How to start losing weight? The topics of overweight, diet and exercise are shrouded in rumors and myths. Some things are controversial like how to get rid of unwanted volume. Despite the various techniques, there are basic and universal rules that really work for everyone. We will talk about it in this article.
The environment and lifestyle have changed dramatically over the last few decades. A lot of fast food, a variety of street food, cafes and restaurants appeared, more and more people began to eat out and use delivery services, portion sizes increased significantly, and at the same time it became more difficult to choose healthy foods.
In addition, work and free time become inactive. Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity, there is a worldwide downward trend. According to a recent report from the European Union, 6 out of 10 people over the age of 15 do not exercise or do so very rarely. At the same time, most of Europe's adult population spends more than four hours a day sitting, which cannot but affect health and appearance.
As such, many factors influence what we eat and the way of life we choose, which means that it is necessary to make a conscious choice to initiate change.
Determine your motivation to lose weight
Often, this stage is not considered important, thinking that wanting to wear a once-favorite outfit or taking a beautiful photo on the beach is an effective goal. But aesthetic appeal is only one side of the coin, on the second are much more important and significant things: getting rid of complexes and self-doubt, the desire to have healthy children, the need to get rid of shortness of breath, hormonal disorders and other related problems.
It's always hard to take the first step, you want to put it off later, pause, or abandon the idea altogether. In addition, unrealistic goals for weight loss are often set at the outset, leading to high expectations, which then lead to frustration, stress, and lack of progress. Don't be guided by the all-or-nothing principle. Set a desired end goal and many intermediate goals (realistic! ). Imagine building a route for a car, the principle is the same.
Remember, food shouldn't be a sporting reward or "work" on the chocolate you eat. Guilt is a motivation killer.
At the same time, analyze why you are overweight. Is this a recent change or a long term picture? Have you started doing things differently - eating more outside, reducing activity, or changing your diet? Knowing the root causes will help you move faster towards your goals.
The quieter you go, the further you'll get
Losing weight is a systematic and long-term process. Even small weight loss (5 to 10% of total body weight) can provide health benefits such as improving blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and reducing risk factors for chronic disease associated with obesity.
Do not go on radical diets and exhausting fasting systems. They cause rapid weight loss in the first few weeks, but are unlikely to work long term because such lifestyle changes are untenable. As soon as you cancel the regimen, return to old habits and gain weight.
Also, keep in mind that women generally have a higher fat-to-muscle ratio than men and have a 5-10% lower resting metabolic rate. For example, an 8-week study of more than 2, 000 participants on a low-calorie diet (800 kcal per day) found that men lost 16% more weight than women under the same conditions.
Review the quantity and quality of food consumed
Many people do not know how many calories they are eating. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, two groups of people who had the same weight, height, body fat percentage, education level, and more were asked to report how many calories they thought they consumed per day. Both groups underestimated the actual number by an average of 1000 calories!
Determine your daily calorie intake
Determining how many calories you should consume is half the struggle, it is also important to consider the nutritional value of the food. For example, 500 calories in chips is not the same as 500 calories in raw vegetables.
Nutritionists insist that it is important to follow the rules of losing weight - to burn more calories than you take in. The daily deficit should be an average of 500 kcal. In this condition, you can lose one kilogram in two weeks, even without having to do physical activity. But in the long run, this method will not work, over time, the body builds up feelings of stress and anxiety due to the constant lack of food and instead of losing weight, the body begins to accumulate fat in case of a critical situation. .
Reduce your portion
This is where size matters. Portion control over time will grow from a healthy habit to a lifestyle that eliminates constant overeating. One easy way to reduce your portion size is to use a smaller plate. Another way is to eat more slowly so that the brain has time to receive signals about feeling full. 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 cereals or whole grains.
Reduce your carbohydrate intake
If you eat foods rich in simple carbohydrates (such as cakes, soda, white bread, or French fries), your body releases insulin to help control the flow of glucose into your bloodstream. Research shows that spikes in blood sugar levels after a few hours make you feel hungry, have food cravings, and often lead to overeating. Fast and refined carbohydrates quickly replenish the body with energy, but when consumed in excess, they are converted into fat reserves. Give preference to complex carbohydrates and be sure to combine them with natural fiber.
Eat More Whole Foods
Whole foods are single-ingredient foods that are rich in vitamins and micronutrients without additives or chemical processing. This includes fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, nuts, 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, the other is a high micronutrient diet. Nearly 80% of participants felt full after eating a food high in micronutrients, even though they consumed fewer calories overall.
In addition, whole foods are free of trans fats. A recent study found that monkeys who ate more artificial trans fats increased their body weight by an average of 7. 2% compared to monkeys who ate a diet rich in monounsaturated fats.
Drink your water every day
Drinking water can speed up your metabolism by 24-30%, helping you burn more calories. One study showed that consumption of 0. 5 liters. drinking water half an hour before meals helped dieters consume fewer calories and lose 44% more weight compared to those who didn't drink water.
Avoid juices and carbonated sugary drinks. According to research, their daily consumption is associated with a 60% increased risk of obesity in children.
If you replace your daily consumption of a glass of juice or soda with water, you can reduce your annual calorie intake by an average of 219, 000 kcal. Impressive, right?
Choose an effective exercise to lose weight
Regular exercise is very important for physical and mental health. Increasing the frequency of disciplined and targeted exercise is often critical to successful weight loss.
WHO recommends that people between the ages of 18 and 64 exercise at least 150 minutes per week.
