Commitment is the integral requirement to achieve healthy weight loss. The aspect of maintaining a healthy diet is also important to cut calories and achieve your weight loss goals. Read on to know whether a weight loss workout plan or a controlled diet plan is better for losing weight.
Weight loss for your body is dependent on two major factors. They are calorie intake and energy expenditure. The food you eat is used up by the body to provide energy and the rest is stored as fat. When the body is spending less energy concerning the number of calories that are being consumed through food, the body starts storing more fat leading to its accumulation in the body.
Weight loss is achieved when there is a calorie deficit in your body. This means that your body is expending more calories than the amount that you are consuming. A daily diet plan for weight loss and an exercise regime can both help you achieve a calorie deficit. A daily calorie deficit of 500 – 100 Kcal can help you lose 0.5 kg to 1 kg within a week. The key to weight loss is the combination of a good diet plan and burning calories through exercise. Remember we have to cut down on calories and not on the daily nutritional requirements for a healthy weight loss.
Let us look into how each of these methods can help you lose weight.
Exercising is one of the cornerstones of anyone’s weight loss journey. Exercise is helpful for helping you shed out those calories in a literal sense.
When you engage in any physical activity you increase the metabolic rate of your body which helps you burn calories. Exercise is very crucial if you are starting your weight loss journey. Performing aerobic activities is one of the best workouts to lose weight. If you include even 30 minutes of low or moderately paced aerobic exercise in your daily routine, you will be able to burn a significant amount of calories. You can include easy aerobic exercises like walking, cycling, jogging or light running to your daily routine.
Hitting the gym for weight loss is a very effective weight loss plan if you plan on losing weight and conditioning your body to become fitter. Strength training in the gym is one of the best exercises to burn fat. Training in the gym helps you build up your metabolic rate such that you burn calories faster. It also helps you build muscle mass and tone your body.
Exercises for weight loss need not necessarily involve a rigorous schedule. A daily habit of moderate to light exercising can help you reduce weight gradually. The key is to start light and gradually increase the intensity of exercises once you get accustomed to a schedule.
In my opinion, unless you make a conscious effort to monitor the number of calories you consume and drink, you may need to engage in a lot of physical activity. Regular physical exercise and a balanced diet are both essential components of a healthy lifestyle.
Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)
Weight loss is heavily dependent on the number of calories that you consume throughout the day. Unhealthy eating habits is one of the major causes of weight-related disorders like obesity. It is also easier to keep a track of your calorie intake than burn the number of calories you consume to achieve a calorie deficit.
You are what you eat. Your body reacts to the food you consume and this is why a meal plan for weight loss is crucial if you want to lose weight. The consumption of processed food high in calories or the exclusion of nutrient-rich food in your diet can affect the weight of your body.
If you plan on losing weight then you should curate a diet plan for weight loss. Being mindful about your food and making healthy food choices leads to better absorption of food by your body. Eating protein-rich and nutrient-rich food helps your body metabolism function better. The inclusion of fibre is very important if you want to lose weight.
Get in touch with a nutritionist or keep a close watch on what you eat throughout the day. It is essential that you do not miss out on the consumption of a balanced beal while trying to achieve a calorie deficit.
In my opinion, sticking to a nutritious diet with healthy alternatives may help someone remain within their daily limit without counting calories. Researchers discovered in 2018 that eating a diet high in fibre and lean proteins may result in weight loss without the need to track calories consumed.
Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS
A healthy meal plan for weight loss is a crucial aspect if you want to shed those calories. However, achieving a calorie deficit through diet alone can become a difficult task since it includes a lot of food restrictions. A healthy weight loss plan should ideally include some amount of exercise so that you can achieve your calorie deficit by burning some amount of calories too. Neither is mutually exclusive. Exercise can help you lose weight but should always back it up with a healthy diet, otherwise, you will feel weak, your muscles will not recover and even your immunity may take a beating. So you need to carefully chalk out a plan that includes both.
There is no single path to take if you plan on losing weight in a healthy manner. When you combine a conscious diet plan along with a weight loss workout plan you make it easier for yourself to lose weight quickly.
Also Read: Can You Lose Weight by Not Eating? The Dangers of Starvation Diets
There are many diet fads or exercise regimes that promise rapid weight loss if you follow those plans. No quick fix diets or extreme exercise routines will help you lose weight in a healthy manner. In the diet vs. exercise debate, there is no clear winner since both these aspects are crucial if you want to lose weight. Weight loss is a gradual process and you should remain steadfast towards your aim.
Also Read: How to Reduce Weight Without Exercise: Proven Strategies and Science-Backed Methods
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
As the name suggests, ‘empty nest’ syndrome refers to the feeling of emptiness that parents go through when their children leave home for work and other reasons. Children grow up and become responsible enough to live alone, they learn to venture into new things and need to step out to meet their personal and professional demands. Parents on the other hand feel abandoned, miss the time spent with their children and this, in turn, can cause them to feel depressed, lonely and alienated. It is not a psychiatric illness but just a term used to denote the condition of parents when the last child leaves home.
As a parent, you want to provide your child with a good education, help them become independent and wish that they prosper in life. This often means your child might have to leave for a boarding school or go to college or work in a place far away from home and this can trigger mixed emotions and become really hard to deal with as parents.
At a young age, children are more dependent on their parents for every little thing, for their meals or studies and the sudden transformation usually affects both the parents.
Empty nest syndrome has three stages: grief, relief, and joy. In the first stage, parents tend to experience sadness, loss, loneliness, or even depression. In the second stage, parents move on to feeling relief and a sense of freedom as they develop a new rhythm of life.
Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD
Some parents are more susceptible to empty nest syndrome than others. This may be because of having a single child or if your child leaves earlier than what you expected. Some parents may find living alone really difficult and have an emotional breakdown. Parents who have disturbance or complications in their marriages depend on their children and may feel more lonely when they leave. Parents who rely on their parental roles for self-identity and are full-time parents, suffer separation anxiety when their children leave more acutely. There are parents who like catering to their children’s needs because they think their children are dependent on them and when the children leave and capably look after themselves or parents suffering from a mental illness, anxiety disorder or any other chronic illness tend to have higher chances of experiencing empty nest syndrome.
The causes of empty nest syndrome may vary among parents. Some of them include:
Researchers have found that parents and caregivers suffering from empty nest syndrome may experience the following symptoms:
Empty nest syndrome symptoms can be noticed in both parents. The age group most affected with empty nest syndrome is between 40 – 50. However, based on gender a few things may differ. While women may be at risk of being depressed and experience social withdrawal, the father may turn alcoholic or indulge in substance abuse.
Empty Nest Syndrome can even prompt suicidal thoughts in parents. If you seek timely help, you will be able to deal with this issue better.
Marital stress is not uncommon among parents transitioning into a new rhythm with their children out of the house and can often cause increased tension and bickering. It may be helpful to seek professional help to resolve the issues arising due to this situation as it may be temporary but might have a huge impact on the couple.
Dr. Ashish Bajaj – M.B.B.S, M.D.
If you think this situation will last forever, remind yourself that it won’t. Your friends and family will support you during this transitional period of your life. You don’t have to deal with this feeling of loss alone. You must speak to psychiatrists, psychologists and ensure that you get proper help to live in a healthy manner. There are therapies to manage your symptoms effectively and keeping your mind calm and stress-free is the best solution for empty nest syndrome.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
As per the latest world health organization (WHO) reports, physical inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and death worldwide. Approximately 1 in 4 adults is physically inactive. WHO recommends that an adult should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week.
Jogging is a moderate-intensity exercise that involves running at a steady and slow pace, usually less than 6 miles per hour. It is more challenging than walking but much slower than running. Since jogging puts less strain on the body, it is sustainable for a long period. In many diseases such as diabetes and depression, jogging is the initial recommendation from the doctors.
Please consult your doctor before starting on any form of physical exercise or jogging.
Let’s talk about jogging and its health benefits.
Jogging helps to burn a lot of calories and ultimately result in weight loss. It is said that jogging for 30 minutes burns approximately 300 Calories. However, to get the desired weight loss results, jogging should be done along with proper caloric restrictions as per the advice of a dietary expert. Jogging boosts your metabolism and helps to maintain your body weight.
Did you know inactivity raises the risk of COVID-19 hospitalisations and fatalities whereas physical exercise lowers those risks? The risk of dying from the flu or pneumonia may be lower in those who are regularly active. Researchers have found that persons who walk or jog are half as likely to experience extreme side affects from the flu and pneumonia as adults who are inactive or inconsistent with exercise.
Dr. Siddharth Gupta, MD
Depression and anxiety are characterized by increased levels of cortisol, commonly known as a stress hormone. Clinical research has clearly shown the benefits of jogging and other physical exercises in reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Even after a single episode of jogging, a reduction in anxiety and depression has been documented in clinical studies.
American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends physical activity such as jogging to reduce the increased blood sugar levels in addition to medications. It reduces blood sugar by increasing the insulin sensitivity of muscle cells. This results in better uptake of sugar by our muscle cells and a reduction in blood sugar levels.
Did you know one can reduce their chances of acquiring a number of common cancer malignancies by staying physically active? To my knowledge, regular jogging may lower the chance of developing cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, kidney, lung, and stomach. In addition to this, studies have revealed that regular physical activity helps cancer survivors enhance their quality of life while also increasing their physical fitness.
Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS
Exercise such as jogging causes a change in white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are cells of our immune system that fight diseases like respiratory infections. The chances of getting a cold, flu, or other illness are reduced substantially. Clinical studies have shown that jogging and upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) have an inverse relationship. The risk of URTIs reduces significantly in people doing moderate exercise regularly.
Clinical studies have demonstrated that exercise, like jogging, could improve the functioning of the brain. It also protects the brain from aging-related functional decline and stress. Recently some animal studies done in mice have proved that mice, when exposed to stressful situations and subsequently regularly allowed to run on a wheel performed better than sedentary mice.
Our vertebral column has discs that are located between the vertebrae and act as shock absorbers. Researchers found that people who jog regularly have these intervertebral discs larger and filled with more fluid. This results in more flexibility of the spine and fewer chances of pain as compared to people who do not exercise.
Jogging improves blood circulation to our skin. This improved blood supply provides the skin with essential nutrients and oxygen. This ensures the production of healthy skin cells as well as the repair of damaged cells.
Jogging reduces your resting heart rate and heart rate under strain. It lowers the risk of heart attack or stroke. However, if you have preexisting heart disease, overweight, or history of smoking, please consult your doctor before initiating jogging.
The latest clinical evidence suggests that jogging in the morning is in alignment with our circadian rhythm or biological clock of our body. This ensures a better quality of sleep at night. Another study concluded that jogging in the morning can improve the endurance for aerobic exercises. However, the best time to jog can be the time that suits you better.
Jogging is an aerobic exercise that offers many health benefits if done regularly. Jogging along with caloric restrictions helps to maintain appropriate body weight. It also offers better cardiovascular health, boosts immunity, better skin health, decreases blood sugar levels, and relieves stress.
