Weight Management

What is Weight Management?

Weight management is a phrase often used to describe the systems, techniques or products used to effect weight change or maintain healthy weight. It is important to prevent unwanted weight gain resulting from excess fat and to recognise that the principle of weight gain is that energy intake is greater than energy expenditure. The primary goal of weight management is to maintain a healthy weight balance that’s optimal for the individual and their health.

It’s commonly acknowledged there may be genetic factors that play a role in being overweight or obese however studies show that effective weight management is very much subject to environmental and behavioural influences. In fact, too little exercise and eating too much of the wrong types of food can take its toll on our bodies and our health.

The most successful weight management programmes are achieved by the adoption of ‘long term’ strategies including daily physical activity and healthy, balanced diets. There is a general understanding of a link between chronic health conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes and being overweight however, as mentioned above, there are factors that prevent people from managing their weight effectively thus putting themselves at increased risk of chronic health conditions.

To effectively manage weight loss it’s probably not a good idea to launch headlong into the latest diet fad or sign-up for that fancy health gym. Research shows that a ‘small changes’ approach works best. Look at portion sizes and increase portions of vegetables and fruit. It goes without saying that highly processed and sugary foods should be limited and also alcoholic drinks. Introduce more physical activity into your day – use the stairs, walk to work, dance around the living room or increase the vigorousness of your housework. Try to get out for a walk or cycle at least a few times a week.

The more lean muscle mass we have the easier it is to lose weight. Our basal metabolic rate is defined as the amount of energy expended during any given time when a person is at rest and is directly in proportion to lean body mass. So in other words the leaner our bodies are the higher the BMR is. Effective weight management enables lean body mass and therefore gives us a head start even before we exercise!

So, what we put in our bodies is vital for effective weight management. The foods we eat affect this with protein having more of a thermogenic effect than fat enabling us to metabolise it faster. Exercise, combined with appropriate portion sizes of healthy protein and vegetables with some complex carbohydrates will go a long way towards effective weight management. Mindfulness about food choices and sitting down for allocated meals with only healthy snacks if absolutely needed has been shown to achieve results in the longer term.

There are various effective aids that can be incorporated into our daily routines to enhance the effectiveness of weight management whether your goal is maintenance or weight loss; for example meal replacement programmes and natural or whey protein supplements. Complete programmes are available like Vibe 30 day weight loss plan that assists to control and satisfy appetite and to activate thermogenic effect.