Lose your weight by changing eating habits
Question:
Dear Madam,
I am a regular reader of The Jakarta Post and your new column on weight reduction is good. Please enlighten me about the following points.
1. Is spot reduction possible? i.e. as exercising only the specific muscles of tummy or legs?
2. Please guide us by an age vs height/weight chart so we can decide how much weight we should shed.
3. How much carbohydrate, fat and protein should we include in our diet to achieve a minimum of 1,200 calories?
4. As Indonesia is famous for its traditional jamus - how effective are they in weight reduction? For that matter, how effective are these commercial slimming products?
Hoping to get your clarification.
Thanks and regards,
XYZ
Answer:
Dear XYZ,
1) Unfortunately, spot reduction is not possible in the strictest sense.
In other words, if you are generally overweight, exercising only tummy and leg muscles may make those areas more toned but you would still have a layer of fatty tissue on top. Reducing your overall weight will remove cms from everywhere, including those areas which particularly concern you.
However, strength training can help shape your body and generally raise your metabolic rate. So while you are losing weight, or if you are not overweight to begin with, specific abdominal and leg exercises will tighten and firm those areas.
2) The Body Mass Index (BMI) is considered the best guide for calculating a healthy weight range. BMI is easy to work out with the formula: BMI = Weight (kg) divided by height (metres) squared.
The result is then interpreted as follows: Below 19 -- underweight. 20 - 24 healthy. 25 - 29 clinically overweight. 30 - 40 clinically obese. Over 40 -- morbidly obese.
So, a 20 year old female, height 1.65 metres can weigh between 57 - 68 Kg.
Please remember that this is a fairly broad "average" range only. Because the bands are so "wide", the BMI is limited for establishing your ideal weight. There really is too much variability in age and body type for this to work for everyone.
3) The average diet is approximately 15 percent protein, 45 percent carbohydrate and 40 percent fat. For weight reduction try 25 percent protein, 50 percent carbohydrate and 25 percent fat. With long term maintenance I suggest 15-20 percent protein, 50-55 percent carbohydrate and 25-30 percent fat.
4) As far as I am aware, there has been no controlled studies to show if the traditional jamus are effective or ineffective in weight reduction. However, please be warned that the herbal marketplace is unregulated!
Commercial slimming products don't work in the long term. (That's why the diet food industry makes so much money!) The way to lose weight permanently is to change your eating and exercise habits into healthy enjoyable ones that you can live with for the rest of your life.
--Clare E. Urwin