How to start losing weight? The topic of excess weight, diet and exercise is riddled with many rumors and myths. Few things are as controversial as getting rid of unwanted tribes. Despite the diversity of techniques, there are basic and universal rules that apply to absolutely everyone. We will talk about them in this article.
The environment and lifestyle have changed dramatically in recent decades. With plenty of fast food, a variety of street food, cafes and restaurants appearing, more and more people started eating out and using the delivery service, the portion size increased significantly and at the same time it became more difficult to choose healthy food.
In addition, work and leisure became sedentary. Despite the known benefits of physical activity, a declining trend is observed in the world. According to recent EU reports, 6 out of 10 people over the age of 15 do not play sports or do very rarely. At the same time, a significant proportion of the European adult population spends more than four hours a day in a sitting position, which does not affect their health and appearance.
Thus, many factors influence what we eat and which way of life we choose, which means that we need to make conscious choices to start making changes.
Decide on your motivation for weight loss
Often this stage is not given proper importance, they think that the desire to adapt to a once-favorite dress or take beautiful photos on the beach is an effective goal. But aesthetic attractiveness is only one side of the coin, much more important and significant than the other: the escape from complexes and self-confidence, the desire to have healthy children, the need to get rid of shortness of breath, hormonal disorders. And other related problems.
It is always difficult to take the first steps, you want to postpone it later, stop or abandon the idea altogether. In addition, unrealistic weight loss goals often start at the beginning, leading to high expectations, which in turn leads to frustration, stress, and lack of progress. Do not be guided by the principle of all or nothing. Set an ultimate goal and many intermediate (realistic! ) Goals. Imagine building a route for a car, the principle is the same.
Remember, food should not be an exercise reward or a "processing" of the chocolate you receive. Crime is the killer of motivation.
At the same time, analyze why you are overweight. Is this the last change or the long-term picture? Start doing it differently - eating more outside the home, reducing your activity or changing your diet? Knowing the root cause will help you reach your goal faster.
The calmer you go, the farther you go
Weight loss will be followed by fatigue and constant tiredness. 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 the risk factors for chronic obesity-related diseases.
Do not resort to radical diets and exhausting fasting systems. They cause rapid weight loss in the first few weeks, but are unlikely to work in the long run because such lifestyle changes are impossible. As soon as you cancel the regimen, go back to the old habits and gain weight.
Also, keep in mind that women mostly have a fat to muscle ratio compared to men and their metabolic rate at rest is 5-10% lower. For example, an 8-week study involving 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.
Look at the amount and quality of food consumed
Many have no idea how many calories they eat. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, two groups of people who were similar in weight, height, body fat percentage, education level, and so on, were asked to say how many calories they thought they consumed per day. Both groups did not estimate the actual amount at an average of 1000 calories!
Determine your daily calorie intake
Determining how many calories you should consume is half the battle, 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.
Dietitians argue that it is important to follow a weight loss rule - burn more calories than you consume. The daily deficit should average 500 kcal. With this condition you can lose one kilogram in two weeks, even without physical activity. But in the long run this method will not work, over time the body develops a feeling of stress and anxiety due to the constant lack of food and instead of losing weight, the body begins to accumulate fat in the event of a critical situation. .
Reduce your portions
This is where size matters. Over time, portion control will change from a healthy habit to a lifestyle that eliminates the constant overeating. One of the easiest ways to reduce the volume of serving is to use a small plate. The second is to eat more slowly so that the brain has time to receive a signal about the feeling of 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 whole grains or whole grains.
Reduce carbohydrate intake
If you eat simple carbohydrate-rich foods (such as cakes, soda, white flour bread or french fries), your body releases insulin to control the flow of blood glucose. Studies have shown that an increase in blood sugar levels after a few hours causes a feeling of hunger, craving for food and often leads to overeating. Fast and refined carbohydrates quickly replenish the body with energy, but when consumed in excess they are converted into fat stores. Give preference to complex carbohydrates and definitely combine them with natural fiber.
Enjoy more whole foods
Whole foods are one-ingredient foods that are rich in vitamins and micronutrients without the need for chemical additives and processing. These include fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, legumes, eggs, nuts, and more. Sh. They help speed up metabolism, regulate weight, reduce hunger and produce hormones.
One study involved 786 people who were divided into two groups. One of them was on a low micronutrient diet, the other on a high micronutrient diet. Nearly 80% of participants felt full after eating a diet rich in micronutrients, even though they consumed fewer calories overall.
In addition, whole foods do not contain trans fats. A recent study showed that monkeys that ate more artificial trans fats gained an average of 7. 2% in weight compared to monkeys that ate a diet rich in monounsaturated fats.
Drink your daily amount of water
Drinking water can speed up your metabolism by 24-30%, which will help you burn more calories. One of the studies showed that consumption is 0. 5 liters. Drinking water half an hour before eating helped dieters consume fewer calories and lose 44% more weight than those who did not drink water.
Avoid juices and carbonated sugary drinks. According to research, their daily consumption is associated with a 60% increase in the risk of obesity in children.
If you replace your daily intake with a glass of juice or soda water, you can reduce your annual calorie intake by an average of 219, 000 kcal. Impressive, right?
Choose an effective exercise for weight loss
Regular exercise is vital for both physical and mental health. A disciplined and targeted increase in exercise frequency is often crucial to successful weight loss.
WHO recommends that people between the ages of 18 and 64 exercise at least 150 minutes a week.
The easiest and most affordable way to exercise is aerobic exercise.
- Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activity include badminton, brisk walking, cycling, and tennis.
