Fast and simple weight reduction is promised by hundreds of fad diets, weight-loss plans, and blatant frauds. Long-term lifestyle adjustments, however, are the most effective strategy to shed pounds and keep it off. Eating a balanced diet and getting extra exercise each day are two of these healthful adjustments.
Here are six suggestions to get you started on the path to weight loss.
1. Make sure you’re ready
Long-term weight loss takes time and effort. So be sure that you’re ready to eat healthy foods and become more active. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I have a strong desire to change habits to help me lose weight?
- Am I too distracted by other pressures?
- Do I use food to cope with stress?
- Am I ready to learn new ways to cope with stress?
- Do I need other support — either from friends or healthcare professionals — to manage stress?
- Am I willing to change my eating habits?
- Am I willing to change my physical activity and exercise habits?
- Can I spend the time it takes to make these changes?
Talk with your healthcare professional if you need help taking charge of stress. Lowering stress can help you make long-term healthy lifestyle changes.
Find your inner drive
You cannot force someone else to lose weight. In order to help yourself, you must alter your diet and level of physical exercise. What will make you want to follow your weight-loss strategy more than anything else? Enumerate the reasons that you find weight loss to be vital. You may maintain inspiration and attention by using the list. Perhaps you wish to improve your health or prepare for a trip. On days when you don’t feel like moving more or eating healthfully, consider your goals. Seek alternatives for maintaining your course. You may, for example, write a positive message to yourself on the pantry door or the refrigerator. You must make the adjustments that will
Listen to your concerns and feelings. Share your goal to lead a healthy lifestyle. Do active hobbies with you or help you make healthy menus. Your support group can help you stick to your healthy changes. If you prefer to keep your weight-loss efforts private, take some steps to stay on course. Track your diet and exercise in a journal or an app. Also track your weight. Review your progress and make changes as needed.
Establish attainable objectives
Long-term weight loss should aim for 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) every week. You will need to burn 500–750 more calories per day than you take in in order to achieve that. Setting a starting point of 5% of your current weight may be a wise move. Nine pounds (4 kilograms) is what you weigh if you weigh 180 pounds (82 kilograms). Losing even this much weight can reduce your chance of developing some chronic illnesses. Type 2 diabetes and heart disease are among these ailments.
Two different kinds of objectives can be beneficial. We refer to the first kind as an action objective. You may make a list of healthy weight-loss strategies. “Walk every day for 30 minutes” is an example of an action objective. An outcome aim is the term for the second kind. You might make a list of the positive results you hope to achieve. The outcome objective “Lose 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms)” is an example. What you wish to accomplish is called an end objective. It does not, however, specify how to get there. A aim for action does. You create healthy changes by setting action objectives.
4. Enjoy healthy foods
To lose weight, you need to lower the total calories you take in from food and drinks. But your meals can still be tasty and simple to make.
One way that you can take in fewer calories is to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These are known as plant-based foods. They’re low in calories and high in fiber. Fiber helps you feel full. You can eat many kinds of plant-based foods to help you reach your goals.
Additionally heed these other dietary advices:
- Consume three servings of fruits and at least four servings of veggies each day. If you feel peckish in between meals, have a fruit or vegetable snack.
- Consume entire grains, such pasta and whole-wheat bread, as well as brown rice and barley. Consume less refined carbohydrates, such white bread and rice.
- Make use of healthy fats like those found in avocados, nuts, nut butters, olive oil, and vegetable oils. But remember that fats, especially good ones, are heavy in calories.
- Eat less added-sugar meals and beverages. Desserts, jellies, and sodas are among them. Fruit’s natural sugar content is OK.
- Select dairy products that are fat-free or low-fat.
- Focus on eating fresh foods. They have more nutrition than processed foods. Processed foods often come in a box or a can. And they tend to have more fat, sugar or salt.
It’s a good idea to be mindful while you eat. Focus on each bite of food. This helps you enjoy the taste. It also makes you more aware of when you feel full. Try to not to watch TV or stare at your phone during meals. You may eat too much without knowing it.
5. Get active, stay active
Without exercise, weight loss is still possible, but it’s more difficult. Frequent exercise aids in burning excess calories.
There are several other advantages of exercise. It can improve your mood, decrease blood pressure, and promote deeper sleep. Engaging in exercise also aids in maintaining your weight loss. Research indicates that long-term weight reduction maintenance is associated with frequent physical exercise.
Exercise frequency, duration, and intensity all affect how many calories you burn. Walking briskly is one of the finest forms of consistent aerobic exercise for fat loss. Most days of the week, aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity. To reduce weight, some people might require more activity than this.
Also aim to do strength training exercises at least twice a week. You could lift weights, use exercise bands or do pushups.
Any extra movement helps you burn calories. So think about ways to move more during the day. You could:
- Use the stairs instead of an elevator.
- Park at the far end of the lot when you shop.
- Stand instead of sit while you talk on the phone or check email.
- Walk laps around the room or march in place while you watch TV.
6. Change your mindset
It’s not enough to eat healthy foods and exercise for just a few weeks or months. To keep off extra weight, you should make these healthy changes a way of life. Lifestyle changes start with taking an honest look at your eating patterns and daily routine.
Think about negative habits or other challenges that have kept you from losing weight in the past. Then plan for how you’ll deal with them going forward.
You’ll likely have some setbacks on your weight-loss journey. But don’t give up after a setback. Simply start fresh the next day. Remember that you’re planning to change your life. It won’t happen all at once. Stick to your healthy lifestyle. The results will be well worth it.
