Weight loss is not a very difficult process when you follow the dieting way. It’s a simple and straight formula – eat less and gain less. No food, no fat. However, during the process, you may achieve your desired weight but may not necessarily achieve fitness. Along with your desired weight, you also get dull skin, improper digestion, hair fall and weak body.
It is therefore very important to lose weight the right way. Besides giving you a slimmer body, the right way of weight loss gives you many other benefits.
But, what is the right way of losing weight?
The ideal way to lose weight is by eating the right food, burning the right amount of calorie. And that’s where the famous 80-20 weight loss rule comes into play.
What is the 80-20 rule for weight loss?
The 80-20 rule for weight loss gives 80% weightage to your diet and 20% to exercising and working out. However, this has mostly been mistaken the other way round giving 80% to exercise and 20% to food. But this is not true!
It is important to understand that without the right nutrition, your weight loss will do more loss to your body. And it is no big secret that nutrition plays a big role in your healthy weight loss journey.
According to the 80-20 rule for weight loss, nutritious diet and right exercise complement each other to give you the desired result. Eat right, burn right and let the both of it do the magic on your body. And of course, this is a scientifically proven method for a healthy and sustainable weight loss.
How to follow the 80-20 weight loss rule?
When we say 80% of weight loss depends upon what you eat, you need to understand what to eat in that 80%. This 80% should be the right combination of all the nutrients that your body needs including proteins, vitamins, fats, minerals, fibre and carbs.
How to ensure 80% nutrition in everyday meals?
Know what you feed your body with. Fill your plate each of the above nutrients in the right amount. Understand the importance of each of these and the role they play in your healthy weight loss journey.
- Proteins – Proteins are the building blocks of your body
- Minerals and Vitamins – Vitamins and minerals build immunity
- Carbohydrates – For a fully functional healthy body
- Fats – Healthy fats take care of your energy and functioning
- Fibre – Takes care of your gut and digestion process
To ensure you consume all of the above in the right amount, you can also take help of nutrition supplements that besides supplying the right amount of nourishment to your body, also aids in the weight loss process.
In nutshell
The 80-20 rule is important to achieve healthy body weight without compromising on fitness. On the contrary, this 80-20 weight loss formula manages your overall body fitness and with the right 80% of the food, you can lead a better active lifestyle.
When you begin your weight loss journey, the first thing that you do is to note your weight since this is the benchmark that you keep to mark your progress.
However, when you start exercising for weight loss, you burn calories, lose fat and build muscle. Ironically, a kg of muscle weighs the same as a kg of fat.
So, how do you measure?
It is important to understand that both fat and muscle are necessary for a healthy body. So in the case of fat vs. muscle there can be no clear winner. It is the balance of the two that really matters.
Technically fat has a greater volume whereas the muscle fibres have a greater density. This means, a kg of muscle takes up less space and looks smaller than a kg of fat. So you may see differences in your body composition, strength and energy, but not on the number on the scale.
Also, fats cannot be converted into muscles. Muscles grow when you put them to work. No exercise, no muscle. On the contrary, they will decrease in size, slowing your metabolism and increasing your fats.
Muscle boosts your metabolism and is therefore important for your body and overall fitness. They burn more calories even while at rest. So, if you have more muscles, you will burn more calories and eventually not accumulate extra fats.
Muscle surrounds the bones and works to strengthen them and reduce the risk of bone injuries.
Another benefit of developing muscles is an improvement in your core strength and balance.
Muscles improve your blood circulation, digestive health and the overall health of all your organs by being continuously engaged in calorie burning activity.
When you understand the difference between muscle mass and fats and work towards balancing the both, what you achieve is a better body definition.
It is only possible when you follow the two-dimensional process of weight loss and fitness – right diet and right physical exercise.
So, follow the diet that is right for you, do regular exercise and focus on overall fitness rather than just the scale.
A newly evolved but an epidemic issue, obesity in children is a growing concern in India. According to researches, there are more than 10 million obese children in the country. And this is the second-highest figure in the world, next to China.
Ironically, India is a developing nation which is also combating widespread poverty and nutritional deficiencies issues. However, around 5-8 % of school-going children in India are found to be obese. And with this pace, over 25 million kids in India will be obese by 2030.
What causes obesity in children?
When the calories consumed by the children are not balanced by the physical activity or energy spent, it causes weight gain and eventually leads to obesity. Environmental influence plays a huge role in childhood obesity.
Change in diet, overconsumption of junk or high sugary foods and a lifestyle of low or NO physical activity together contribute to the problem of childhood obesity. Besides, genetic factors are also one of the causes of obesity in children.
Some of the major causes of obesity in children are:
High consumption of sugary food and beverages
High consumption of junk food
Consumption of portion size in one meal
Lack of physical activity
What are the ill effects of being overweight in children?
Obesity in children is a matter of concern. It is not something to be left unattended. Obesity has serious health implications for both adults and kids. Obesity increases the risks of many diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases etc.
Besides, obese children may also experience psychological issues like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, shyness and inability to connect with the world around.
How to prevent obesity in children?
Being one of the most serious health challenges in the children of the 21st century, it is of vital importance to prevent the disease and treat it the right way to avoid major health complications in future.
Although treating obesity in kids is difficult, there are some simple yet proven strategies to prevent childhood obesity:
Increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Reduce screen time especially during mealtime. Watching TV while eating may cause overeating. Also, this is the time when TV commercials for fast food are broadcasted.
Avoid giving kids sugar and related food items like sweetened drinks.
Encourage physical activity. It is important to facilitate physical activity in small children and 60 minutes of daily vigorous physical activity in older children.
Prevention of childhood obesity is vital because it is near impossible to get children to lose weight and maintain it. A healthy diet and an active lifestyle should start from the pre-conception time itself and be continued through all stages of childhood.