For most people today, obesity and weight gain remain a nightmare. Those suffering from terminal illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure, are prone to having their symptoms worsen. For anyone trying to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, being overweight is a major concern. People whose families have a history of diabetes should watch their weight, to decrease the likelihood of developing diabetes.

Importance of Blood Sugars and Insulin Hormone

Everything you eat is broken down into glucose that is essential in producing energy for the body. The pancreas secretes insulin – a hormone which controls the amount of glucose entering the bloodstream. Excess blood sugar is either excreted out or stored as body fat. When your body fails to properly break down glucose, you may have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

For type 1 diabetes, the body produces enough glucose, but the pancreas releases insufficient insulin for the blood sugars to enter the cells. As a result, glucose levels in the bloodstream rise rapidly but the body tissues are unable to use it for energy. Therefore, the body begins burning fat and muscles to produce energy, leading to unhealthy weight loss.

Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is often associated with obesity and excess weight gain. People with type 2 diabetes usually have high insulin resistance, making it harder to control blood sugar levels.

Losing Weight and Improving Diabetes Symptoms

Losing a few pounds has proved to improve the symptoms of diabetes in most people in different ways. Some of the ways include:

  1. Enhancing Insulin Resistance

People with type 2 diabetes face increased blood sugar levels as their bodies respond poorly to the effects of insulin. The body’s tendency to resist insulin rises with weight gain. However, gradual weight loss improves the body’s ability to readily use insulin to control blood sugar levels in the body.

  1.    Lower Risks of High Blood Pressure

Heart-related complications are common in diabetics, as diabetes increases the amount of unhealthy cholesterol while decreasing healthy cholesterol levels in the body. As a result, the heart has to work harder to pump blood to other parts of the body. Therefore, you may want to consider the best weight loss program in singapore, to improve your heart condition.

  1.    Reduction of Blood Glucose Levels Becomes Easy

Higher blood sugar levels will deteriorate any diabetes symptoms that you may have. However, it’s easier to manage the levels if you are engaging in healthy weight loss techniques, such as exercising and eating a balanced diet. Exercising stimulates the conversion of glucose to energy, leaving little to be converted into fats.

  1.    High Body Metabolism after Weight Loss Encourages the Conversion of Blood Sugars to Energy

If your body constantly requires energy, you will use up a lot of blood sugars. Therefore, your pancreas will secrete more insulin to convert glucose into energy when you have a healthy weight. Otherwise, the constant need for insulin will leave you tired, if you do not have enough muscles to handle the process of regulating blood sugar levels.

Maintaining a healthy weight is important if you have diabetes. Exercising at least 30 minutes a day not only helps you burn off fats but also reduces unhealthy cholesterol in the body, which may lead to heart-related diseases. You should consult your doctor before starting any weight loss program to understand what is ideal for your health condition.

Losing weight is never easy. It involves sacrifices, mistakes, and no small amount of effort for you to achieve the weight of your dreams. Weight loss treatment begins the moment you start viewing it as a goal that you need to complete and not a chore. You must keep exercising, following a restricted diet, and make some changes to your lifestyle before you can eventually keep the weight off permanently. Even Singapore’s best weight loss programs will not help you if your diet is unhealthy.

This may appear impossible, but it is achievable if you have the right motivation and attitude. Diet is the most significant component affecting your weight. In fact, you have a high chance of regaining weight if you do not stick to a healthy diet. In this article, we will discuss all the ways that diet will affect your efforts to lose weight.

Calorie Intake
Every meal you take contains a specific amount of calories. Refined foods, as well as foods with high-fat content and sugars, have a large number of calories. Whole grains, on the other hand, have a lower calorie content making them a favourable choice for anyone on a quest to lose weight. Consuming at least 1200 calories per day helps to regulate your metabolism. Excess calories are stored as fat. Over-consuming calories will lead to many unused calories and weight gain.

Your Food Portions
It is advisable to eat small helpings every 3-4 hours instead of binging on one large meal. Eating small servings ensures that the body picks the nutrients it needs before converting all the excesses into glycogen and fats. A balanced diet also contains a lower amount of calories hence making your efforts to lose weight a little easier.

Pleasure and Comfort Eating
Most people relieve stress and depression by taking lots sugar-laden snacks or deep fried items rich in calories. Others always end up snacking while watching a movie or using a computer. You will always enjoy every bite, but end up taking more than enough since you are no longer concentrating on the food. Remember that binging on comfort food when stressed will not solve your problems, but it will only add another layer of fat for you to worry about.

Bad Eating Habits
Poor eating habits are not only going to give you trouble when trying to lose weight but also negatively affect your overall health. Skipping meals as a way of losing weight activates your hunger hormones resulting in overeating later in the day. Taking a lot of caffeine and alcohol will make your quest to lose some weight even more challenging. Therefore, you should limit your intake to one cup of coffee or a glass of wine a day and nothing more than that. Remember to stick to a balanced diet with a higher preference for fibre-rich foods as well as low carbs to keep your calorie intake as low as possible.

A restrictive dietary program is a good option when you are looking to shed some pounds permanently. There are different ways to adjust your diet during your weight loss treatment ranging from dieting to avoiding particular foods completely. Remember that losing weight is a personal responsibility, so there is no point starting a weight loss program in singapore if you are not going to completely commit to it.

Ready to take your mission of losing weight to the next level by overhauling your diet? Just like the common saying, losing weight is eighty percent diet and twenty percent exercise. It is safe to say that no matter how hard you exercise but you do not regulate the amount of calories you eat, your weight will always stay the same, or worst, blow up. The best weight loss programs will be derailed if you disregard your diet and consume excessive calories.

If you are finally decided to step up your weight loss game, try these ten amazing foods that aid shedding those extra pounds! Stay healthy!

