How to lose weight: Biggest Dilemma!
“You can’t diet. You have to make a lifestyle change. This is the biggest tip.” lifestyle changes are the key.
“Eat in a way that reduces cravings+excess snacking.”
One of the most popular topics in today’s society is weight loss. Everyone, from doctors to personal trainers, has something to say on this subject. This article is about weight loss. Maybe you’re looking for specific information about how to lose weight, or maybe you want to learn more about the general concept of losing weight. Whatever the situation, this article has you covered!
The math of weight loss is surprisingly straightforward, and the amount of weight you lose is directly proportional to how much you eat. This means that if eating an extra 100 calories every day will cause you to gain a pound in a year, then consuming 100 fewer calories per day for a year will cause you to lose a pound. This means that weight loss is essentially a numbers game: calories in vs. calories out.
Weight loss requires a caloric deficit, meaning that you need to take in fewer calories than you burn each day. The first step is to determine how many calories your body needs each day to maintain your current weight if you do nothing else (if you sit on the couch and watch TV all day). This is known as your basal metabolic rate or BMR.
#1. Cut Down on Added Sugar
Sugar is added to many processed foods, which is dangerous because it can lead to obesity and other negative consequences. In particular, there are a number of popular packaged foods that have extraordinarily high sugar content. For instance, a 1 cup serving of Nesquik from the UK contains 8 teaspoons of sugar!
In addition to its potentially harmful effects on your health, excessive consumption of sugar can be expensive. The worst offenders are candy, soft drinks, ice cream products, condiments, ketchup, sauces, and salad dressings.
So instead of buying these foods, you can substitute sugar with other ingredients to make your favorite meals. There are many recipes available online that use non-sugar sweeteners instead. Look for recipes that use alternative natural sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup. You can also decrease the amount of sugar in recipes by replacing half of the sugar with an equal amount of water.
According to a study, the first and foremost way to cut down on added sugar is by consuming fewer snacks and sugary beverages. If you consume sugary beverages such as soda or juice, simply switch them out for other beverages that do not contain added sugars. You can find recipes online that use water or non-caloric herbal tea instead of soda pop.
#2. Cut Down on Refined Carbs
Refined carbohydrates are carbohydrates that have been processed to remove fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They provide us with quickly available energy in the form of simple sugars.They break down easily into simple sugars in the body, which when consumed regularly can contribute to weight gain by increasing hunger. They are addictive in nature since they raise blood sugar levels quickly.
Watch out for these refined carbs:
- Bread, pastries, and tortillas
- Avoid processed grain foods: -Cereal, granola bars, and snack bars. They contain a lot of processed sugar which is bad for your health.
- Avoid trans fats when possible. They are found mainly in processed foods, including baked goods, desserts, margarine, crackers, and chips.
Indeed, eat whole food carbs:
- Wholewheat
- Corn
- Beans
- Oats
- Millets
- Quinoa
#3. Eat Enough Fiber + Fruits/Veggies
Researchers have found that the healthiest people in the world are those who consume a high-fiber diet, averaging about 200 grams of fiber per day. That’s because this type of food makes it easier to stay satiated, maintain a healthy weight, prevent certain cancers and heart disease, reduce inflammation in your digestive tract, and even alleviate constipation.
The most common sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, and seeds. Fiber also is found in foods like oat bran, wheat germ, and figs. A fiber-rich breakfast is a great way to start your day.
How much fiber should you consume?
Many experts recommend getting 30 to 35 grams of fiber per day. These experts say to start with a healthy diet and increase your fiber intake gradually. This is called the “slow and steady” approach. Slow and steady can be beneficial, but you might still feel tired or bloated. If this happens, try increasing your fiber intake again very slowly, such as by adding 1–2 grams of fiber per day.
- Eat enough vegetables: -1.5 cups of green vegetables per day, 1 cup of leafy vegetables per day, half cup of dried beans per day, half cup of tofu or other protein foods/meats per day, half cup nuts, seeds, and legumes per day.
#4. Eat Enough Protein Throughout the Day
A protein source like eggs, whole milk, or chicken is the fuel your muscles need to work. Without enough protein in your diet, you’ll struggle to make progress in the gym. It’ll be difficult for you to train hard and experience muscle recovery after intense exercise.
The trouble is that adequate protein consumption can also be quite high. This can lead some people to start feeling hungry all the time instead of full when they should be sated. And, to be perfectly honest, if you’re only eating about 100-150 grams of protein a day, chances are you’re just not getting full.
The other problem is that the body’s ability to digest and use food decreases as we age. This can cause older lifters to struggle with muscle recovery and growth; even if they eat enough protein each day their bodies cannot absorb everything they eat. The result is less muscle growth and recovery than you’d like.
#5. Chew Thoroughly
Chewing food improves the flavor and texture, and breaks down the food into smaller pieces, making it easier for your stomach to digest. A mouthful at a time: Dr. Murphy suggests that you take one mouthful of food at a time but chew each mouthful 30-35 times before swallowing it. This will allow for easier digestion and help avoid overeating.
#6. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is sacred. Whether you know it or not, 8 hours of sleep a night is essential for your body to maintain optimal health and well-being. Adequate sleep can even help you lose weight and it may even help prevent the development of Type 2 Diabetes. It has been shown that people who get enough sleep tend to consume fewer calories than people who don’t get enough sleep.
How do you know if you’re getting enough sleep?
You may not be getting enough sleep if:
You feel fatigued throughout the day. You have trouble staying awake during work or school. You have a hard time waking up in the morning. You feel as though you need an alarm clock to wake up from your sleep.
#7. Track Your Progress
“People who track their progress are more likely to achieve their goals.”
In order to have a successful journey of weight loss, you have to know where you are on the journey. This will give you a more realistic insight into your situation and how far away from achieving your desired goal.
Create a diet journal:
While you are on your weight loss journey, you will have to face the biggest challenge of eating right. To help yourself with this tough task of staying on track, create a diet journal that will keep track of your everyday eating patterns. Write everything down; the type and quantity of food you ate and how much exercise you do.
#8. Reduce Your Stress
Stress can lead to anxiety, fear, negative thoughts, and even overeating. When you feel stress levels reaching their peak, your body releases adrenaline which increases blood pressure and heart rate in an effort to fight the stressor. This leads to a release of sugars that are then turned into fat. If you are constantly releasing this energy in this way, your weight will only continue to increase without any improvement in results
To combat this bad news factor, try meditation techniques or exercise since they both help lower levels of cortisol while calming the body down. The extra weight that is being carried will start to disappear along with the added stress.
#9. Move More (Not Just Exercise)
Whether you realize it or not, our sedentary lifestyles can lead to problems such as back pain and obesity. On the flip side, exercise has been shown to lower rates of mortality and improve mood. So if you’re often feeling lethargic or crabby (or both!), then start waking up earlier, take a walk around work or school, or run drills with your kids. You could also try a strength training routine that incorporates the use of resistance bands for added weight-bearing exercise benefits.
NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis):
NEAT is your daily energy expenditure in all the activities you perform other than sleeping, eating, and exercising. NEAT is a term that describes inactive or sedentary people who, despite the lack of physical activity, tend to be slightly more metabolically active than those who exercise more. It can be broken down into light activities like fidgeting and grooming, moderate activities like standing, or regular physical activities like playing sports or cleaning or cooking in the kitchen.
“Weight loss doesn’t begin in the gym with a dumbbell; it starts in your head with a decision.”-Toni Sorenson
