Ask the Doctor

I weigh 98 kgs but I started working out every three days a week. I am always super hungry every time I’m from the gym. However, I can’t control myself from eating too much. What should I do? I worry that the gym sessions won’t be effective but every time I get hungry, I just want to eat! What’s your advice for me? Lucy, 37, Kabeza Resident -- Dear Lucy, Your weight is in excess apparently. You have not specified if were you on the ‘plump’ side since adolescence (due to hormonal changes during puberty females tend to put on weight), or you just started putting on weight recently. Has there been any recent pregnancy and delivery because women tend to gain weight during pregnancy and after child birth also? Endocrine disorders like diabetes, hypothyroidism, e.t.c. if uncontrolled also tend to lead to obesity. Apart from this, in most cases, it is due to imbalance of calories consumed and burnt. If at some point this balance is disturbed, one starts to gain weight and if not checked at this stage, the weight increases. There is a genetic susceptibility also to obesity but with the correct amount of diet and exercise, it can be prevented. As the body weight increases, the demand for calories by the body cells also increases, making the individual feel hungrier. During exercise as you burn some calories, due to adaptive mechanisms of the body, you will feel hungrier. Going to the gym 3 days a week is certainly not going to help you because the rest of the days are simply spent sitting and letting more fat build up in the body. If you seriously want to reduce weight, shun all foods and drinks which tend to increase fat. Sugar and alcohol are the biggest culprits as they provide no nutrition and only augment calories. Other items are sodas, butter, cheese, eggs and meat and barring fish. In place, take vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts. Apart from drinking water, you can take fresh fruit juices, tea, coffee or butter milk – all without sugar. Avoid taking snacks in between meals, particularly items like sweet biscuits and chocolates. There is an old saying, ‘For few seconds on your lips and forever on your hips’. If you have a craving for snacks, try diverting your mind at that time by doing something else. You should try to drink about 8-10 glasses of water every day, particularly before food and in between food. It would fill the stomach to some extent and induce early satiety. It has multiple other benefits as well. Regarding exercise, it should be done every day. Brisk walking, jogging, aerobics, swimming and yoga are all useful. So along with the gym, you can try doing one or more of these exercises as well. Avoid sitting for long hours. Doing exercise one time and then sitting in one position all day nullifies the effect of exercise. You should try moving around many times in the day. A word of caution here, avoid drastic reduction in weight. That will spoil your facial beauty as well as make you feel weak. Losing 1 to 3 kilos every month is okay and your vitality will be retained. Dr. Rachna Pande is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital