Weight Loss & Hypertension
OVERVIEW
Mr Pratik Shah, a 46-year-old male working in a leading furnishing company was part of our 'Discover Health Program' for corporates. His aim was to manage his weight and newly diagnosed blood pressure and uric acid levels so as to not start on medications for these conditions.
His readings (at the start of the program) were as follows:
Uric acid: 7.4 mg/dl
Blood pressure: 132/90 mm of Hg
Weight: 113.4 kgs
Body Fat: 33.8%
Visceral Fat: 22.5%
BMR: 2226 kcals
BMI: 33.9 kg/m2
Skeletal Muscle: 28.4%
APPROACH
We took a detailed food history to understand his usual diet along with a 24-hour diet recall (food and drinks consumed in the previous 24 hours) to be able to estimate his portion sizes, food pattern and type of foods eaten through the day. Finally, knowing his food choices and traditional eating pattern helped us understand his diet better for sustainability of the program.
The information assessed brought to light his large portion sizes and an increased consumption of carbohydrate foods in comparison to foods from other food groups. A challenge was also to maintain his protein intake with raised uric acid levels to avoid muscle loss and help him make healthy food choices during business travel.
The information helped the team formulate a 7-day diet plan with reduced portion sizes and added specific foods to bring in satiety and avoid hunger pangs. A gout friendly diet was planned to help bring down the uric acid levels. Salt intake was reduced to help manage his blood pressure, with strategies to make the food palatable. An exercise regime was introduced - a daily brisk walk for 30 minutes to begin with and eventually achieving 50-60 minutes of walk a day for having a domino effect on weight loss. His sweet cravings were managed with healthy options. Our restaurant guidelines were provided to ensure that he could make informed choices during travel or when dining out.
RESULTS
The efficient process driven approach by the team helped Pratik lose weight, total body fat and visceral fat. An intense and consistent effort by our team helped him maintain his skeletal muscle percentage while bringing down his uric acid level. His blood pressure was under control with food and lifestyle changes.
His readings (at the end of 3 months) were as follows:
Uric acid: 6.8 mg/dl
Blood pressure: 116/80 mm of Hg
Weight: 103.6 kgs
Body Fat: 31.7%
Visceral Fat: 18.5%
BMR: 2089 kcals
BMI: 30.9 kg/m2
Skeletal Muscle: 29.2%
CONCLUSION
Because portion sizes were reduced over a period of time, the body had adjusted to eating less naturally. Daily exercise became a part of his life and he was feeling lighter, energetic and full of life. He was receiving compliments that he looked leaner overall with a reduction in the belly fat.