During the winter months, it’s not uncommon for people to pile on the pounds – and there’s nothing quite like cosying up on the couch with a hot chocolate!
However, if you’re looking to keep off the extra kilos, keep in mind that crash dieting is not the way to go!
Research suggests this approach is doomed to failure. Hunger pangs, cravings, feelings of deprivation and sheer boredom soon foil even the best of intentions.
Indeed, whilst dieting can achieve admirable weight loss in the short term, many researchers believe that, in the long-term, dieting will simply result in a pattern of fluctuating weight loss, followed by gain. Following a healthy, balanced diet, eating moderately and well, however, is the only sure-fire way to maintain a healthy weight.
Slow and steady wins the race
To enjoy long-lasting weight loss, it’s likely your eating habits will need to change for good, with healthy eating patterns becoming a sustainable part of your daily routine.
According to The Heart Foundation, this process starts with a few fundamental principles.
Firstly, it’s important to eat a variety of foods. Include vegetables, whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds every day, and try to opt for healthier fats and oils, rather than saturated fats. Try to limit sugary, fatty and salty take-away meals and snacks and switch your sugar-laden juices and soft drinks for water.
If getting started or staying on track is proving difficult for you, a consultation with your GP or an accredited dietitian is always a good starting point. Visit Dietitians Association of Australia for a list of accredited professionals in your area.
Regular exercise also needs to become an integral part of your life. But if just mention of the word has you feeling daunted, it needn’t. Exercise doesn’t have to be painful and exhausting. Rather, it should be an activity that you find pleasurable and are able to incorporate into your regular lifestyle. Anything that feels like an onerous burden will quickly be abandoned.
A brisk walk for 30 minutes five days a week is one of the biggest favours you can do your body and it’s great for lifting your spirits, too.
‘Incidental’ exercise is also very effective – walk up the stairs instead of taking the lift, walk to the shops instead of driving. It may sound like nothing, but it’s a powerful means of integrating exercise into your routine.
Joining a reputable gym with instructors skilled in designing individual training programs is a course of action many people find helpful. Working out with other people under the auspices of an instructor can provide moral support, extra motivation and instructors can shake your routine up so it doesn’t become a bore or chore. They can also give you a home program.
Tackling trouble spots
However, even people happy with their weight, who eat well and exercise regularly can become more conscious at this time of year of stubborn fat bulges or cellulite that doesn’t respond to their efforts.
Trouble spots such as love handles, muffin tops, dimpled thighs, loose arms and back rolls may require extra assistance in the form of surgical or non-surgical body-contouring procedures, designed to remove stubborn fat and tighten skin.
LIPOSUCTION
Good candidates for the surgical removal of fat include men and women who are in good health, do not suffer from obesity and are within the normal to average weight size, and who have tried to lose the fat deposits through exercise and diet without success. Liposuction, however, is not an alternative to weight loss.
Parts of the body that respond well to liposuction include the abdomen, arms, back, knees, thighs and hips.
There are two layers of subcutaneous fat: deep and superficial. During liposuction, the surgeon makes a tiny incision and inserts a hollow, stainless steel tube called a cannula into the deep fat layer.
The cannula is moved back and forth through the fat cells, breaking them up. The surgeon uses a vacuum tube to suction out the fat. The procedure works well but, because it is relatively invasive, it can have some unpleasant side effects, such as extensive bruising, swelling and water retention, which may persist weeks or even months.
Less invasive – but still surgical – methods of liposuction have evolved over the past decade. These methods are assisted by either energy or liquid to break down fat cells, and in some cases help tighten the skin from within to maximise results.
NON-SURGICAL BODY-SCULPTING
If surgery isn’t for you, there are now a number of non-surgical body-sculpting techniques that harness technologies such as extreme cold (cryolipolysis), hyperthermic laser, ultrasound and radio- frequency to break down fat cells with handheld devices that work on the outside of the body. The damaged fat is then expelled from the body through natural bodily functions over a period of weeks.
Some of these procedures also work to tighten and tone the skin by promoting collagen growth.
These procedures can be performed in a doctor’s office with often no need for anaesthetic or sedation. There is usually no downtime.
There is a range of body shaping treatments available that vary in terms of the number of sessions required for optimal results. Results are also cumulative, although some immediate improvement may be seen.
When embarking on a summer shape-up program, the type of body contouring procedure you choose will depend on what problem areas you want to improve, whether you prefer a non-surgical or surgical procedure, the expected amount of bruising and pain involved and the estimated recovery time.
Your doctor will be able to explain the pros and cons of body contouring and discuss whether you are a suitable candidate for the treatment you have chosen.