- Examples of high-intensity aerobic activity are jogging, swimming, team sports (football, basketball), and so on. Sh.
- In addition, you can introduce useful rules into your daily routine: take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalators, go to the destination at one stop and walk, park the car a little away from home or office, and so on. Sh.
Cardio is essential for weight loss if you exercise properly, focus on your heart rate (heart rate), use a variety of techniques and intervals.
Of course, it is important not only to lose weight, but also to maintain muscle tone. Resistance training is crucial to building a toned body. Studies have shown that strength training helps maintain a high metabolism and prevents the loss of valuable muscle mass.
There are many exercises for both home and gym.
Give preference to all muscle groups over the local one. You will not lose weight in the waist and abdomen for a long time, you only do exercises on the abdomen, as evidenced by the results of many studies. The same goes for weight loss in the legs, thighs, arms and other parts of the body.
According to studies, one of the most common barriers to weight loss is lack of time, with more than 73% of women surveyed saying they do not play sports for this reason. Circular, fat burning and high intensity interval training helps us, which takes no more than half an hour and is considered to be one of the most effective for weight loss.
In a circular exerciseIt takes an average of 30 minutes. This means that you alternate between several exercises (usually 5 to 10) that focus on different muscle groups, including rest intervals. This method improves your aerobic fitness and effectively burns calories.
Fat burning exercisesIt is similar in principle to a circular one, but the complex consists of loads of higher intensity on different groups of muscles, which are performed smoothly. Rest is allowed only after completing the exercise block.
It has gained great popularity in recent yearsHigh Intensity ExercisesWhich takes 5 to 30 minutes a day. They alternate between maximum activity and rest (one to two). For example, run for 1 minute as fast as you can, then walk slowly or rest for 2 minutes, then repeat everything again. Studies have shown that this method of exercise helps you burn 25-30% more calories than other types of exercise.
In a special circular exercise- 30-minute fitness for women, consisting of warm-ups, cardio workouts, strength training, cooling down and stretching. Each exercise is supervised by a trainer who monitors the technique of performing the exercises, teaches and selects the optimal version of the load. Exercises are performed on simulators designed to take into account the physiological characteristics of the female body. They are based on hydraulic resistance and are safe for all people with physical activity.
Learn to enjoy your workouts and do weight loss exercises. Think about how much energy, joy and self-satisfaction training gives you.
მიღება Get support
Losing weight is not easy and it is even harder to do it alone. If you are trying to lose those extra pounds and improve your overall health, remember that this way you do not have to go through it yourself. You can find like-minded people online or offline and join them.
Research has shown that support, healthy competition, and regular demonstration of results help maintain consistent exercise performance and greater accountability in the process.
Track your progress
Self-control is the most important factor for successful weight loss. When we see real, tangible movement toward our goals, we are more motivated to keep working. The main thing is not to hang.
Do not focus only on weight. Weight gain on a daily basis can lead to excessive anxiety and worry. Focus on the waist, hips, chest, legs and arms circumference indicators. Measure them at the same time intervals, for example, every 2 weeks or once a month. Enter numbers in a notebook, app or specialized web portals. This will help you track the outcome and analyze which actions bring the most results.
Remember that weight loss is a gradual process, do not be disappointed if these extra pounds do not disappear at the pace you expected. Your task is to learn to lose weight properly and not in 3 days.
Avoid stress and lack of sleep
Healthy sleep is just as important as proper nutrition and exercise.
Studies have shown that irregular sleep is associated with 89% of obesity in children and 55% in adults. Also, insufficient or poor sleep slows down the conversion of calories into energy (metabolism). When it is not working properly, the body can accumulate unused energy in the form of fat. In addition, poor sleep can increase insulin and cortisol production, as well as inhibit the regulation of appetite-controlling hormones leptin and ghrelin. It is leptin that sends saturation signals to the brain.
Another study found that sleepless people consume 385 more calories per day than those who sleep regularly and adequately. Thus, just because of the disturbed rhythm of sleep, you can gain an extra 7 pounds a year.
When it comes to stress, it triggers the release of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. If you are constantly feeling anxious, cortisol gets into your bloodstream and signals you to replenish your supply of nutrients with carbohydrates, which often leads to overeating.
Researchers have found that an 8-week stress management program has resulted in a significant reduction in BMI in overweight and obese children and adolescents.
Here are some ways to deal with stress:
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Breathing practice
- Nature walks, gardening, etc. Sh.
Do not use diet pills
The idea of magic diet pills to break down your fat like a dream is tempting. But unfortunately, this is too good to be true (if it was not already obvious).
Here are some side effects of diet pills:
- Decreased nervous system
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased heart rate
- Disorders of the internal organs
- Insomnia
- Dizziness
- Anxiety
- Lazy Bowel Syndrome
Diet pills often promise instant results, but they do not interfere with your diet or lifestyle, making your body "unhealthy. " Thus, even if you manage to overcome the unpleasant side effects and get short-term results, you will eventually get back to where you started. We have dedicated a separate article to fat burners, which describes in detail their disadvantages, benefits and possible risks.
Remember, to achieve long lasting results, you need to radically change your fitness and eating habits.
New weight loss books, articles, TV shows and videos are published daily but there is no one-size-fits-all solution for permanent healthy weight loss. What works for one person may not work for you because the body responds differently to different foods and loads, genetics and many other factors. Finding the right method will take time and patience, dedication and regularity.
In order to lose weight without suffering, make realistic changes in your diet and physical activity that will become part of your lifestyle, otherwise you will quickly return to old habits and original weight.