (BMI, body fat percentage, waist circumference and fat distribution), but also gender and age, the degree of current and previous overweight, previous attempts to lose weight, changes to be made in the long term Eating habits and physical activity, possible age-related illnesses and the aesthetic taste of the patient are taken into account.

How do you achieve your ideal weight and a healthy BMI?

Certainly by paying attention to your eating habits and physical activity, but always be careful in the long run. In order to maintain the two aforementioned factors in the long term, a lot of motivation is necessary, since today’s society generally favors obesity. If we are clear about the benefits in terms of health, quality of life and aesthetics, we will surely find the necessary motivation, even if sometimes the advice of a professional can be very helpful.

Does age affect the accumulation of fat?

Yes, because even if the hormonal change is not as obvious in men as it is in women, the hormonal situation changes with age and the progressive decrease in testosterone promotes the accumulation of more fat. The places of accumulation will continue to be mainly the abdomen and flanks, but in general the fat volume will increase more easily in other areas as well. To avoid this, it is necessary to be more strict with diet and physical activity.

Does the quantity and quality of sleep affect the achievement of the ideal weight?

Yes, and vice versa. There is research linking little and / or poor sleep to an increase in snacking and thus weight, while other studies link obesity to sleep problems and show that the difficulty in falling asleep and persevering through the night go away once that excessive weight has been lost.

Is all fat the same?

No. Most of the fat in adults is soft and is primarily used to store energy. But we also have a small amount of brown fat that is used to produce heat. They can also be subcutaneous or visceral depending on their location and respond differently to treatment.

Visceral fat is more responsive to diet and exercise, while cosmetic treatments are more effective with subcutaneous fat because it is more superficial. Another very important difference is that excess visceral fat is associated with a higher cardiovascular risk, while excess subcutaneous fat is usually not a health risk but rather an aesthetic problem.

Does Fat Loss Always Lead To Weight Loss?

Not necessarily. Weight loss can be achieved by reducing fat (which is ideal, although it is a slow process), but also by breaking down muscle, which happens with certain diets, sedentariness, aging, or certain diseases.

You can also lose weight through fluid loss, which is typical of diets that seek this effect, as well as diarrhea or dehydration. Rapid weight loss is not due to the loss of fat. Losing fat and losing weight takes time and can only be achieved with proper diet and exercise. Nevertheless, the pounds lost are rather fluid in the first few days. (Also interesting: 4 expert tips on how not to put on weight all the time)

Do cosmetics help you lose weight?

When it comes to body fat, good eating habits and regular and constant physical activity have the greatest influence. If this is not enough, we can resort to medical-aesthetic or surgical treatments. The fat reducing effects of creams applied to the skin are limited because they cannot easily penetrate the epidermis or the subcutaneous tissue where the fat cells are located. Although it all adds up.

Has the pandemic caused an increase in overweight patients?

Yes. The reduction in social obligations has increased the consumption of junk food and beverages at home to offset fear of the life change being imposed. Also, many people are afraid to go to the gym to avoid getting infected and physical activity has decreased, so it is normal that there was an increase in obese patients in 2020.

What role does movement play in maintaining or achieving the ideal weight?

The most effective way to lose weight is to follow a more or less restrictive diet. But regular physical activity is essential for long-term maintenance. It is advisable to exercise for an hour every day, even if it is just a walk (cardio), and to add toning and strength exercises for at least three days a week to maintain muscle mass, because although we are losing weight with the diet only movement prevents muscle breakdown. Having good muscle mass means keeping your metabolism busy and in good shape.

Are there certain sports that are more “fat burning” than others?

Yes, high-intensity aerobic exercise burns more fat, but you need to be careful. An unfit person cannot start a vigorous activity, it must proceed gradually. This is the only way to achieve long-term and sustainable results and avoid injuries and failures. A high intensity is also not recommended for men over 50 who have a certain chronic pathology and are not very constant. If you are e.g. If, for example, you only move one day a week due to lack of time or lack of motivation, you should avoid “activity orgies” on the weekend.

Another way to burn fat is through moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every day. If older men manage to lose weight and belly through long walks, so can younger men. Additionally, adding strength and conditioning exercises, even if they don’t burn a lot of calories, increase muscle mass, which increases basal metabolic rate and causes the body to burn more calories (more fat) to sustain itself.

The item “How to know if you are at your ideal weight (and everything you must do to achieve it)” first appeared on GQ Spain.

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