How to start losing weight? The topics of overweight, diet and exercise are shrouded in many rumors and myths. Few things have caused intense controversy like how to get rid of unnecessary volumes. Although there are various technologies, there are definitely basic and general rules that apply to everyone. We will discuss them in this article.
In the past few decades, the environment and lifestyle have undergone tremendous changes. A large number of fast foods, various street snacks, cafes and restaurants have appeared. People are increasingly eating out and using takeaway services. The portion size has increased significantly, and it has become more difficult to choose healthy foods.
In addition, work and leisure have become sedentary. Although the benefits of physical activity are well known, there is still a downward trend globally. According to the latest report from the European Union, 6 out of 10 people over the age of 15 do not participate in sports or rarely participate in sports. At the same time, a large proportion of adults in Europe sit for more than four hours a day, which cannot but affect their health and appearance.
Therefore, many factors affect what we eat and what lifestyle we choose, which means it is necessary to make a conscious choice and start to change.
Decide your motivation to lose weight
Usually, this stage does not get the attention it deserves, and the desire to wear the clothes that you once liked the most or take beautiful photos on the beach is considered an effective goal. But aesthetic appeal is only one aspect of the coin, and the other is the more important and important thing: getting rid of complexity and self-doubt, eager to have healthy children, need to get rid of shortness of breath, hormonal imbalance and other related problems.
Taking the first step is always difficult, and you want to postpone it until later, pause, or give up the idea altogether. In addition, unrealistic weight loss goals are often set at the beginning, leading to excessive expectations and later frustration, stress, and lack of progress. Don't follow the all-or-nothing principle. Set final desired goals and many intermediate (realistic! ) goals. Imagine building a route for a car, the principle is the same.
Remember, food should not be a reward for exercise or an "exercise" to the chocolate you eat. Guilt is the killer of motivation.
At the same time, analyze the reasons why you are overweight. Is this a recent change or a long-term picture? Have you started doing things differently-eating more out, reducing activity or changing your diet? Understanding the root cause will help you achieve your goals faster.
The quieter you go, the farther you will go
Weight loss is a systematic, long-term process. Even slight weight loss (5% to 10% of total body weight) can provide health benefits, such as improved blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and reduced risk factors for obesity-related chronic diseases.
Don't ask for a radical diet and exhausting fasting system. They cause rapid weight loss in the first few weeks, but they are unlikely to work in the long term because this lifestyle change cannot be sustained. Once you cancel the program, you resume your old habits and gain weight.
In addition, please remember that women’s fat-muscle ratio is usually higher than that of men, and the resting metabolic rate is 5-10% lower. For example, an 8-week study of more than 2, 000 participants on a low-calorie diet (800 calories per day) found that under the same conditions, men lost 16% of their weight compared to women.
Review the quantity and quality of food consumed
Many people don't know how many calories they eat. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, two groups of people with similar weight, height, body fat percentage, education level, etc. were asked to report the amount of calories they thought they burned every day. On average, both groups underestimated the actual amount of 1, 000 calories!
Determine your daily calorie intake
Determining how many calories you should consume is half the battle, and it is also important to consider the nutritional value of the food. For example, the 500 calories in French fries are different from the 500 calories in raw vegetables.
Nutritionists insist that it is important to follow the rules of weight loss-burn more calories than eat. The daily deficit should be an average of 500 kcal. In this case, you can lose one kilogram in two weeks, even without physical exercise. But in the long run, this method will not work. Over time, the body will feel stressed and anxious due to the constant lack of food, and in critical situations, the body not only does not lose weight, but starts to accumulate fat. .
Reduce your weight
This is where size is important. Over time, portion control will evolve from a healthy habit to a lifestyle that eliminates constant overeating. An easy way to reduce food intake is to use smaller plates. Another way is to eat more slowly so that the brain has time to receive signals about satiety. On average, this takes about 20 minutes.
