Let go of the obsession with weight
Losing weight can be a daunting task. Despite the wide variety of diets and exercise plans available, many people have difficulty getting rid of those extra kilos. This can be due to a variety of factors, from a lack of motivation to lifestyle choices that make it difficult to make sustainable changes.
There are formulas or basic concepts to speed up the process. Taking those small steps each day toward your goal will get you there, but remember that health is not just about hitting a certain number on the scale, it’s also about making sure you feel your best mentally and physically in the process.
If you want to lose weight, you must start with your diet
Logically, diet plays a fundamental role in success or failure. A balanced diet of nutrient-dense foods such as lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds will help you stay fuller for longer and provide the energy you need to train successfully.
- Eat foods with high water content such as vegetables and fruits
- Drink calorie-free drinks as they help you reach the calorie deficit more easily:
- water with lemon/cucumber
- soda water
- just coffee
- tea or infusion
- Increase your intake of foods rich in fibre since it is satiating (whole grains, whole fruits and vegetables, not juices or purees, etc.).
- Reduce the consumption of products with salt: it is important to read food labels since many contain products that we would not expect to find.
- Eat quality foods, the less processed we eat, the better.
- Try to eat a minimum of 3 pieces of fruit a day, the type of fruit does not matter since there is no such thing as good or bad fruit, all are a good option to gain health. You can also have it at any time of day you want, even at night or for dessert!
- Try to make half of your plate vegetables: salad, baked, grilled…
- Don’t stop eating carbohydrates, eat them of good quality (complex carbohydrates) such as cereals (rice, quinoa…), legumes, etc.
Start adding habit by habit, without wanting to cover it all in the same day, changes take time. Go step by step, start with what is easiest for you and move forward.
Exercise: start the journey today
In addition to maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise should also be incorporated into any weight loss plan. Exercising helps you burn calories more efficiently and build muscle mass, which over time will increase your metabolism and help you continue losing weight. Cardiovascular activities, such as running or cycling (even walking), are essential for burning calories/fat, and adding strength exercises will help strengthen muscles, increase basal metabolism, and support you in future workouts.
Make it easier with dietary supplements
There are pharmacy supplements and diet pills that can help you lose weight because they block the absorption of fats or carbohydrates, while others reduce appetite or products that accelerate metabolism.
Green tea helps control and reduce weight because it has stimulant, diuretic and lipolytic properties and stimulates thermogenic activity, Garcinia cambogia, also known as Malabar tamarind, an abundant species in the forests of southern India contains hydroxy citric acid (HCA) which has effects on the regulation of fatty acid synthesis, lipogenesis, appetite and weight loss.
Reduce sugar consumption
Reducing sugars before fats to lose weight is essential to any diet plan. Sugars are full of empty calories and have been linked to an increased risk of diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, fats can provide essential nutrients that the body needs, such as Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A, D, E and K. Therefore, when it comes to reducing calories to lose weight, the first thing is to reduce sugar consumption.
Studies have shown that people who follow a low-sugar diet tend to lose more weight than those who don’t. This could be because eating a lot of sugar causes blood glucose levels to spike and then drop rapidly, leaving the person feeling hungry shortly after eating. When blood glucose levels remain stable throughout the day after consuming small amounts of carbohydrates with fibre (whole grains), it can help curb food cravings and reduce calorie intake throughout the day.
In addition, reducing sugar consumption can improve overall health due to the lower glycemic load of organs such as the stomach or pancreas, responsible for regulating blood glucose levels in our body. They don’t have to work as hard to maintain homeostasis in our bodies if we aren’t constantly raising our glucose levels with sugar-rich foods or drinks.
Finally, this reduction has been linked to an increase in energy level, which allows people who follow a low-sugar diet to have more energy for physical activity, essential for successful long-term weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.
Increases metabolic rate
Metabolism plays an essential role in the weight loss process, and understanding how it works is key to achieving satisfactory long-term results. Metabolism is essentially the process the body does to convert food into energy, and this energy is burned during physical activity as well as during other basic physiological functions. A person’s total metabolic rate determines how much energy they burn in a given day and therefore affects how many calories they can consume without gaining weight.
For many people who want to lose weight, increasing their metabolic rate can be the crucial first step to achieving it. A higher rate means that more energy can be burned without having to increase physical activity levels or significantly reduce calorie intake. This makes it easier to follow a plan.
Metabolism has many other benefits that should not be overlooked. Helps maintain muscle mass, which is important for overall health and fitness; improves mood by releasing endorphins; and keeps the organs functioning properly by providing them with oxygen and nutrients from food. A healthy metabolic rate also helps regulate hormones such as insulin, cortisol, and estrogen, all of which are necessary to maintain a healthy body composition.
Increasing the number of meals during the day, exercising regularly and at high intensity (HIIT) or leaving the training comfort zone will also help speed up the metabolism. Activities such as strength training cause muscle breakdown that requires extra energy for repair processes, providing additional calorie burning throughout the day simply by engaging in physical activity.
The importance of rest
Finally, getting enough sleep is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle while increasing your weight loss efforts. Sleep between 7 and 8 hours at night so that your body can rest and recover from the most intense physical activities you have done during the day, which will allow you to perform better in subsequent workouts.
Additionally, studies have shown that people who get enough sleep tend to consume fewer calories than those who don’t, allowing them to reach their goals more quickly.
In conclusion, losing weight doesn’t have to be depressing, especially if you follow these simple tips! All it takes is to maintain discipline with good nutrition, regular exercise, and getting enough rest each night. Then you will be on the path to achieving your goals.
