Only permanent changes to your diet matter. Patience is the key to successful weight loss. The more reasonable the change, the more likely it will be permanent.
This diet is recommended for you if you are overweight and still gaining weight, or if your BMI is 30 kg/m2 or higher.
A weight management diet is not suitable for you if you are experiencing a flare-up of a respiratory disease.
The goal of this diet is to lose weight as well as promote and maintain health with balanced nutrition. In brief, you need:
- enough energy
- enough protein
- moderate amounts of soft fats
- plenty of fibre
- colourful vegetables, fruits, and berries.
Read the labels and compare the fat and calorie content of various products. Choose the option that is right for you.
Weight management diet for people with respiratory diseases
- You need roughly 90–100 grammes of protein daily (about 1.3–1.5 grammes per kilogramme of your target body weight). Good sources of protein are skimmed dairy products, soy products, legumes, nuts, meat, fish, chicken, and egg whites.
- Eat lighter and fibre-rich foods. You need 30–35 grammes of fibre daily, for example 4–5 slices of whole grain bread and 5 servings of vegetables, fruits, and berries. If your body’s energy requirement is low (1,200–1,500 kilocalories per day), you will also have to cut down on carbohydrates and grain products. In this case, you should especially focus on eating more vegetables.
- Keep in mind that you should not eliminate all visible soft fats from your diet, even when you are trying to lose weight. Use soft vegetable fats and cooking oil. Choose fat-free and low-fat options from dairy and meat products. Eat fish 2–3 times a week.
- Vegetables, fruits, and berries are an important source of vitamin C and folic acid. They also contain fibre and other healthy nutrients. The recommendation is to eat half a kilogramme daily, which means 5 or 6 handfuls either fresh or cooked.
- Cut down on foods that are high in fat and sugar.
- Check your portion size.
- Stick to a regular meal schedule. For most people, 4–5 meals a day is a suitable meal schedule.
If you are 65 or older or spend a lot of time indoors in the summer, you need a vitamin D supplement of 10–20 microgrammes per day. People over 65 are recommended to take vitamin D supplements all year round.
If your energy requirement is lower than 1,500 kilocalories per day or if you are over 65, you can take one multivitamin and mineral supplement daily.
You should keep in mind that only permanent changes to your diet matter and that to avoid muscle loss, the appropriate rate of weight loss is no more than half a kilogramme per week. Muscle loss is harmful because it puts more strain on the lungs and causes fatigue. It also reduces physical activity and accelerates the progression of disease.