Half of your plate should be vegetables, a quarter should be low-fat protein sources (chicken, turkey, fish, eggs), and the rest should be grains or whole grains.
Reduce carbohydrate intake
If you eat foods rich in simple carbohydrates (such as cake, soda, white flour, bread, or French fries), your body releases insulin to help control the flow of glucose into the bloodstream. Studies have shown that spikes in blood sugar levels after a few hours can make you feel hungry, crave food, and often lead to overeating. Fast and refined carbohydrates quickly replenish energy for the body, but when over-consumed, they are converted into fat reserves. Prefer complex carbohydrates and make sure to combine them with natural fibers.
Eat more whole foods
Whole foods are single-component foods, rich in vitamins and micronutrients, without chemical additives or processing. These include fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, beans, eggs, nuts, etc. They help speed up metabolism, regulate weight, reduce hunger, and affect hormone production.
One study involved 786 people, who were divided into two groups. One is a low-micronutrient diet and the other is a high-micronutrient diet. Nearly 80% of participants felt full after eating a high-micronutrient diet, even though they consumed fewer calories overall.
In addition, whole foods do not contain trans fats. A recent study found that monkeys who ate more artificial trans fat increased their weight by an average of 7. 2% compared to monkeys who ate a diet rich in monounsaturated fat.
Drink your daily amount of water
Drinking water can speed up your metabolism by 24-30% and help you burn more calories. One of the studies indicated that the consumption was 0. 5 liters. Compared with people who do not drink water, drinking water half an hour before meals helps dieters consume fewer calories and lose 44% of their body weight.
Avoid fruit juices and carbonated sugary drinks. According to research, their daily consumption is associated with a 60% increase in childhood obesity risk.
If you drink a glass of juice or soda every day and replace it with water, you can reduce your calorie intake by an average of 219, 000 calories per year. Impressive, right?
Choose effective exercise to lose weight
Regular exercise is vital to physical and mental health. Regular and targeted increases in exercise frequency are usually essential for successful weight loss.
WHO recommends that people aged 18 to 64 exercise at least 150 minutes a week.
The easiest and most affordable way to exercise is aerobic exercise.
- Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise are badminton, brisk walking, cycling, and tennis.
- Examples of high-intensity aerobic exercise include running, swimming, team sports (soccer, basketball), etc.
- In addition, you can introduce useful rules in your daily life: take the stairs instead of taking the elevator or escalator, reach the destination at one stop and walk, park the car slightly away from your home or office, etc.
If you train properly, focus on your heart rate (heart rate), and use different techniques and intervals, then aerobic exercise is essential for weight loss.
Of course, it is important not only to lose weight, but also to keep muscles healthy. Resistance exercise is essential for shaping a fit body. Studies have shown that strength training can help maintain a high metabolic rate and prevent the loss of valuable muscles.
There are many exercise programs suitable for home and gym.
Prioritize the load of all muscle groups, not local muscle groups. The waist and abdomen will not be thin for a long time, and only do abdominal exercises. Many research results have proved this. The same is true for weight loss in the legs, buttocks, arms and other parts of the body.
According to research, one of the most common obstacles to weight loss is lack of time. More than 73% of women surveyed stated that they did not participate in sports for this reason. Cycling, fat burning and high-intensity interval exercises can solve the problem. These exercises do not exceed half an hour and are considered to be one of the most effective ways to lose weight.
Circuit trainingIt takes 30 minutes on average. It is that you alternate several exercises for different muscle groups (usually 5 to 10 reps), and take rest intervals in between. This method can improve your aerobic exercise and burn calories effectively.
Fat burning workoutSimilar in principle to circulation, but the complex consists of higher intensity loads on different muscle groups, which are carried out uninterrupted. Rest is allowed only after completing a set of exercises.
Very popular in recent yearsHigh intensity exerciseIt takes 5 to 30 minutes a day. They alternate between maximum activity and rest (one or two). For example, you run as fast as possible for 1 minute, then walk slowly or rest for 2 minutes, and then repeat. Research shows that this training method can help you burn 25-30% more calories than other types of exercise.
