How can I lose a few pounds?
by
Mike Zimmerman, with Jessica Migala, AARP,
April 19, 2019
En español
| Obesity is both a chronic disease on its own and a risk factor for other
diseases — the heavier you are, the sicker you often become. Learn some of the
biggest weight worries and smart ways to tip the scale in your favor.
I try diets but
can't stick with them. How can I get the willpower?
Rule number one of dieting: Willpower alone
doesn't work. Researchers have specifically tested this. A 2016 study found
that participants who practiced willpower exercises for six weeks didn't
improve their self-control issues. What should you try instead? Brainpower —
that is, thinking about and planning how you eat. For instance, don't keep junk
food in the house. And if you're going out to eat, check the menu online first
and know what you're going to order. Also try mindful eating — focusing on and
savoring each bite of food you eat in the moment and pausing between bites to
do so. It may help control binge eating and emotional eating, a 2014 study
analysis in Obesity Reviews showed. The good news: Getting older may help you
take back control. “Our weight-loss research has found that older adults were
more successful with adhering to a weight-reducing diet than young adults
were,” says physician Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition
at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Do I eat too
much sugar?
Even without knowing your diet, the answer
most likely is yes. Manufactured foods now feature “Added Sugars” on the
nutrition label. That's your key to avoiding too much sugar intake, Klein adds.
Reduce or eliminate added sugars from your diet while not worrying so much
about natural sugars in fruits, for example. Added sugars show up in pasta
sauces, flavored yogurts, breads and even salad dressings. While you're cutting
sugar, try to eat more beans and lentils. A 2018 study in Clinical Nutrition
found that subjects who ate the most beans and lentils had the lowest risk of
diabetes.
I'm overweight,
but I don't have any symptoms of diabetes. Am I in the clear?
Sorry, but if you carry extra weight, you're
still at greater risk of diabetes. Be sure to get checked routinely. “About
one-fourth of adults with diabetes have not even been diagnosed as having this
disease,” Klein says.
I have a big
belly. Is that dangerous?
Um … yes. You see, not all body fat is equal.
Abdominal fat is composed of both subcutaneous fat (located underneath your
skin) and visceral fat (located inside your belly around internal organs, such
as your liver). Unlike excess fat in your butt and thigh areas, excess
abdominal fat is a risk factor for high blood pressure, diabetes and
cardiovascular disease. Dedicate yourself to losing 5 percent of your body
weight and check if your belly retreats. “You lose fat everywhere when you lose
weight, but the proportion of fat you lose in your belly is higher than in the
rest of your body, because there's less fat there,” Klein explains. “Let's say
you lose 10 percent of your total body fat. You'll probably lose 15 percent of
your intra-abdominal fat and 50 percent of your liver fat."
Nothing can
stop my late-night cravings. Help!
Try some decaf green or black tea in the
evening. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that
umami, the savory flavor, can help increase feelings of satiety and decrease
food cravings. L-theanine in tea — this is also linked to better sleep, which
will keep you out of the kitchen at night — can deliver that umami kick.
How do I know
if I have good gut health?
There's no way to know for sure. But there are
steps you can take to make your gut healthier. Our intestinal tract contains
trillions of bacteria, known collectively as the microbiome. “We are now
learning that the composition of the microbiome can affect many different
aspects of our health,” Klein notes. “But the day of having a simple stool test
for gut health is still far down the road.” In the meantime, the best way to
maintain a healthy microbiome is to maintain a healthy body weight; avoid
packaged, highly processed and refined foods; and eat a diverse mixture of
fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.
I dieted and
lost some weight, but I look and feel flabby. What gives?
You may have lost the kind of weight you don't
want to lose. People 50 and older can drop pounds on a diet just like anyone
else, yet research shows that older adults lose both fat and muscle. That's not
good, because losing muscle means you're slowing your metabolism and setting
yourself up for future weight gain — plus the physical-mobility problems that
come with a weakened physique. Any diet needs to provide enough protein to help
offset muscle loss. One study of more than 2,900 people found that older adults
who ate the most protein were 30 percent less likely to suffer physical
impairment than those who ate the least. Many researchers today recommend that
older adults eat 25 to 30 grams of protein at every meal — especially breakfast
— as well as protein-rich snacks. Even more might be appropriate during times
of physical stress, such as when you're recovering from surgery, says Stuart
Phillips, director of McMaster University's Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and
Health Research in Hamilton, Ontario. His breakfast is a cup of Greek yogurt,
one-third cup of mixed nuts and a glass of milk, which adds up to a little more
than 35 grams of protein.
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