Drastic weight loss achieved with the help of following a stringent diet regimen may not be sustainable in the long run.
People who shed that extra weight by such means tend to gain more weight subsequently thus completely negating the initial effort. Needless to say, the battle gets tougher then.
Experts refer to this phenomenon as ‘weight-cycling’ or ‘yo-yo dieting’ which is a recipe to get permanently obese.
Blend of Diet and Exercise
Many studies have established the direct link between weight cycling and the enhanced risk of contracting medical conditions including heart disease, TheMedGuruhigh blood pressure,type-2 diabetes and cancer. Low-calorie diet users and crash dieters are more susceptible to these conditions than their counterparts who try and lose weight through a prolonged sustained effort.
Dr. Ernest Rehnke of Palms of Pasadena Hospital avers that a successful weight loss regimen should be based on a judicious blend of a healthy, calorie-controlled diet and regular exercises. A person needs to make permanent changes in lifestyle and health habits to ensure that the weight loss remains a permanent feature.
It therefore transpires that setting a realistic, time bound goal of say losing 2 kilograms in a fortnight is better than attempting to lose 15 kilograms in a month. The body is likely to adapt to the former set of goals and not be able to adjust to the latter category.
Option of Surgery
For some people, diet or exercises may not be successful in shedding those extra kilograms. Surgery thus becomes the Hobson’s choice in such cases. While opting for surgery an individual should weigh the pros and cons of taking such a decision.
The surgery may be malabsorptive or restrictive. Under malabsorptive surgery the food is made to bypass part of the intestine. In this way, the body absorbs lesser calories. On the other hand, under restrictive surgery, the size of the stomach is cut to lessen the amount of food intake.
