A sweet tooth and a weight challenge
Dear Donovan,
I am 20 years old, 5ft 6in tall and I weigh 267 pounds, which means I am extremely overweight for my height and age. However, I joined a gym a little over two weeks ago and I go at least four to five times per week for at least two hours. The issue I am having is that I am not working with a diet or exercise plan, I just attend the gym and try to eat more fruits and vegetables and cut back on fatty foods. I need your help to figure out how many calories I should consume per week, how long and how often I need to exercise, and the foods and snacks I should be eating, as well as the quantity. I find this to be the most challenging part as I am a great lover of chocolate, ice cream, cakes and other sweets. Please help me. I really do want and need to lose weight.
–Toni
Good day Toni,
I do realise that you are very overweight for your height, and if you want to lose weight in short order, a goal should be set to reach at least 200 pounds. However, your bone structure, body fat and muscle composition should be taken into consideration.
The good news is that you have made some lifestyle changes, for example, making changes in your eating habits and going to the gym. In a nutshell, I have no doubt that your love for high-calorie foods have caused you to put on so much weight. Cakes, ice cream and chocolates are high calorie foods.
That aside, I would love to know, since you have started your diet and exercise, if you have lost any weight. Also, I feel you’re ready to lose more weight. In order to lose weight you will have to force your body to eat some more of its reserved fat. This will only happen if there is a restriction of foods/calories.
Going forward, I would suggest you do a food diary of all the foods you eat at each meal for three days. This will give you an idea of your food intake. After these three days, you’ll be ready to effectively start your programme.
For the first week, a simple trick you could do is to cut your usual portion of each meal by half. The amount of food you normally have for breakfast could be reduced by half. This you can also do for your other meals. If you think you’re ready, you could also make some healthy choices for breakfast and your other meals. For example, at breakfast you could have steamed vegetables with ground provisions, fruits, yoghurts and shakes.
It is very important that the number of calories you consume is reduced. However, I’m not a big fan of calorie counting. Reducing your portion size and also changing what you eat will reduce your calories without having to count them. In addition, I would suggest that you reduce or eliminate cakes, ice cream and chocolate for now. This will definitely contribute to your weight loss. Along with your meal plan, I would also suggest that you do a nine-night detox programme, which will definitely remove toxins and faeces from your body. Try doing this detox and adjustment to your diet and you should get some results.
Once you reduce your calorie intake, the body will be forced to reduce its size. In addition, once your input calories is equal to your output calories the body will hit a weight loss plateau and you will need further adjustments in order to continue to lose weight. This is why, if possible, you need to consult with a weight loss professional.
In a nutshell, in order for you to continue to lose weight, you will have to continue to make changes to your lifestyle. In addition, incorporating vegetable juices such as green juice can also aid in your weight loss. Coconut water also helps. Exercising can also aid in your weight loss programme. Exercising can help to burn extra calories as well as reduce stress, and stress can play a part in your weight gain. However, in going to the gym it is important to do more cardio exercises, as muscle-building exercises will interfere with your weight loss programme. Good luck!
We will answer your weight- related questions
Are you struggling to lose weight or just need some advice on living a healthier life? Tell us about your health issues and we’ll have nutritionist and wellness coach Donovan Grant answer them for you. Grant has over 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry and is the owner of DG’s Nutrition and Wellness Centre, Suite 16, 39 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston 5. Send your questions to clarkep@jamaicaobserver.com.