Eggs

Eggs are a staple for weight loss. Not only does it provide high amounts of protein, but it also contains healthy fats, and can make you feel energised without having to worry about excess calories. Recent studies show that eggs do not actually cause increases in cholesterol levels, nor does it cause any heart disease. It is a nutrient dense food, so you get everything you need.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a great source of fibre, and it is very rich in calcium. Broccoli is a great food to eat when losing weight as it actually helps in cleansing your stomach and brushes off excess fats and other debris that were inside.

Salmon

Salmon is loaded with loads of essential fatty acids known as Omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acid is known to reduce inflammation, combatting obesity and kick-starting metabolic rates. It also contains enough nutrients to keep your endocrine system functioning properly for regulated hormone levels. It also has a good amount of proteins to keep your muscles strong and working.

Cottage Cheese

This type of cheese may look very intimidating, especially as a cup of it looks like a clump of expired, coagulated dairy. But cottage cheese is, in fact, very healthy. It is mostly made up of protein with very little carbohydrates and fats. It can instantly make you feel full and contains fewer calories than most dairy products.

Nuts

If you get hungry in between meals, ditch the junk food and go for a handful of nuts instead. Nuts are an excellent snack because even though they are high in fat, they are not necessarily fattening. Nuts can also make you fuller in an instant, and they are very rich in fibre too!

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds have been gaining so much popularity among people who want to lose weight. Basically, they are also one of the most nutrient-packed foods on earth. Would you believe that even though they contain carbohydrates, almost ninety percent of them is actually fibre? They can easily make you feel full and satisfied because they expand when in contact with water. This is what makes chia seeds perfect when you are on a diet.

Yoghurt

Skip on the flavoured ones and choose a full-fat yoghurt instead. Yoghurt is a great alternative to sweets as they contain good bacteria that improve your metabolism and health of your gut. Yoghurt is also known to combat obesity and the development of type II diabetes.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is delicious and very nutritious. This fruit is rich in vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium. Since the fruit itself is fibrous, it definitely does help in making you feel full and satiated. Grapefruit is also known to combat certain heart diseases.

Avocado

Ever heard of using fat for energy instead of sugar? Almost all fitness enthusiasts eat avocado to help them lose or maintain their weight. It is high in mono-saturated oleic acid, which is basically fats, but a good and desirable kind of it.

Water

Though not technically food, water is essential when you want to lose weight. Drinking water thirty minutes before your meal can make you consume lesser food by making you feel full faster. Not only that, but water helps in flushing out toxins out of your body, so your cells remain healthy and functional.

You are probably aware that eating healthy foods and snacks through the day, on a daily basis is a positive step towards weight loss. However, if your mealtimes keep changing all the time, for example, today you have breakfast at 6 am and the next day you have it at 11 am, then shedding pounds may still prove to be a challenge. Furthermore, eating meals on an arbitrary schedule can deplete your body of much-needed energy.

Recent research reveals that, regardless of how nutritious your meals are, a change in mealtimes can effect changes in the cycle of one’s blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar levels rise higher than usual, it can increase the amount of the fat-storing insulin hormone. So, this begs the question: when is the right time to eat each meal if you want to lose weight fast? This article gives you a meal-by-meal timeline suitable for those who have day schedules. Read on.

Breakfast

Breakfast is, without doubt, the most vital meal of a day. It allows you to replenish your blood sugar levels following a long stretch of sleep at night. Moreover, you get to stock up the body with the right nutrients before heading out to work or daily activities. That way, you will be more energised and active in the first half of the day. The ideal time to eat breakfast is between 6:00 a.m and 9:45 a.m.

Eat your breakfast either thirty minutes or one hour after waking up. After all, delays in eating your morning meal will make your stay without the hunger-reducing benefits of proteins, fibre, and fat. Intake of a high-protein breakfast between the stated timeframe is associated with the reduced threat of body fat gain and reduced hunger during the day, in comparison to those who take their breakfast after 10 a.m.

Mid-morning snack

Although a mid-morning snack isn’t compulsory, especially if you do eat a heavy breakfast or eat at 9: 45 a.m., take note that your body requires between 2-4 hours for food digestion and absorption. Therefore, stick within that window between your breakfast and mid-morning snack. The snack helps to keep your energy levels topped up and avoid a reduction in your blood sugar. Almonds are an excellent example of a mid-morning snack.

Lunch

Lunch meals should be served within 3 to 4 hours of breakfast. This means that you should not eat lunch past 3 p.m. Studies have found that dieters who eat early lunches achieved more success in dropping pounds. On the other hand, dieters are likely to lose less weight if they consume the bulk of their calories past 3 p.m. Eat a balanced lunch consisting of proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Afternoon snacks

Similar to your mid-morning snack, allow a window period between 2 to 4 hours after lunch to eat your afternoon snack. The snack helps to keep your blood sugar levels steady and avoid overindulging during dinnertime. Smoothies, nuts, fruits, vegetable soup and fruit yoghurt, are excellent examples of afternoon snacks.

Dinner

The perfect time to eat dinner is between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. The food consumed for dinner is similar to that eaten for lunch. When you stop eating between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m, you are likely to lose pounds and sleep better which augurs well for your slimming efforts. Moreover, the body has enough time to digest the food before you go to sleep. Dinner food should consist of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats as well as fibre. This includes brown rice, chicken, meat, and salmon.

Following the timeline described is crucial to your weight loss program. Consumption of five meals each day is recommended rather than consuming three big meals, as smaller meals require less time for digestion. Moreover, your blood sugar levels remain steady all through the day, which is good news for weight management. Make sure you also drink eight glasses of water every day to avoid dehydration.

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