A woman in her 40s who once weighed nearly 127kg has reportedly lost 52kg through exercise and dietary management.
According to the British outlet Mirror on the 27th, Lucy Elliott, a 47-year-old woman living in Northamptonshire, England, once weighed 127kg after repeatedly binge-eating high-calorie foods. Lucy said, "I turned to food whenever I was stressed," adding, "There were times when I consumed 6000kcal a day."
After separating from her husband, Lucy decided to go on a diet, signed up for a gym and began exercising. However, she said, "I found it difficult to fully enjoy working out at the gym," adding, "I felt there were limits to sustaining my weight loss."
Eventually, Lucy decided to improve her diet first. She changed her diet from high-calorie foods such as pizza, hamburgers and French fries to meals rich in protein and dietary fiber, including whole-grain cereal, chicken and vegetables. While considering what type of exercise suited her lifestyle, Lucy took on the challenge of walking 15,000 steps before work. The walking habit became a regular part of her daily life and a natural routine for starting the day. As a result, Lucy successfully lost 52kg and now maintains a weight of 75kg. She said, "I still crave fried foods or chocolate when I am stressed," adding, "But my confidence has grown because of my changed figure, so I decided to maintain the lifestyle habits I have continued until now."
◇Consistent walking can help reduce body fat
Walking is a representative form of aerobic exercise that can be started without special equipment or skills. Because repeatedly moving the large muscles in the lower body while walking consumes energy, doing it consistently can help reduce weight and body fat. In fact, according to a meta-analysis published in the international journal ‘Journal of Physical Activity and Health,’ the group that performed walking exercises for 12 to 16 weeks lost an average of 2.13kg more body weight than the control group, while its waist circumference decreased by 2.83cm more and its body fat mass decreased by 2.59kg more.
In particular, people who are overweight or obese should start with light aerobic exercise such as walking. Beginning with high-intensity strength training too aggressively can place stress on the knee and ankle joints because of the load from body weight. Like Lucy, it is advisable to combine light aerobic exercise with dietary management to lose a certain amount of weight before gradually increasing exercise intensity. At this stage, combining protein-rich foods such as chicken breast, eggs and fish with dietary-fiber-rich foods such as whole grains and vegetables can help maintain satiety for longer while preventing muscle loss.
◇Stress management is also key to dieting... Find alternatives to food
Stress management is also important. Excessive stress increases the secretion of the hormone cortisol, which interferes with the action of leptin, the satiety hormone. It also stimulates the brain's reward pathway, leading people to crave high-calorie foods high in sugar and fat. In fact, emotional eating, or trying to relieve stress with food, is common among adults who are overweight or obese. A meta-analysis published in the ‘British Journal of Psychology’ analyzed 21,237 overweight or obese adults and found that 44.9% showed symptoms of emotional eating.
If you crave food when stressed, one option is to briefly redirect your attention to another activity rather than eating immediately. The hunger felt at that moment may be emotional hunger rather than actual hunger. It is advisable to drink a glass of water or take a light walk, then check whether the hunger persists afterward.
According to the British outlet Mirror on the 27th, Lucy Elliott, a 47-year-old woman living in Northamptonshire, England, once weighed 127kg after repeatedly binge-eating high-calorie foods. Lucy said, "I turned to food whenever I was stressed," adding, "There were times when I consumed 6000kcal a day."
After separating from her husband, Lucy decided to go on a diet, signed up for a gym and began exercising. However, she said, "I found it difficult to fully enjoy working out at the gym," adding, "I felt there were limits to sustaining my weight loss."
Eventually, Lucy decided to improve her diet first. She changed her diet from high-calorie foods such as pizza, hamburgers and French fries to meals rich in protein and dietary fiber, including whole-grain cereal, chicken and vegetables. While considering what type of exercise suited her lifestyle, Lucy took on the challenge of walking 15,000 steps before work. The walking habit became a regular part of her daily life and a natural routine for starting the day. As a result, Lucy successfully lost 52kg and now maintains a weight of 75kg. She said, "I still crave fried foods or chocolate when I am stressed," adding, "But my confidence has grown because of my changed figure, so I decided to maintain the lifestyle habits I have continued until now."
◇Consistent walking can help reduce body fat
Walking is a representative form of aerobic exercise that can be started without special equipment or skills. Because repeatedly moving the large muscles in the lower body while walking consumes energy, doing it consistently can help reduce weight and body fat. In fact, according to a meta-analysis published in the international journal ‘Journal of Physical Activity and Health,’ the group that performed walking exercises for 12 to 16 weeks lost an average of 2.13kg more body weight than the control group, while its waist circumference decreased by 2.83cm more and its body fat mass decreased by 2.59kg more.
In particular, people who are overweight or obese should start with light aerobic exercise such as walking. Beginning with high-intensity strength training too aggressively can place stress on the knee and ankle joints because of the load from body weight. Like Lucy, it is advisable to combine light aerobic exercise with dietary management to lose a certain amount of weight before gradually increasing exercise intensity. At this stage, combining protein-rich foods such as chicken breast, eggs and fish with dietary-fiber-rich foods such as whole grains and vegetables can help maintain satiety for longer while preventing muscle loss.
◇Stress management is also key to dieting... Find alternatives to food
Stress management is also important. Excessive stress increases the secretion of the hormone cortisol, which interferes with the action of leptin, the satiety hormone. It also stimulates the brain's reward pathway, leading people to crave high-calorie foods high in sugar and fat. In fact, emotional eating, or trying to relieve stress with food, is common among adults who are overweight or obese. A meta-analysis published in the ‘British Journal of Psychology’ analyzed 21,237 overweight or obese adults and found that 44.9% showed symptoms of emotional eating.
If you crave food when stressed, one option is to briefly redirect your attention to another activity rather than eating immediately. The hunger felt at that moment may be emotional hunger rather than actual hunger. It is advisable to drink a glass of water or take a light walk, then check whether the hunger persists afterward.