Dear Doctor:
I have tried several types of diet plans. I always found the chemical diet most effective, however several people mentioned that this type is not healthy. Is that true? and why?
Answer
Chemical diet is not healthy as it causes multiple vitamin deficiencies. It also omits food for certain periods which is not within the recommended daily allowance for proper health.
A diet that has everything but with a little cutting down on caloric intake causes the body to burn some of the stored fat gradually. This is one of the best ways to loose weight and keep healthy while enjoying your life.
Name
Alma
- Cyprus
Profession
Question
Why is it that, after following a diet, a person would reach a point when no weight loss is evident?
Answer
There can be one of two reasons for this.
The first is that you followed a very low caloric diet. This gives your body the message that you are going through a prolonged phase of starvation. To counter this starvation, your body tries to preserve energy as much as it can. At this point, the less you eat the more you stop loosing weight.
The best way to start loosing again is to increase your intake again very gradually to calm your body down and give it the message that there is no famine anymore. Only at this point will your body start loosing weight again. However, this might take a couple of months.
The second reason is sometimes, the body might reach what we call a plateau. That means the body will stop losing weight and it might take 2-3 weeks before the body starts to loose weight again on the same amount of calories you were taking. This means that you won't need to cut down further on your calories intake, provided that you are not on a very low calorie diet which prompted your body to go into starvation mode.
This is a normal phenomenon.
Name
Najeeba
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
The average calories per day for an active female is about 2000 calories a day? I have noticed that I actually gain weight if I consume this amount of calories, although I should neither gain or lose. Why is that?
Answer
There are plenty of reasons for that.
1) There is a measure called the basal metabolic rate. It is the amount of energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment. You might have been dong severe diet which caused your basal metabolic rate to go down.
2) If you are short, you definitely need less than 2000 Kcal as this number is an estimate for average weight and height.
3) If you are having any problem with your thyroid gland this might cause your metabolism to slow down. At this rate you would burn less than the 2000 Kcal average.
And the most common reason for people who used to go on a diet that is very restrictive several times before is that your body feels afraid of lack of food. So, as a way of adaptation, it tries to preserve calories as much as it can to keep you alive.
For your case, it is better to check your thyroid function, make sure you are not shorter than 155 cm, and that you are not taking less than 15% of the calories you need. this is necessary to keep your body loosing weight.
Do this for 3-4 months and you might start loosing weight again.
And the best of the best is to start doing aerobic exercise 3 times per week for half an hour each.
This will make you loose weight again insha Allah.
Name
Marina
- Turkey
Profession
Question
Are there certain dietary plans for loosing fat from different body parts , like buttocks or hips?
Thank you.
Answer
Any dietary plan will help you loose weigh in general as it burns the excess fat. Just go easy on your diet.
Everybody has his or her own fat distribution. Some have the excess fat in the buttocks and others in their shoulders etc. But for everyone, if they loose fat they will lose it from everywhere with different percentages depending on their own personal body shape.
The thing that may play a role in loosing fat from certain areas is not the type of diet, but the type of exercise you practice with this diet. So if you focus on the ones that move the buttocks muscles the most or the abdominal muscles this might help stretching your muscles and burning the excess fat in these areas more than the others.
Name
Fatima
- United Arab Emirates
Profession
Question
Some diet plans are calculated by points? Are they effective, and what are they based on?
Answer
If the points mean number of exchanges from different food groups then those are one of the really effective diets.
They actually depend on the international recommendations for health.
An example for that would be saying 5 points of fruits and 5 points of vegetables. Each point is a piece of its group. These would cover for most of the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
Another 6-7 points or servings of starch you take as 1 roll or half of pita bread for breakfast and another one for dinner + a cup of pasta or rice cooked with little oil for lunch.
Then 3-4 servings of protein as 100 gram of cooked chicken and a a slice or two of low fat cheese divided over the 3 meals and 2 cups of low-fat milk as 2 points of milk + 4-5 servings of fat as 3-4 teaspoonfuls of olive oil spreed through the 3 meals and then 8-16 peanuts 5 times /week.
Name
Du'aa
- Egypt
Profession
Question
1)There are all sorts of weight loss drugs in the market? Are there any effective drugs, or those that help alongside a diet?
2) What do you think of green tea capsules?
