Nutrition and diet for weight loss
Maintaining a good diet for long-term weight
loss
Quite simply, obesity results when more
calories are consumed than are burned by the body
over a long period of time. Contributing to many
Americans’ obesity
or overweight condition are the combined effects
of insufficient exercise and a high-calorie diet.
The National Institutes of Health recommends that
patients educate themselves on several nutritional
issues to help manage their own diet and nutrition. The
basic recommended guidelines for a healthy diet and
good nutrition for weight loss include the following:
-
Reducing the number of calories in the daily
diet
-
Eating smaller portions as part of the diet
-
Tracking meal composition, portion sizes, and
nutritional content of the diet
-
Learning methods of food preparation for a healthy
diet (5)
-
Choosing nutritious meals that are lower in fat
(4)
Patients who reduce caloric consumption in their
diet slowly but consistently are usually the most
successful in maintaining their weight loss. Steady,
controlled progress during a diet and weight loss
program is generally more effective than sporadic
and inconsistent changes in caloric intake and portion
sizes.
It is commonly recommended that patients drink at
least 8 large cups of water throughout each day. Drinking
enough water is essential for a healthy back, as
water transports nutrients and eliminates wastes
in the body (6). The discs are comprised mostly
of water and need to stay hydrated so that nutrients
and fluids can be properly exchanged within the spinal
structures. For patients undergoing exercise
and dieting for weight loss, drinking adequate amounts
of water helps the body to metabolize fat and avoid
water retention.
Effect of behavioral and environmental factors
on diet and weight loss
Dieting programs should
take into account behavioral and environmental
factors that can influence a patient’s
eating habits. For example, stress, boredom, sadness
and anger can all have an effect on a patient’s
diet in terms of the quantities and types of food
the patient consumes (4). Behavioral factors, such
as feelings and mood changes throughout the day,
can induce patients to eat at times when they are
not hungry or to eat unhealthy foods. Environmental
triggers such as smells or stressful situations can
also lead patients to eat when they are not actually
hungry but instead are reacting to external stimuli
(4).
Patients may find it helpful to keep a written log
of what they eat and when over a period of several
days or weeks, observing and recording information
about the impact of behavioral and environmental
factors on diet and nutritional choices.
In order to stay motivated and on-track with a weight
loss and diet program, patients can reward themselves
for positive behaviors, develop a support network
of friends and family and use additional motivational
techniques to maintain steady progress.
When weight loss is unhealthy
Although weight loss with the use of a healthy diet
and exercise program may alleviate back pain and
improve overall fitness, there are several warning
signs indicating that weight loss is unhealthy.
Patients should pay close attention if they experience
any unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, pain
and neurological problems. Depression, malnutrition,
some prescription drugs, and infections may also
cause unintentional weight loss (7).
If the patient’s
weight has been steady for a long duration of time
and then his or her weight drops unexpectedly or
the patient experiences a loss of appetite, it may
be an indication of a serious medical condition,
such as cancer. The article Could
my back pain be cancer? gives additional warning
signs for when weight loss is unhealthy and for when
a patient should seek immediate medical attention.
References:
By: Donald J. Frisco,
MD
November 2, 2004
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