A person is said to be overweight when he or she has a body mass index (BMI) of over 25.9, whereas one whose BMI is over 30 is considered obese, according to the nutrition and diabetic specialist, Dr Eric Musengimana.

He says that losing weight is not easy although as a professional, he helps different people to lose weight after assessment or nutrition consultation.

Musengimana notes that there are three main ways someone can lose weight; eating a balanced diet, increasing physical activity and reducing intake of sugars.

Lowering your insulin

Musengimana says that the most important aspect of losing weight is to cut down on sugars and starches (carbs) which stimulate secretion of insulin.

"Since insulin is the main fat storage hormone in the body, when it goes down, fat has an easier time getting out of the fat stores and the body starts burning fats instead of carbs,” the expert explains.

He adds that another benefit of lowering insulin is that your kidneys shed excess sodium and water out of your body, which reduces bloat and unnecessary water weight.

"Removing sugars and starches (carbs) from your diet will lower your insulin levels, lower your appetite and make you lose weight without hunger,” Musengimana adds.

Musengimana encourages people to reduce intake of sugary drinks, including sodas, processed juices as well as alcohol.

Eating enough proteins and vegetables

Dr Daniel Gahungu, a general practitioner at Polyclinique de l’Etoile in Kigali, says that each one of your meals should include a protein source, a fat source and low-carb vegetables.

"Constructing your meals in this way will automatically bring your carb intake into the recommended range of 20-50 grams per day,” he says.

Gahungu says that foods like meat, chicken, pork, lamb, fish and eggs are the best sources of proteins for one to maintain a good weight and also lose unnecessary weight, and that this has been shown to boost metabolism by 80 to 100 calories per day.

The medic adds that high protein diets can also reduce obsessive thoughts about food by 60 per cent, reduce desire for late night snacking by half and make you so full that you automatically eat 441 fewer calories per day just by adding protein to your diet.

Eating fruits, reducing carbohydrates and exercising

Crispin Gishoma, the executive director of Rwanda Diabetic Association, says eating fruit and low-carb vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, cucumber and celery can also put one into the 20-50 gram carb range and drastically lower their insulin levels.

Gishoma also says that one does not need to exercise to lose weight, but it is recommended to go to the gym 3-4 times a week, do warm ups, lift weights and then do some stretching for one to lose that unwanted weight.

"By lifting weights, you will burn a few calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight,” he says.

He also adds that if lifting weights is not an option for you, then doing some easier cardio work-outs like jogging, swimming or walking will serve.

Gishoma also notes that most people go wrong when they think eating less and changing their eating habits will help them lose weight.

"Many people think that changing their eating habits to for instance one meal a day will help them lose weight, which is not true. The only safe way to lose weight is to keep one’s eating schedule but reduce the amount of carbohydrates in each meal,” he explains.