Answer
To lose weight and maintain the weight you loose you should learn how to eat healthy first and what is the suitable calories intake for you body depending on your weight, height, age and physical activity.
Drugs might help you and give you a push but they are not the solution as you cannot keep taking them for the rest of your life! Besides some of them have bad side effects.
If you choose to use drugs along with diet look for drugs with a local action. One of the best drugs to help you loose weight safely are the gastric filling ones. A natural option would be drinking a lot of water. Try 10 cups per day. One before meals, one during meals and one inbetween meals.
If you are willing to go for stronger drugs I would recommend green tea as a drink rather than a capsule. You may take as much as 7-8 cups per day. It is very healthy, natural and safe too.
Another thing is 5 pieces of fruits and 5-10 pieces of vegetables before, during and in between meals will be the best way to loose weight while keeping healthy and energetic too.
Name
Farida
- Bahrain
Profession
Question
I had a liposuction 2 years ago, the doctors said that I will not gain weight in the areas where I had the operation, because they removed the fat cells. However I did gain wait in these same area. Is this normal?
Answer
Actually this is the usual scenario for liposuction.
Try to adopt a healthy way of eating. Cut down on your caloric intake by 200 Kcal/day to loose this weight you gained and go for exercise on regular basis - especially for the belly and buttocks area - I believe this is where you had the liposuction. This will help you to reshape your body again and expect to have better results insha' Allah.
Name
Jamila
- Egypt
Profession
Question
What is mesotherapy? Is it effective?
Answer
It is not within my specialty to discuss or judge I am really sorry.
Name
Kawther
- Egypt
Profession
Question
I have a 7 year old girl, who I tends to easily gain weight. Is there a nutritional plan that I can make her follow in order to prevent obesity in the future?
Answer
Yes there is.
First of all make sure she is eating well and taking in all the nutrients she needs.
She might need a sandwich for breakfast, another one for dinner and a cup of rice for lunch.
Give her 2 pieces of fruits/day and 2-10 pieces of vegetables/day. Start by giving her only 2 pieces and you can give her the extra 8 to satisfy her hunger if she asks for more food beyond her daily allowance
You should also give her 2cups of skimmed milk and 1 cup of skimmed yogurt.
Add to that also one quarter of a small, boiled chicken or one small, grilled fish.
She should also take one whole bread (for those living in Arab countries, balady bread).
Make sure her food is generally low fat. Do not use too much butter or oil in cooking, cut down the amount you are using in half. Also try to use low fat cheese rather than whole cream cheese.
Finally teach her that exercise is a usual part of her life. Let her get involved in a sports team.
Name
Kaledovic
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Hi. I was wondering: Is there a way to know if someone is too much on the thin side?
And if yes, then how can you gain weight (without chemical medicine, of course)?
Thanks.
Answer
Of course there are.
The way to gain weight is to increase the amount of food you are eating and increase the caloric density.
The healthy food in this category would be nuts - such as peanuts, almonds and seeds. Eat it after your meal - not before.
Eat your salad after you finish your whole plate so you don't fill up on salad alone. Add olives to you cheese sandwich instead of cucumbers.
You may also try high protein milk powder instead of regular milk and snack on dates bars.
Name
Lisa
- United States
Profession
Question
I am not very overweight, nor do I really overeat. However I probably need to lose 20-30 pounds. My biggest problem is with sweets. While I don't eat a lot (a single cookie after a meal, for example), I am afraid that is the only thing preventing me from losing weight. I have a strong craving for something sweet after a meal. Do you think I need to go completely without sweets - cold turkey - or will that just make me want to overindulge?
Answer
No, do not stop eating sweets as we can not deny cravings. You only need to count their calories within your meal.
For example, if you are supposed to eat 1700 Kcal to lose weight, it does not really matter if you take it from sweets or even vegetables as long you are not taking more than that number.
The best thing to do in this case is, when you have these cravings, drink a cup of water first and see if you are still craving or not. If you still are, try to eat a piece of fruit - lets say an apple - and see if that helps. But now if you are still in need to eat sweets then now you can - but only take half of that chocolate to satisfy your cravings.
You can also try a slice of wholewheat bread or 7 grain toast and a tablespoonful of jam or jelly as an alternative to chocolate. Sometimes it might help you feel good too.
