Weight loss is not a one-time activity; it is a lifestyle. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, change your habits of daily routine. There are many choices that you make each day that directly affect your health and cause obesity.
Do not push yourself too hard to get in your desired shape. There are diet plans available everywhere which will help you to get slim quickly. But remember, the quicker you lose weight, the sooner you will get it back. So, what is the use of facing hunger, if you are more prone to get to point zero?
You do not need to stop eating to lose weight. Our body is like a machine that needs nutrients in order to work properly. If you stop eating those, the body will get deficient in them, and it will cause problems in the future. For instance, if you get deficient in vitamin D, your bones will get weak, and you will feel tired all day long.
So, make your diet plan in such a way that it will include all mandatory nutrients to fulfill your body needs if you can consult a dietitian too because they will guide you according to your body type.
Examining your body type is essential in losing weight. Different factors are related to losing weight, e.g., your genetics, the response of the body to various foods, health factors, etc. One plan that might work for your friend might not work for you due to different body types.
To get your plan ready, you need to experiment with different foods to check which works for you and which does not. After the plan is ready, set short term (to lose 10 pounds of weight in one month or daily calorie intake) and long-term goals (Loss of weight in a year) and stick to them. Keep an eye on yourself to live a healthy lifestyle.
Calories, carbs, and fat are responsible for gaining weight if they are taken in excess amounts. It would be best if you keep these in check for a healthy body. Here are a few tips to lose weight gradually.
Carbs:
Carbohydrates are essential for the body, but the excesses of everything is bad. Have carbs, but in a less amount, the research also proves that a low carb diet is more effective against a low-fat diet. When you eat a meal, it provides you glucose and fat. The glucose enters in blood, and the body releases insulin to keep the sugar levels in check.
Insulin has a duty to burn glucose to make fuel (energy) for your body and the carbs, which are not needed; insulin will turn them into fat cells. When you eat carbohydrate-rich food, insulin will burn the glucose and turn the unused carbs into fat, and it will amass in your body and will eventually lead to weight gain. Because now you need more energy to burn those carbs, now the vicious cycle starts where you carve more carbs to burn the existing one.
So, reducing the amount of carb intake will reduce food craving, sugar levels, and lower insulin production in the body, which leads to weight loss because now the body will not be having a lot of glucose to fulfill its energy need. Therefore it will turn to other sources of energy.
Low carb food includes eggs, fish, green leafy vegetables, etc.
Calories
Calories are a primary source of energy for your body. Eating fewer calories is considered as a rapid way to reduce weight gain. Why? Because the secondary source of energy is fat. When you consume fewer calories, your body will not function smoothly.
So, to fulfill the need for energy, the human body will turn to the secondary source and burn the hoarded fat in the body. Hence the less calorie intake will lead to gradual weight loss. And if you sustain the routine at least for a year or two, you will be able to keep the weight off.
To reduce the number of calories you are eating, first, you need to stop eating mindlessly, i.e., when you are bored, stressed, or watching a movie. Then when you have a meal of the day, try to eat vegetables and fruits with fewer calories, e.g., broccoli, carrots, etc.
Fats
Markets are filled with low-fat products to attract customers, but if you look closely, they are packed with sugar and carbs, which will make you gain weight again in the form of fat due to the role of insulin. So be mindful while buying low-fat products. But you cannot completely wipe out the fat intake in your body.
You need to take good fats because they will help you keep your weight in check, fight mood swings, and fatigue. Try to get a meal having low carb and low fat both to keep your weight in check. Healthy fats can be taken from olive oil, avocado, coconut, etc.
Be Careful with Daily Routine
Many people think skipping breakfast would help them reduce weight gain. But the reality is opposite people who skip breakfast are likely to gain more weight because they will feel hungrier after some time and end up eating more than necessary.
Have your breakfast, but quit eating white food, for instance, white bread. Try to have some protein in the morning, e.g., eggs. If you cannot eat eggs, replace them with a good protein or fiber, i.e., a bowl of whole-grain cereal with fruits could also work wonders. Fiber and protein will not make you feel hungry, and you will eat fewer calories in a day.
If you need to have a hot drink in the morning, then preferably use coffee without milk and sugar or green tea.
Try to add some kind of exercise in your daily routine. Do not go for hard workouts initially; you will only hurt your body. Start with something light, e.g., 10-20 mins of walking. If you get bored while walking or doing exercise, try to play some sport like tennis so you could have fun while losing weight.
At night give up mindless snacking and go to bed early. To lose weight, you need to get good sleep at night. Research shows that getting a good sleep at night could help you lose weight. How sleeping helps you to lose weight? Well, poor quality of sleep makes metabolism less effective. Metabolism will slow down the process of converting calories into energy, which eventually will store as fat. Also, lousy sleep cause increased production of insulin, which again increases the amount of fat storage in your body. So, have a good breakfast, eat mindfully, exercise, and sleep enough to wake up refreshed to start your day.
