You want to lose weight because you are going towards, or already are on the path of obesity. Others might have to lose weight for the sake of their health. Some people just want to lose weight for aesthetic reasons, because we are a society fixated on skinny figure.
No matter what your reason for weight loss is, this process needs to be done in a safe and healthy fashion. It is firstly important to ascertain if you need to lose weight, by checking your BMI; being underweight also is dangerous.
Once you have embarked on the journey of dieting, you will encounter many challenges along the way. The food cravings will try to engulf you. You might not be impressed by the weight you have lost. You might not be feeling satiated.
One of the biggest challenges perhaps is the issue of safety of diet, but this is easy to address; simply, do not follow the random diets you find on the internet. They might not be designed around your needs and may even jeopardize your health. Instead, visit Best Dietitians in Aga Khan University Hospital.
Fatigue during diet
Fatigue is a common theme when it comes to dieting. Naturally, when you are taking less calories, there will be less energy generated by the body. It is even more profound when you add exercise to the mix, as too then takes your share of energy.
One way to curb this is by having a wholesome diet. Make sure that your net caloric intake is not alarmingly low. Try not to be too hard on yourself. If you are consulting an expert, report the fatigue to them for changes in the diet plan.
Stress during diet
The factor of stress during diet is slightly more convoluted, as there are many causes of stress during diet. Some common problems include:
Binging
When you are undergoing strict diets that are far from your usual routine, and are depriving you, you have a greater chance of then falling off the wagon. They then tend to indulge in binge eating.
Not only does it render your diet invalid, which causes stress of its own, but it also then leads to feelings of failure, and the subsequent stress.
Moreover, when you binge eat, especially in midst of dieting, you experience heightened levels of stress as it leads to poor body image, feeling of shame over the failure and even hatred for one’s own self.
Impact of restricting calories on cortisol
Also known as stress hormone, cortisol is required by the body to monitor essential processes. However, being on calorie-control and restricting diets then causes a significant increase in the cortisol levels. This in turn raises the stress levels in the body.
Other dangers of high stress hormone levels include hypertension, problems with cognition and immunity.
Liquid or very-low calorie diet
People on liquid diets or those very low in calories may experience greater stress. Since you are not giving body sufficient nutrients and solid content, therefore, it experiences heightened levels of stress.
If you can opt for safer diets based on eating solid foods, then go for those. Moreover, such diets should only be done at the discretion of and under the supervision of a doctor.
No more comfort food
Food is important form of comfort. It helps in getting through the hard and tough days. With some diets like intermittent fasting or portion control, you can still have a cheat meal here and there.
However, some strict diets like keto do not allow comfort foods always. It can also then lead to blues and the subsequent stress. The lack of comfort food leaves a gaping hole. Your thoughts are fixated on the food, and you can become miserable then.
So, instead of strict diets, get healthier ones from the Dietitian in Lahore that allow for greater leeway.