Half of men in the UK admit they are trying to lose weight, but just over a quarter of them will give up their diet after just one day, according to new research from Bupa.
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One in three men admit to thinking about losing weight at least once day. In fact, men are so eager to lose weight over a third said they would even give up watching football in order to be their ideal weight.
“This time of year we see a flurry of diets offering a quick fix. Fad diets might help you lose a few pounds at first, but they won’t help you stay a healthy weight in the long run. I’d encourage men wanting to lose weight to stop watching football and begin playing it instead,” explains Dr Tim Woodman, medical director at Bupa.
Bupa’s research found that one third of people in Britain think about losing weight at least once a day and have tried an average of three diets in their lifetime. However, despite our efforts to shed excess weight, one third of dieters failed to lose weight whilst on a diet and four in ten dieters didn’t keep the weight off for at least a year.
One reason for this could be the low number of people combining their diet with exercise. Only three in ten of us are committed to always doing physical exercise alongside a diet.
Dr Tim Woodman, continues: “If you lose weight too quickly, you tend to lose a lot of muscle and water, as well as fat. When this happens, your body starts to work more slowly, meaning that it needs fewer calories to function day-to-day. The weight will pile back on quickly once you go back to your usual eating habits, because your body has adjusted to a lower calorie intake, so the extra calories are stored as fat.
“Cutting out entire food groups, as advertised in some diets, can be dangerous, as it’s really important to eat a range of foods from the five main food groups to stay healthy. You also need to stay satisfied enough to avoid giving up. Going hungry is not a good way to lose weight in the long run.
“The only healthy way to shed excess fat and keep it off is to eat healthy, nutritious meals and increase physical activity.”
If you have made a New Year’s resolution make it last beyond January with Dr Tim Woodman’s five tips for sensible weight loss:
There is no quick fix to losing weight. You’re more likely to keep the weight off for good if you lose weight slowly, at a rate of no more than 1 to 2 lbs a week.
Build physical activity such as walking into your daily routine. This can be a good start if you’re not used to doing any exercise. Aim for 30 minutes at least five days a week – even a walk at 2mph will burn 75 calories in half an hour. Try walking to work, meeting friends for a walk instead of a drink or going on a romantic stroll instead of a dinner date with your partner.
Use smaller plates and bowls for your meals. A small plate full of food is more appealing than a large plate that is half empty. You don’t need to cut down on fruit and vegetables though, so if your plate is looking sparse, fill it up with these.
Try and minimise the amount of processed food you eat and find alternatives to creamy sauces and buttery toppings such as a tomato-based sauce for pasta dishes or semi-skimmed milk or skimmed where milk or cream is needed in a recipe.
Diets that cut out too many calories or entire meals aren’t healthy ways to lose weight. Eat three regular meals and healthy snacks, such as fruit, if you’re hungry. Always make sure you have water available as feelings of hunger can often be satisfied by drinking water.
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