The easiest and most affordable way to exercise is through aerobic exercise.
- Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activity are badminton, brisk walking, cycling, tennis.
- Examples of high-intensity aerobic activity are running, swimming, team sports (football, basketball), etc.
- Also, you can introduce useful rules into your daily routine: take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, go one stop to your destination and walk, park your car a little further from your home or office, etc.
Cardio for weight loss is very important if you train properly, focus on your heart rate, use different techniques and intervals.
Of course, it is important not only to lose weight, but also to keep your muscles toned. Resistance training is essential for building a toned body. Research shows that strength training helps maintain a high metabolic rate and prevent the loss of valuable muscle mass.
There are many exercise routines available both at home and in the gym.
Give preference to loads on all muscle groups, rather than local ones. You will not lose weight in the waist and abdomen for a long time, performing exercises only on the stomach, this is proven by the results of many studies. The same goes for losing weight in the legs, hips, arms, and other body parts.
According to research, one of the most common obstacles to losing weight is lack of time, more than 73% of women surveyed said that they did not exercise for this reason. Circular, fat-burning and high-intensity interval training comes to the rescue, which takes no more than half an hour and is considered one of the most effective for weight loss.
Circular trainingtakes an average of 30 minutes. It consists in the fact that you alternate several exercises (usually from 5 to 10), aimed at different muscle groups, performing rest intervals between them. This method improves your aerobic fitness and burns calories efficiently.
Fat burning workoutin principle similar to circular, but the complex consists of higher-intensity loads on different muscle groups, which are performed without interruption. Rest is allowed only after completing the exercise block.
The past few years have gained great popularityhigh intensity workoutwhich takes 5 to 30 minutes a day. They alternate between maximum activity and rest (one to two). For example, you run for 1 minute as fast as you can, then walk slowly or rest for 2 minutes, then repeat. Research has shown that this training method helps you burn 25-30% more calories than other types of exercise.
Special circuit training- 30-minute fitness for women, consisting of warm-up, cardio, strength training, cool-down and stretching. Each exercise takes place under the supervision of a trainer who monitors the technique of performing the exercise, teaches and selects the optimal version of the load. Exercises are performed on a simulator, created taking into account the physiological characteristics of the female body. They are based on hydraulic resistance and are safe for people of all physical fitness.
Learn to enjoy exercising and doing weight loss exercises. Think about how much energy, excitement and self-satisfaction training gives you.
Get support
Losing weight is not easy, and doing it yourself is even more difficult. If you're trying to lose extra pounds and improve your overall health, remember that you don't have to go this route alone. You can find like-minded people offline or online and join them.
Research has shown that support, fair competition, and regular demonstration of results can help maintain consistent and more accountable exercise performance in the process.
Track your progress
Self-control is the most important factor in successful weight loss. When we see real, tangible movement toward our goals, we tend to be more motivated to keep working. The most important thing is not to despair.
Don't just focus on weight. Weighing yourself every day can cause unnecessary anxiety and worry. Focus on indicators of waist, hip, chest, leg and arm circumference. Measure them at equal time intervals, for example every 2 weeks or once a month. Record the number in a special notebook, app, or web portal. This will help you track results and analyze which actions are delivering the most results.
Remember that weight loss is a gradual process, don't be discouraged if those extra pounds aren't losing at the rate you expected. Your task is to learn how to lose weight correctly, and not in 3 days.
Relieve stress and lack of sleep
Healthy sleep is just as important as proper nutrition and exercise.
Research shows that irregular sleep is associated with an 89% increased risk of obesity in children and 55% in adults. Also, poor or poor quality sleep slows the conversion of calories into energy (metabolism). When not functioning, the body can store unused energy in the form of fat. In addition, lack of sleep can increase insulin and cortisol production, and interfere with the regulation of appetite-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is what sends the satiety signal to the brain.
Another study found that sleep-deprived people consumed 385 more calories per day than those who slept regularly and adequately. So, just because of the disturbed sleep rhythm, you can gain an additional 7 kilograms per year.
When it comes to stress, it triggers the release of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. If you feel anxious all the time, cortisol gets trapped in your bloodstream and signals your body to replenish its nutrient stores with carbohydrates, which often leads to overeating.
Researchers found that an 8-week stress management program led to a significant reduction in BMI in overweight and obese children and adolescents.
Take a look at some methods for dealing with stress:
- yoga
- meditation
- breathing exercises
- nature walks, gardening, etc.
Don't use diet pills
The idea of a magic diet pill to make your fat dissolve like a dream is tempting. But sadly, this is too good to be true (if it isn't already obvious).
Here are some of the side effects of diet pills:
- Nervous system depletion
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased heart rate
- Violation of the work of internal organs
- Insomnia
- Dizzy
- Worry
- Lazy bowel syndrome
Diet pills often promise immediate results, but don't interfere with your diet or lifestyle to make your body "unhealthy. "So even if you manage to get over the unpleasant side effects and get short-term results, you'll eventually be back where you started. We devoted a separate article to fat burners, detailing the disadvantages, benefits, and possible risks.
Remember, to achieve lasting results, you need to fundamentally change your fitness and nutrition habits.
New weight loss books, articles, TV shows, and videos are published every day, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution for permanent healthy weight loss. What works for one person may not work for you, as the body reacts differently to different foods and loads, depending on genetics and many other factors. Finding the right method will take time and patience, dedication and regularity.
To lose weight without suffering, make realistic changes in your diet and physical activity that will become a part of your lifestyle, otherwise you will soon return to your old habits and weight.