At last do not forget to count the calories you took from the sweets you ate and deduct them from your daily allowances and keep your weight goof and enjoy your life. I love chocolate too!
Name
attiya
- United Kingdom
Profession
student
Question
Why is it that my female friends eat lots of food but don't put weight on, and I who hardly eats anything am overweight?
Answer
There are some genetic basis for that - do not blame yourself much.
Your metabolism might be slow. Check your thyroid function and in the meantime, cut down on fatty meals and stay away from fried foods.
Try to do some exercise as well since this increases the body's metabolism which means that your body will start burning more calories.
Name
Mohammed
- United States
Profession
Question
Assalamu alaikum wr wb
Here in the USA, physical activity is not that much involved in the daily routines. What type of diet should be taken, and which ones to be avoided in order to reduce or totally avoid obesity, and at the same time help in treating diabetes and hypertension?
Answer
Cut down on fried food - use boiled, broiled, or grilled food.
Use skimmed milk, low fat cheese and low fat yogurt.
Pick pita breads instead of Italian ones and if you eat processed meat often, then eat low fat turkey meat. Stay away from hot dogs and use mustard instead of mayonnaise on your sandwiches.
For a simple exercise plan, do not use the elevator and take the stairs. If you drive a car park it 2-3 blocks away from your house or work and walk there. If you take the subway, then climb the escalator stairs rather than waiting for them to take you up or down. DO IT YOURSELF.
Finally, try to take 5 pieces of fruits and vegetables before your meals.
Name
Maha
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Is it true that there is a type of fat cells that can never be burned by diet, and can only be removed by liposuction?
Answer
It is not the type of fat, it is the number of fat cells.
If you are to do liposuction, do it for the sake of shaping your body after you loose weigh since liposuction does not dissolve the fat on the liver nor improve your blood cholesterol.
Loose weight till you reach the amount that improve your heath first and do so on a reasonable slow gentle diet and see - you may not need to do liposuction at the end.
Name
zeynab
- United States
Profession
sof.eng
Question
Assalamu Alaikum sister
May Allah swt reward you for your efforts. Ameen
I need advice please...I have been trying to loose the extra pounds I gained w/ my two pregnancies but my efforts are always failing due to late sleeping habits.
My second child is a very bad sleeper and continuously breastfeeds through the night. He's close to 2 but ever since he was born I've been struggling to maintain a schedule and it has failed. So being up through the night has been devastating for me..I've gained over 30 pounds after having him...I became late eater and snacked...I just don't know how to get back on track.. please advice..
Answer
Being 2 years old means he can now walk. Take him to the park during the day, this will exhaust him and make him sleep for longer periods. It will help you to get some fresh air and feel better too.
Take him shopping for vegetables and then you can snack on them. Also try to drink 12 cups of water per day. If you are awake with him try to read him a story so he would fall asleep and you would do something else other than eating.
Finally, you should try to walk for an hour daily with your baby to make him feel close to you as sometimes prolonged breast feeding means that the child needs to be close to his mother more and feel secured.
Focus on building this relationship rather than thinking that you are eating more - this will help you a lot trust me.
Name
umm
- India
Profession
Question
Assalam alykum
I am a 28yrs old female I have been diagnosed with PCOS. I am 94kgs height is 5ft 8in I try to exercise doing aerobics but I feel very lazy I mean I am not full of energy. Alhamdulliah I have 2 kids both by clomid i want more children inshaallah but first I want to reduce my weight .Please help jazakallah
Answer
This might have an impact on your metabolic rate BUT NOT AS MUCH AS YOU THINK.
You can try to increase your protein intake within your calloric allowances. I believe 1800 Kcal/day is good for you and do not go below 1600 Kcal.
You may try taking one teaspoonful of honey in the morning with a cup of boiled ginseng.
Do not take less than 150 gram of carbohydrates/day and try to divide it within your meals so that it would give you the energy you need. You may also benefit from adding exta spices to your food
You should also have 1-2 cups of coffee, 2-3 cups of green tea and 1-2 cups of red tea - this might help increase your metabolic rate.
Aerobics exercises are very good. Combine them with 1 hour walking daily with your kids and if you have a friend who is also on a diet ask her to join you on your walk. This will make it more fun and helpful.
