10 Ways to Attain Healthy Weight Loss
Here you’ll get ten actionable steps to start your weight loss journey sustainably and naturally.
Before you begin the journey of ‘weight loss’ let’s understand the concept of the body’s energy balance. The relationship between the calories you consume from foods and drinks and the calories you burn through physical activities and basic functions (such as breathing and digestion) is known as your energy balance. When you consume more energy than you burn, your body stores the excess as body fat.
Here are some steps for attaining sustainable and natural weight loss.
1. Add protein to your diet
When it comes to weight loss, protein is the most important nutrient. Your body burns calories while digesting and metabolizing protein, so a high-protein diet can increase metabolism by 80–100 calories daily.
Additionally, a high-protein diet helps you feel fuller and reduces your appetite. It’s especially beneficial to have a protein-rich breakfast, as it decreases hunger and reduces cravings for sugar throughout the day.
2. Keep track of your calorie intake
To lose weight, it’s crucial to consume fewer calories than you burn. A food diary or calorie tracking app can help you monitor your food intake and ensure you stay within your daily caloric goals.
3. Practice mindful eating
Mindful eating is a technique that enhances your awareness while eating. It encourages you to make deliberate food choices and become more attuned to your hunger and fullness signals, helping you eat appropriately in response to these cues. This practice has been shown to significantly impact weight, eating behaviors, and stress levels in individuals with obesity, particularly aiding in the reduction of binge eating and emotional eating.
Additionally, research suggests that using smaller plates can help reduce food intake by altering your perception of portion sizes. People tend to fill their plates to the same extent regardless of plate size, resulting in more food on larger plates than on smaller ones.
4. Do some sort of cardio
Engaging in cardio activities such as jogging, running, cycling, power walking, or hiking is an excellent way to burn calories and enhance both mental and physical health. Cardio exercises have been shown to improve numerous heart disease risk factors and aid in weight reduction.
Include both aerobic and strength training exercises in your routine to boost metabolism, maintain lean muscle mass, and increase calorie burning.
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5. Drink (unsweetened) green tea
Green tea is a natural beverage rich in antioxidants. Consuming green tea has numerous benefits, including enhanced fat-burning and weight loss. It can boost energy expenditure by 4% and selectively increase fat burning by up to 17%, particularly targeting harmful belly fat.
6. Balanced Nutrition
Concentrate on nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to support overall health and achieve weight loss goals. Ensure lunch consists of a balanced mix of proteins, carbohydrates, and other nutrients to sustain your energy throughout the day. Keep snacks light and nutritious. For dinner, opt for a light, soup-based meal to aid digestion and promote better bowel movements.
7. Avoid sugary drinks and high-calorie snacks
Consuming large amounts of added sugar is associated with major health issues such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Reducing your intake of added sugar can significantly improve your diet. Instead, opt for water, herbal tea, or low-calorie drinks, and choose fruits or vegetables for snacks.
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8. Cut down on refined carbs and fat
Refined carbs are carbohydrates that have had most of their beneficial nutrients and fiber removed during processing. This leaves only easily digestible carbs, which increases the risk of overeating. Common sources of refined carbs include white flour, white bread, sodas, pastries, snacks, sweets, pasta, pizza dough, and sweetened breakfast cereals.
Not all fats are bad. Healthy or ‘good’ fats can help control your weight, manage your moods, and combat fatigue. You can get unsaturated fats in avocados, nuts, seeds, soy milk, tofu, and fatty fish. They can help you feel full and satisfied.
9. Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep is crucial for weight loss and preventing future weight gain.
Research indicates that people who are sleep-deprived are up to 55% more likely to develop obesity compared to those who get adequate sleep, with the risk being even higher for children.
Lack of sleep disrupts the daily fluctuations in appetite hormones, resulting in poor appetite regulation.
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10. Make gradual changes
Avoid making drastic changes to your diet overnight. Instead, implement small, gradual changes to help you stay on track. Remember that weight loss is a slow process requiring consistency and patience. Set realistic goals and celebrate your small achievements along the way.
What is a healthy amount of weight to lose?
Healthy weight loss per week is 1 to 2 pounds or 0.5 to 1 kilogram. To achieve this, you generally need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day through a lower-calorie diet and regular physical activity.
Therefore, 4 to 8 pounds of weight loss per month is a healthy goal.
What is the 30 30 30 rule for weight loss?
It suggests consuming 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, then engaging in 30 minutes of low-intensity, steady-state cardiovascular exercise.
Beyond this, it doesn’t require any other changes to other meals throughout the day.
Takeaway
It’s important to lose weight in a scientific way that benefits both your physical and mental well-being. Remember, it’s not just about reaching a number on the weight machine. Rather it’s about making lasting lifestyle changes for long-term health and happiness.
It’s essential to remember that everyone has unique nutritional needs, so it’s best to consider your specific requirements and health conditions before starting your weight loss journey.
“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.” — Bethenny Frankel
P.S. — Thank you for reading this. Please share it with your friends and family if you found it helpful.
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