What if Diet and Exercise Aren’t Working?
You’re eating kale and whole grains, and meeting all your daily cardio goals. So why isn’t the scale moving? Maybe it’s time to mix things up or take a hard look at your choices, offers Kamraan Madhani, MD, a medical weight loss specialist with Hartford HealthCare. “Even when nutrition and exercise are optimized, desired results may remain elusive due to factors like weight-promoting medications, stress and chronic medical conditions,” Dr. Madhani says. Here are a few tips for when diet and exercise aren’t helping.
1. Make sure your lifestyle is as healthy as it seems: First, Dr. Madhani suggests being honest about your eating and exercise as “healthy” and “regular” are relative terms. “There can be significant variance in what is considered ‘healthy eating’ and ‘regular exercise,’” he starts. “The subjective nature of these terms can lead to confusion and leave people frustrated when they don’t see the results they strive for.” The basics of a healthy lifestyle include:
- Diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and protein-rich legumes and meat.
- Control of added sugars, sodium, saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol.
- 150-250 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week. You can work your way up to this total by adding more time each week. You could also do 75 minutes of vigorous activity such as swimming laps.
- Strength training exercises involving all major muscle groups at least twice a week.
Excerpted from Hartford Healthcare