Special circuit training-30 minutes of female fitness, including warm-up, aerobics, strength training, relaxation and stretching exercises. Each exercise is carried out under the supervision of the coach. The coach will supervise the technique, teaching and selection of the best load version of the exercise. The exercises are carried out on a simulator, which takes into account the physiological characteristics of the female body. They are based on hydraulic resistance and are safe for all healthy people.
Learn to enjoy exercise and do weight loss exercises. Think about how much energy, happiness, and self-satisfaction training gives you.
Get support
Losing weight is not easy, it is even harder to do it alone. If you want to lose excess weight and improve your overall health, remember that you don’t have to go this route yourself. You can find like-minded people offline or online and join them.
Research shows that support, healthy competition, and regular presentation of results can help maintain consistent athletic performance and be more responsible in the process.
Track your progress
Self-control is the most important factor for successful weight loss. When we see a real, tangible movement towards a goal, we tend to be more motivated to continue working. The most important thing is not to hang up the phone.
Don't just focus on weight. Daily weighing can cause unnecessary anxiety and anxiety. Pay attention to the indicators of waist circumference, hip circumference, bust circumference, leg circumference and arm circumference. Measure them at the same time interval, for example, every 2 weeks or once a month. Capture numbers in a notebook, application or dedicated web portal. This will help you track the results and analyze which actions bring the most results.
Remember, weight loss is a gradual process, if the excess weight does not disappear at the speed you expected, please don't be discouraged. Your task is to learn how to lose weight properly, not within 3 days.
Eliminate stress and lack of sleep
Healthy sleep is as important as proper nutrition and exercise.
Studies have shown that irregular sleep is associated with an 89% increase in childhood obesity risk and a 55% increase in adult obesity risk. In addition, lack of sleep or poor quality can slow down the conversion of calories into energy (metabolism). When it fails, the body can store unused energy in the form of fat. In addition, lack of sleep increases the production of insulin and cortisol and interferes with the regulation of the appetite-controlling hormones leptin and ghrelin. It is leptin that sends a signal of satiety to the brain.
Another study found that people with insufficient sleep burn 385 more calories a day than those with adequate sleep. Therefore, just because you disturb your sleep rhythm, you can gain 7 kilograms more every year.
When it comes to stress, it triggers the release of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. If you feel anxious all the time, cortisol will be trapped in the blood and send a signal to the body to replenish nutrient reserves with carbohydrates, which usually leads to overeating.
Researchers found that the 8-week stress management program significantly reduced the BMI of overweight and obese children and adolescents.
Take a look at some ways to deal with stress:
- Yoga
- meditation
- Breathing exercises
- Nature walks, gardening, etc.
Don't use weight loss pills
The idea of a magical diet pill that will dissolve your fat like a dream is tempting. But, alas, this is too good to be true (if it's not obvious yet).
The following are some of the side effects of weight loss pills:
- Nervous system exhaustion
- High blood pressure
- Increased heart rate
- Violation of visceral work
- Insomnia
- Dizziness
- anxiety
- Lazy bowel syndrome
Diet pills usually promise immediate results, but they will not interfere with your diet or make your body an "unhealthy" lifestyle. Therefore, even if you manage to overcome the unpleasant side effects and obtain short-term results, you will eventually return to the starting point. We wrote an article about fat burners, detailing their shortcomings, benefits and possible risks.
Remember, to get lasting results, you need to fundamentally change your fitness and nutrition habits.
New weight loss books, articles, TV shows, and videos are released every day, but there is no one permanent and healthy weight loss solution for all situations. What works for a person may not work for you because the body responds differently to different foods and loads, depending on genetics and many other factors. Finding the right method requires time and patience, dedication and regularity.
To lose weight without pain, please change your diet and physical activity. This will become a part of your lifestyle, otherwise you will quickly regain your old habits and original weight.