Weight Control

All living things need a certain amount of energy to meet their needs, grow, develop, and regenerate. Due to factors such as technological advancements, changing environmental conditions, the increasing role of processed foods in our daily lives, the intensity of city life, information pollution, decreased physical activity, and energy imbalance, a very rapid weight gain is observed worldwide. Another point is that we have to cope with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and orthorexia due to various social or psychological reasons. All these issues bring up the topic of weight management. Having a healthy body weight is important. The ratio of our weight to the square of our height (BMI), waist-hip ratio, and body fat percentage can be measurement criteria for a healthy weight.

Why are we experiencing weight gain?

• Decreased physical activity
• Consumption of energy-dense and high glycemic index foods
• Weight gain with age
• Number of births
• Gender
• Marriage
• Alcohol use
• Quitting smoking
• Obesity of one or both parents
• Lack of family activity
• Weight gain is observed due to reasons such as genetics.

How Can We Control Our Weight?

Self-observation, that is, recording what one eats and physical activity, is important for weight control.

• Main meal
• Snack
• Gap situation between meals
• Places where meals are eaten
• Time of eating
• Duration of the meal
• Type of food eaten
• Mood
• Type and duration of physical activity

Under these main headings, we can more easily become aware of what we do in a day. Sometimes, when we think we haven't eaten much, we might overlook the fact that we've eaten a slice of cake, two pieces of chocolate, a glass of fruit juice, three cups of coffee, or two handfuls of hazelnuts in a short time, perhaps as a snack while standing. If we keep a record once or twice a week, we can also reveal what we eat outside of meals. Seeing the amount of food a person eats in writing can make it easier to identify the points where they overeat. The problem causing the faulty behavior is determined

What Behaviors Hinder Weight Control?

• Above normal food consumption
• Eating quickly, chewing little
• Skipping meals, constantly snacking instead of meals
• Eating standing up
• Continuing to snack after dinner
• Watching television while eating
• Sitting at the table for a long time
• Eating when stressed or sad
• Eating after waking up from sleep
• Drinking little water
• Preferring high-energy drinks
• Going shopping while hungry
• Being hungry for a long time, skipping meals
• Eating to pass the time
• Not choosing healthy cooking methods

Even being aware of these behaviors and trying to prevent them to some extent helps us in weight control.

Choosing healthy cooking methods and consuming less fat is a protective measure against both weight gain and other diseases.

Some sauces used can be very oily. Therefore, it is important to be careful not to eat a dish made with very oily sauces while thinking you are eating a salad. Chewing food well also extends the eating time.

Why Does a Person Who Loses Weight Regain It?

• If a person abandons the positive habits they gained during weight loss,
• If they lose weight by increasing physical activity and then stop physical activity,
• If they follow very low-energy diets and then continue with their old eating habits,
• If they resort to unhealthy diets that claim to cause rapid weight loss in the short term,
• If they cannot adapt behavioral changes to their lives, weight gain is inevitable.

It is possible to lose weight through various methods. Choosing the healthy method among those applied and then making this habit a lifestyle is the most important point of weight management.

TO ENSURE WEIGHT CONTROL RECOMMENDATIONS

1. For weight control, it is necessary to first know and learn what our healthy weight is. Even if we are at a healthy weight, we should be careful if we have anxieties about our weight. The relationship between weight-related anxieties and obesity causes depression and restlessness. Unhealthy dieting and body dissatisfaction can lead to binge eating, which in turn can cause weight gain.
2. We should eat our three main meals sitting down, without watching television, slowly and chewing well.
3. We should try not to neglect snacks.
4. When choosing meals, we should prefer those cooked using healthy cooking methods.
5. We should stay away from very fatty foods.
6. Unless we have a medical nutrition program that requires different restrictions, we should consume sufficient amounts of vegetables and fruits. We should prefer vegetables and fruits of different colors.
7. We should stay away from very fatty foods.
8. Unless we have a medical nutrition program that requires different restrictions, we should consume sufficient amounts of vegetables and fruits.
9. We should prefer vegetables and fruits of different colors.
10. We should first know and learn what our healthy weight is.
11. Unless we have a medical nutrition program that requires different restrictions, we should consume sufficient amounts of vegetables and fruits ... By doing so, we also consume various nutrients.
12. We should get enough calcium. It is possible to get calcium by consuming milk and yogurt. As a source of milk, we should prefer packaged products with a known expiration date.
13. We should try to increase our physical activity and lead a more active life.
14. We should stay away from foods that contain a lot of sugar and fat and have a high glycemic index.
15. Unless we are receiving a different medical nutritional therapy, we should prefer whole grain products.
16. We should avoid consuming animal fats such as lard and tallow.