10 Ways To Lose Weight And Keep It Off
The battle to lose weight is never easy. In fact, it’s a struggle for many. With so many fad diets and programs springing up every day, it can be tough knowing which ones work and which don’t. There are so many commonalities between the ones that work and the ones that don’t. This is why it’s essential to have a solid plan before diving in headfirst.
The right way, or rather the best way, to lose weight is to do so slowly over an extended period of time through a combination of healthy eating habits and regular exercise. To make things easier for you, we have gathered some tips on how you can lose weight the right way and keep it off for good.
Start with solid eating and workout plans
Prepping your meal and exercise plans are a crucial part of losing weight and keeping it off. If you don’t have a plan, you’re more likely to make poor decisions, yoyo between diets, and end up spinning your wheels in frustration. So, if you’re serious about losing weight, you need to commit to the process.
You might be a naturally slim person and have no issues slimming down quickly. Or you might be someone who struggles to lose weight. Whatever your body type, it takes time, commitment, and consistency to lose weight in a healthy way and keep it off.
Eat healthy, balanced meals
The first and most important aspect of losing weight is proper nutrition. When you don’t get enough nutrients, you don’t feel satisfied, and you’re likely to snack.
A healthy nutrition plan is one with a mix of carbs, proteins, fats, and vegetables. You must also include a good source of fibre, like wholegrain cereals or oats.
However, if you’re a person who loves to snack throughout the day, it’s crucial to either reduce or stop your snacking habit or change your snacks for healthier options. Having a handful of nuts is a great option as they contain protein, fibre, and good fats.
Keep a food diary
Keeping a food diary is another great way to lose weight as it not only helps you focus on what you eat but when you eat too.
Part of the problem when trying to lose weight is that people either snack too much and are not eating correctly at meal times, or the opposite, and eating too much food in one sitting. Both will result in weight gain. But, if you keep a food diary, you can see how much food you are actually eating.
It is also another way to help you stay accountable to your eating plan, therefore making it super handy if you’re trying to lose weight. Recording everything you eat will be a great way to make sure you’re consuming enough calories and staying within your eating plan. This will help you lose weight and keep it off for good.
Drink plenty of water
Water is king when it comes to losing weight. Why? Well, it actually has many reasons why it influences weight, and also benefits to your health which include:
- it helps you feel full after you’ve consumed food;
- it also keeps your metabolism humming;
- it keeps your energy levels up, so you don’t feel tired as often;
- it helps you burn more calories;
- it helps with digestion
- it reduces your risk of heart disease and reduces your blood pressure;
- it helps prevent certain types of cancer, like urinary tract infections and bladder cancer;
- it keeps your skin hydrated and helps with stretch marks.
Simply, you need to drink water throughout the day to lose or manage your weight, as well as to stay healthy.
Plan out weekly meals and shifts between them
It has already been said about the importance of planning out the food you eat, but planning your actual meals will help you stick with any eating plan. It’s like a road map to help you stay on track, as it tells you what to eat for the day, what time to eat it, and how much to consume. You can use this plan for more than just losing weight. For example, you can use this whenever you need to follow a strict plan that includes eating a certain amount of food.
Switching your meals is as important as the plan itself. You will find that certain meals will reappear either due to nutritional value or ease. But if something becomes boring and repetitive, then there is a chance you will get distracted from your plan. So plan ahead and mix things up to keep variety in the foods you eat.
Swap bad habits for good ones
Losing weight is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work, discipline, and self-control. Therefore, simply building new habits is not enough. You must replace bad habits with good ones.
Bad habits like eating too much, snacking between meals, eating while watching TV, skipping meals, and eating junk food must be replaced with healthy eating habits.
Healthy eating habits include eating foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein, and good fats.
You should even start looking at your other lifestyle habits too. Removing negative self-talk and replacing it with positive affirmations, or staying up late to getting a good 7-9 hours of sleep a night. It is not purely about doing what is good for you, it is about letting go of the bad that holds you back too.
Exercise regularly
Exercise is an important part of weight loss. It helps you burn calories and increases metabolism, which can help you to lose weight. The best part is that there are many types of exercises you can do to lose weight and keep it off. You can lift weights, run, bike ride, swim, or even walk.
But exercise does more for you than help with weight loss, such as:
- it helps to build muscle and tone your body;
- it increases metabolism, which helps you to burn more calories and lose weight;
- it lowers blood pressure, diabetes risk and improves your cardiovascular system, making you healthier;
- it makes you happier because it helps you to release endorphins, helping you to feel better, even when you are doing nothing.
Don’t be afraid to step up those workouts
Many people make excuses when it comes to exercise, such as not having enough time, or that it would be too hard. This is because they’re focusing on the wrong things. The most important thing is to make sure you’re getting the right amount of exercise and to the right intensity. That way you’re not burning too many calories and ruining your eating plan, and your workout isn’t too easy.
Choose an exercise routine that you enjoy and that challenges you. Then ensure you are increasing your effort levels so keep working hard. A great measure here is the Borg Scale, which is a scale of 1 to 10 judging your effort level (1 being rest and 10 being maximum). Think of a warm-up as being 1-4 out of 10, and your workout is 5-8. then your cool down returning to the lower numbers again.
This will help you to stay motivated and stay on track with your workout goals.
Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone
If you’re serious about losing weight, you need to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. This means that you need to be willing to try new things, like trying a new meal, exercise program, or shopping at a new store. Accessing new information and experiences is one of the most important parts of losing weight. It will help you to stay focused and motivated, especially as it makes it interesting.
When you’re trying something new, you’re likely to get nervous. This is normal, and you need to keep in mind that any progress made will help you to lose weight. You should also try to challenge yourself to do things you haven’t done before so you can create the changes you want.
Take care of yourself: Shower, sleep, and socialise
The last thing you need to do to lose weight and keep it off is to take care of yourself, and this is referring to all of your lifestyle habits. Make sure you’re eating a healthy diet with the right nutrition, drinking enough water, and exercising regularly. But also take the time to meditate and manage your stress levels, get enough quality sleep, and do things you enjoy. Cold showers are also great for the immune system, and socialising has wonderous health benefits, so why not share your journey with a friend?
Above all, try not to get overwhelmed with everything at once. Focus on one thing for 1-2 weeks then build into it. Remember, this is a slow process but very much worth doing if you want to lose weight and keep it off for good.