Earlier this year, Dubai was ranked the 22nd most obese nation out of 191 nations around the world by the world health organization. And it really is no surprise considering the many factors they have that contribute to the growing concern of being over-weight/obese in the gulf countries. The main ones being;
Junk food- This is one of the major causes of the high obesity statistics in the UAE. Healthy food is rarely consumed in Dubai. Emiratis eat loads of junk food and sugar sodas which is filled to the brim with carbs that only add more fat.
High temperatures– It gets really hot during the daytime in dubai. This drastically limits outdoor activities because people spend most time indoors watching movies, reading, listening to music etc
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Status symbol -Emiratis have this concept that your size symbolizes your wealth, which in turn symbolizes your social status.
The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that 62% of UAE citizens are obese and also predicts that over 700 people will be obese in the emirates by the end of 2015, making obesity and being overweight the fastest growing health concern in Dubai.
Of course, with all these alarming statistics come negative consequences. They could be physical, psychological/emotional, social or economical. Obesity increases your risk of having numerous health conditions like high blood pressure, cardiac problems, diabetes, sleep apnea, unhealthy cholesterol, asthma, gallstones, kidney stones, infertility, different types of cancers, including leukemia, breast, and colon cancer. And these are just the impacts obesity could have on your health. The emotional and psychological implications include depression, body dissatisfaction, anxiety, low quality of life etc. The economic implication mainly include lower salary, lower educational achievement, lower employment, and could cause the government etc. But enough of the gloomy info.
We’re here to tell you all you need to know if you’re planning to lose weight in Dubai, specifically. From diet plans you could use to gyms you could enroll in to the most effective workout routines suitable for Dubai residents. We are basically going to give you the outline of the most effective weight-loss plans you could possibly get in Dubai. So we’ll start with the basics;
How you know you need to lose weight
You know you need to lose weight by calculating your body mass index (BMI).BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by by his/her square height in meters. This presents in numeric terms the ‘thickness or thinness’ of an individual and categorizes a person as either under-weight, normal weight or over-weight by quantifying the amount of tissue mass in an individual. Or you could just look at a mirror and be the judge.
You could also use the body Fat percentage(BFP) to calculate obesity. This is the total mass of fat divided by total body mass. It calculates the total fat stored in the body including the essential fat.
Why you need to lose weight
Apart from the afore-mentioned health risks, social, psychological and economical implications associated with obesity and weight-loss, you could be personally motivated to lose weight for your well-being. Wouldn’t you want a normal life? Do normal everyday activities like normal people do and just basically live a more fulfilled life? ‘course you do! Just this, i believe is enough reason to get up and burn those carbs. But if you want more, I’ll give you more. Imagine yourself a hundred pounds lighter and with a higher self-esteem. Yeah. Your weight actually has dramatic effects on your confidence which has dramatic effects on your happiness/mood and/or psychological well-being which has dramatic effects on your food/calorie intake(for the emotional eaters). It’s a vicious cycle.
What You need to do to lose weight
There’s a whole lot you can do to lose weight. From workouts to diets to slimming pills to surgeries to varieties of other methods. What we’re going to do is tell you the best way to lose weight and give you the guidelines you’ll need to burn those carbs the healthiest way possible. So here we go…first thing you need to do is…
Set a goal
Doing this will actually set the foundation of your workout. Think of all the reasons you want to lose and gather your motivation from there. Then evaluate yourself and figure out what your dream weight or your dream dress size and just set a goal from there. It could be a long-term goal like losing 100 pounds in a year or a short term goal like losing 5 pounds a week. Another thing to put into consideration when setting up your goal is to keep it realistic, setting up extreme goals is just you setting yourself up for disappointment because you most probably won’t achieve them and that could affect your motivation. Also remember to keep it specific so you’ll have a clear idea of what exactly it is you’re aiming for; for when things get tough and hazy along the way.
Seek Support
Okay, so they’re two different points but they’re similar…in a way. Seek support from your loved ones (family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, strangers, weirdos whoever), they could be a strong source for motivation. And for this weight-loss journey you’re about to embark on, you’ll need all the motivation you can get. I mean it. It’s not going to be easy but once you get the right dose of motivation, determination, dedication, inspiration and information (guidance) you’ll be good to go and that’s what we’re here for.
Consult Your Doctor
This is pretty important. Very important, actually. You need to be sure you have no underlying health issues that could be triggered by strenuous workouts like cardio. A dietitian or nutritionist can also give a healthy diet plan that would be suitable for you and aid you in your weight-loss which takes us to our next point.
Set a diet plan
This doesn’t have to strictly be a list of low carb foods, vegetables and fruits. Just make sure you’ll be getting the essential nutrients (protein,omega 3, carbohydrates, vitamin c, etc) your body will need for the transformation it’s about to go through (another reason you need to consult a doctor). We always advise our clients going on a weight loss program to ‘eat less more often’. Eating lighter meals would keep you from being hungry and not overeat (like hungry people tend to do). We also let them have an ‘off’ day maximum once a week, when we let them eat whatever they want, whenever they want to. This is actually a good strategy because it would help you ‘recharge’ and lift your spirits. Make sure you meet the average daily required calorie intake of 1000kcal.
Plan your Workout Regimen And Follow It.
This is where the real challenge is. Making a workout plan is easy, sticking to it however is a whole different ball game. Its the real calorie burner right here. Its important to balance out the different types of training (strength training, flexibility training, aerobic (cardio) training, anaerobic exercise) so you could work all the different muscle groups in your body and tone up. Don’t focus too much on the dynamics of the workouts and try to make it fun. Throw in your favorite sport somewhere. And i mean a sport that actually includes physical activity.
Conclusion
This is all you need to know- and do for a healthy weight-loss. It will be tough. There’ll be days you’ll want to give up. But if you dedicate yourself to you goal and follow these guidelines, there’s no way you won’t persevere.
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