If you are to believe every infomercial, magazine, and diet book, it would seem that the process of weight loss is a no-brainer. All you have to do is eat less, exercise regularly, select a diet and Viola. You can watch those pounds just melting away like butter on a sunny day. Simple right? Well, Not really.
Photo, Jacek Dylag.
While some out-of-the-box crazy diets can help you lose a few pounds in a week, they really cannot be sustained for a long time. To complete your weight loss journey, you will need to have methods in place that you can follow for a longer period. A method that can be instilled in your daily life and not just help you lose fat but maintain a healthy body for long. Below are some tried and tested ways that can help you lose weight.
Make Water Your Best Buddy: Do you know what you do with your best buddy? Right. You go everywhere with them. That is how you should treat water. Drinking water can help you lose a lot of weight. It can increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories. Drinking 500ml of water before meals can subdue your appetite, and you will consume fewer calories. This will automatically help you lose weight. Apart from just helping you lose weight, it will keep your skin hydrated.
Eat A Protein-Rich Breakfast: When you are on a weight loss journey, you should treat your meals differently. Make the most of your breakfast meals. Protein is the single most important nutrient that can help in weight loss. When you eat a protein-rich breakfast, you will tend to be more full for the rest of the day. You will also be less prone to snacking. It can also fasten the pace of metabolism. So ditch the myths of starving yourself, and help yourself to a protein-rich breakfast to kick-start the day.
Drink Tea And Coffee To Your Heart’s Content: If you are a lover of these hot drinks, then you can rejoice. Coffee is loaded with antioxidants that have many health benefits. Caffeine can boost your metabolism and also help you to burn 10 to 20% of body fat. However, you will have to switch to black coffee and say no to sugar. Otherwise, it will completely negate the benefits of consuming coffee. As for tea lovers, you can drink as much green tea as you like to help you to lose weight. Green tea also contains a small amount of caffeine, and also has powerful antioxidants like coffee. This works simultaneously to enhance fat burning.
Exercising Is Inevitable: Much as we would like to ignore this part, in the end, it will be the main factor. If you don’t like to go for monotonous gym regimes, you can switch to more fun cardio exercises like aerobics. This can help you burn calories and at the same time improve your physical and mental health. You can even try water aerobics to add a more fun element to your workout. Aerobics is a good way to lose belly fat and other fat build-ups around organs that affect the metabolic rate. You can also follow some resistance exercises like light weight-lifting. This keeps you from losing muscle mass. It will also give your body a more toned look.
Photo, Fitsum Admasu.
Say Yes To Supplements: Though we would like to get all the nutrition and minerals from food, it is not possible to do so. You can find the most helpful supplement online now for your weight loss journey. You can look for the strongest appetite suppressants on the market and use them to curb your hunger pangs. You can also look for supplements that have organic fibres in them. This fibre helps absorb water and hold a place in your gut. This makes you feel more full throughout the day and helps you to consume fewer calories.
Watch What You Eat: To start on a weight loss journey, you will have to say goodbye to its worst enemy, sugar. Most people consume sugar in many forms throughout their day. Sugar can increase the risk of obesity and lead to diseases like Type 2 diabetes and other heart-related problems. Read the food labels properly to make sure there is no sugar in your food intake. Refined carbs include sugar and other grains, so that means saying no to white bread and pasta. Eating this carb refined food will lead to more hunger pangs and cravings. This means you will feel hungry more often and will eat more than you need.
Eat In Small Portions: If you stay hungry for a long time then chances are you are going to be very hungry and gorge on a large portion of food. If you are taking supplements to help you lose weight then though fat burners often contain appetite suppressants, you will still need to eat at some point. At such times, try to use methods where you will consume fewer calories. One way to do this is to use smaller plates. Also, do not watch TV or your phone while eating as you will tend to consume more. This is because your entire attention is not focused on eating. By simply eating less or consuming lesser calories, you will be able to notice a drop in your weight. Use any methods that can help you practice portion control.
The weight loss journey can be frustrating at times, especially for those considering Weight Loss Surgery UK. You will need to be consistent and mentally prepared for it. Do not be overly harsh on yourself. A treat once in a while will not hurt you. You can also ask your friends to help you take this journey with you to make it more fun and exciting. When you achieve your optimum weight, you should be able to look back on your efforts and feel proud of yourself. So make sure, you are happy and confident throughout this time. You can then be an inspiration for someone else.
