There are thousands of articles on the internet on losing weight and none of them suggest to stop eating regular foods because one cannot just stop eating and get a zero figure within a few days.
Doing this can trigger side effects to the body. On the other hand, exercising a lot and not having any control over the food habit also can not help one to lose weight. As it took more than a day to put the weight on, it will definitely take more than a day and more effort to take it off.
Nowrin Afrin Purnota, an undergraduate student studying in Bangladesh university of professionals used to be a fluffy girl and her friends used to call her ‘teddy’. She was determined to lose weight. It took her almost a year to lose 22 kilos. She believes it varies from person to person how much time their body will need to lose weight because every human body is different and functions differently. There was not even a single day passed by when Nowrin did not engage herself in any physical activity. She used to workout for forty minutes, four days a week. And on the other days of the week, she used to walk for forty to forty five minutes at a stretch. On the point of dieting, she almost stopped taking carbs. She did not consume any rice, bread, noodles or sugar items. Her body got the necessary amount of carb from vegetables because she had a lot of green vegetables, spinach in her regular diet. We see many people skipping milk while being on a diet but Nowrin did not do that. She used to have a cup of milk every single day or else her body would lack in nutrition. She used to have an egg every morning. According to Nowrin the main part about her diet was eating healthy, skipping junk foods or any food that makes anyone gain weight.
Nowrin also mentioned that this routine of not taking carbs was a bit risky as she had to maintain a balanced diet so that her body gets the proper amount of nutrition to stay fit. Many people often make a mistake here and they fail to maintain a well-balanced food habit for which their body becomes weak instead of becoming fit.
“It was not easy at all and surely, a lot more tough for me than most other people because it takes me a lot of time to lose weight than others. But determination was the key. I was so determined that I kept consistency and I did not lose my focus. Patience and determination is what leads people towards achieving the goal.”
Human psychology works in a way that people have more attraction towards something which is forbidden for them. Maybe this is the reason why people with high health risks who really need to avoid junk foods and lose weight, cannot do that easily. But as mentioned earlier, determination is the key. It is hard to resist yourself from some tempting foods sometimes. Many people think that the effects of excessive foods they are consuming can be mitigated by exercising. It is partly true, but it is also true that if you stay in a calorie deficit you will definitely lose weight.
We all know that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Dieting might help you to accelerate your weight loss process, but it also has a negative reaction which is, it loosens your skin. Here comes the importance of exercise as exercising helps you to get a toned body. What is the benefit of losing weight and looking like a 50-years old while being only 30? Regular physical activity can boost your body's metabolism, allowing you to burn calories more effectively.
Mashraba Naziat who is a student of Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, believes that no one should push themselves too much that the process makes their body go through much hassle. She says, “While you can not expect to lose weight with only exercise, at the same time you can not only consume less calories to get a toned body. Exercises and diet complement each other. But to get a toned body, there is no alternative to working out.”
However, even if weight loss is not your ultimate goal, you should never forget that a well-balanced diet and regular physical activity have numerous health benefits. ‘Smart eating’ not only makes you slim but healthy as well. While for the purpose of losing weight you need to cut off many foods from your plate, physical activity also should not be overlooked in the fight against unhealthy lifestyles and it should be encouraged because of the numerous health benefits it provides.
Mayesha Afiya Jarin is currently studying law at Bangladesh University of Professionals. She can be reached at [email protected]
