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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAs we enter a new year armed with resolutions to improve our lives, there\u2019s a good chance we\u2019ll also be carrying something less helpful: extra kilos. At least half a kilogram, to be precise.<\/p>\n
\u201cWeight creep\u201d doesn\u2019t have to be inevitable. Here\u2019s what\u2019s behind this sneaky annual occurrence and some practical steps to prevent it.<\/p>\n
Small gains add up<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Adults tend to gain weight progressively as they age and typically gain an average of 0.5 to 1kg every year.<\/p>\n
While this doesn\u2019t seem like much each year, it amounts to 5kg over a decade. The slow-but-steady nature of weight creep is why many of us won\u2019t notice the extra weight gained until we\u2019re in our fifties.<\/p>\n
Why do we gain weight?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Subtle, gradual lifestyle shifts as we progress through life and age-related biological changes cause us to gain weight. Our:<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Insufficient sleep can increase our appetite (Getty\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\nactivity levels decline. Longer work hours and family commitments can see us become more sedentary and have less time for exercise, which means we burn fewer calories <\/li>\n diets worsen. With frenetic work and family schedules, we sometimes turn to pre-packaged and fast foods. These processed and discretionary foods are loaded with hidden sugars, salts and unhealthy fats. A better financial position later in life can also result in more dining out, which is associated with a higher total energy intake <\/li>\n sleep decreases. Busy lives and screen use can mean we don\u2019t get enough sleep. This disturbs our body\u2019s energy balance, increasing our feelings of hunger, triggering cravings and decreasing our energy <\/li>\n stress increases. Financial, relationship and work-related stress increases our body\u2019s production of cortisol, triggering food cravings and promoting fat storage<\/li>\n metabolism slows. Around the age of 40, our muscle mass naturally declines, and our body fat starts increasing. Muscle mass helps determine our metabolic rate, so when our muscle mass decreases, our bodies start to burn fewer calories at rest. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nWe also tend to gain a small amount of weight during festive periods \u2013 times filled with calorie-rich foods and drinks, when exercise and sleep are often overlooked. One study of Australian adults found participants gained 0.5 kilograms on average over the Christmas\/New Year period and an average of 0.25 kilograms around Easter.<\/p>\n
Why we need to prevent weight creep<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to prevent weight creep for two key reasons:<\/p>\n
1. Weight creep resets our body\u2019s set point<\/strong><\/p>\nSet-point theory suggests we each have a predetermined weight or set point. Our body works to keep our weight around this set point, adjusting our biological systems to regulate how much we eat, how we store fat and expend energy.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Holidays can also come with weight gain (Getty\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWhen we gain weight, our set point resets to the new, higher weight. Our body adapts to protect this new weight, making it challenging to lose the weight we\u2019ve gained.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s also possible to lower your set point if you lose weight gradually and with an interval weight loss approach. Specifically, losing weight in small manageable chunks you can sustain \u2013 periods of weight loss, followed by periods of weight maintenance, and so on, until you achieve your goal weight.<\/p>\n
2. Weight creep can lead to <\/strong>obesity<\/strong> and health issues<\/strong><\/p>\nUndetected and unmanaged weight creep can result in obesity which can increase our risk of heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and several types of cancers (including breast, colorectal, oesophageal, kidney, gallbladder, uterine, pancreatic and liver).<\/p>\n
A large study examined the link between weight gain from early to middle adulthood and health outcomes later in life, following people for around 15 years. It found those who gained 2.5 to 10kg over this period had an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes, obesity-related cancer and death compared to participants who had maintained a stable weight.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, there are steps we can take to build lasting habits that will make weight creep a thing of the past.<\/p>\n
7 practical steps to prevent weight creep<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n 1. Eat from big to small<\/strong><\/p>\nAim to consume most of your food earlier in the day and taper your meal sizes to ensure dinner is the smallest meal you eat.<\/p>\n
A low-calorie or small breakfast leads to increased feelings of hunger, specifically appetite for sweets, across the course of the day.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Aim to consume bigger breakfasts and smaller dinners (Getty\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWe burn the calories from a meal 2.5 times more efficiently in the morning than in the evening. So emphasising breakfast over dinner is also good for weight management.<\/p>\n
2. Use chopsticks, a teaspoon or an oyster fork<\/strong><\/p>\nSit at the table for dinner and use different utensils to encourage eating more slowly.<\/p>\n
This gives your brain time to recognise and adapt to signals from your stomach telling you you\u2019re full.<\/p>\n
3. Eat the full rainbow<\/strong><\/p>\nFill your plate with vegetables and fruits of different colours first to support eating a high-fibre, nutrient-dense diet that will keep you feeling full and satisfied.<\/p>\n
Meals also need to be balanced and include a source of protein, wholegrain carbohydrates and healthy fat to meet our dietary needs \u2013 for example, eggs on wholegrain toast with avocado.<\/p>\n\nAbout the author<\/h2>\nNick Fuller is a Clinical Trials Director in the Department of Endocrinology at RPA Hospital, University of Sydney.<\/p>\n
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
4. Reach for nature first<\/strong><\/p>\nRetrain your brain to rely on nature\u2019s treats \u2013 fresh vegetables, fruit, honey, nuts and seeds. In their natural state, these foods release the same pleasure response in the brain as ultra-processed and fast foods, helping you avoid unnecessary calories, sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.<\/p>\n
5. Choose to move<\/strong><\/p>\nLook for ways to incorporate incidental activity into your daily routine \u2013 such as taking the stairs instead of the lift \u2013 and boost your exercise by challenging yourself to try a new activity.<\/p>\n
Just be sure to include variety, as doing the same activities every day often results in boredom and avoidance.<\/p>\n
6. Prioritise sleep<\/strong><\/p>\nSet yourself a goal of getting a minimum of seven hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, and help yourself achieve it by avoiding screens for an hour or two before bed.<\/p>\n
7. Weigh yourself regularly<\/strong><\/p>\nGetting into the habit of weighing yourself weekly is a guaranteed way to help avoid the kilos creeping up on us. Aim to weigh yourself on the same day, at the same time and in the same environment each week and use the best quality scales you can afford.<\/p>\n
At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Centre, we are studying the science of obesity and running clinical trials for weight loss. <\/em>You can register here<\/em> to express your interest.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more As we enter a new year armed with resolutions to improve our lives, there\u2019s a good chance we\u2019ll also be carrying something less helpful: extra kilos. At least half a kilogram, to be precise. \u201cWeight creep\u201d doesn\u2019t have to be inevitable. Here\u2019s what\u2019s behind this sneaky annual occurrence and some practical steps to prevent it. Small gains add up Adults tend to gain weight progressively as they age and typically gain an average of 0.5 to 1kg every year. While this doesn\u2019t seem like much each year, it amounts to 5kg over a decade. The slow-but-steady nature of weight creep is why many of us won\u2019t notice the extra weight gained until we\u2019re in our fifties. Why do we gain weight? Subtle, gradual lifestyle shifts as we progress through life and age-related biological changes cause us to gain weight. Our: open image in gallery Insufficient sleep can increase our appetite (Getty\/iStock) activity levels decline. Longer work hours and family commitments can see us become more sedentary and have less time for exercise, which mea…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10230"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}