The statistics are scary. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), worldwide obesity has tripled since 1975. More than one-third of all adults in the US are obese, and the obesity rate has now topped 40%.
From cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and stroke, there are many deadly conditions linked to obesity. That’s why it’s crucial to maintain a healthy weight. It’s best to start early, so you don’t become desperate when the situation gets worse. Whether for health or aesthetic reasons, finding ways to lose weight should be your interest.
A simple google search on tips for weight loss would return thousands of hits. Many weight loss plans are offering weight-loss strategies across the internet. However, weight loss is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Often it takes months to know what works for your body and what doesn’t. But here are some tips to help you get started.
Track and Monitor Your Weight
Tracking and monitoring your weight is perhaps the most crucial step in losing weight and keeping it off. How would you know if your hard work is paying off if there’s no means of measuring progress?
Nobody loses 50 pounds in an hour. The weight loss journey is gradual and often tricky, and it may take many months to reach your goal. Keeping tabs on your weight helps you see how much progress you are making. If there’s no progress, you can adjust your weight loss plans accordingly. Thankfully, several strategies make it easy to track and monitor your weight. Here are a few of them:
Food Diaries: This is a popular way amongst many people on a weight loss journey. As they say, “if you bite it, you write it.” A food diary could contain anything from the type of food eaten to the time it was eaten. It could even include where you were eating and how you were feeling while eating. Diary contents help you observe patterns or find the cause behind any change in your weight loss experience.
Routine Weighing: Checking your weight on a scale, over and over again, is critical to losing weight. Although it’s not always reliable, a home scale can help you. If you can, use the scale at the fitness gym or doctor’s office. Weigh yourself at the same time each day and keep records.
Monitoring Devices: There is a wide range of apps and devices that help you track and monitor various metrics in your weight loss journey. One of the most common tools is a pedometer, which works by keeping a log of your physical activity throughout the day. Accelerators, on the other hand, work by measuring the intensity of your physical activity.
Change Your Eating Habits
While other factors contribute to weight gain, poor eating habits are the primary way people put on weight. Haven’t you noticed that sometimes when people begin to eat more, they gain weight quickly? A balanced diet ensures that your body has all the nutrients it needs to function effectively and that you don’t put on weight unnecessarily. Here are some helpful tips:
Cut back on Carbohydrates
Reducing carbohydrate intake is an effective way to lose weight. Because reducing your carbohydrates intake automatically reduces the number of calories you are taking in. And this compels the body to burn extra fat to use as fuel. Your body converts excess carbohydrates into fat. It means that the more carbs you consume, the higher the likelihood of gaining weight.
Eat a High-Protein Breakfast
A protein-rich diet is one of the best ways to lose weight. Generally, proteins are hard to digest, which is good because you end up not feeling hungry too often. Proteins are known to increase the metabolism of the body. It also increases the rate at which the body burns calories. If you start the day with a protein-rich breakfast, you’ll reduce your hunger hormones and won’t feel the urge to eat as often.
Eat More Vegetables and Fruits
As a rule of thumb, the more colorful your meal, the better, and what better way to add color to your food than vegetables and fruits? Because they are low in fats and calories while high in fiber, vegetables and fruits are some of the best weight-loss-friendly foods.
Take Advantage of Supplements
There are several helpful supplements to help you lose weight. Some, however, are not what they have been cranked up to be. The FDA has had cause to crack down on some supposed weight-loss supplements. That’s why you should ensure that the supplement you chose is backed by research. For instance, there is clinical proof that MCT oil lowers cholesterol and aids weight loss. Other helpful supplements are green tea extracts and bitter orange.
Consult a Nutritionist
While you can change your diet all-by-yourself, consulting a trained and licensed professional nutritionist/dietician can help you. This choice is a good idea, especially if you are overweight or dangerously obese.
Exercise
Almost every weight-loss plan would include some form of exercise. And that’s hardly surprising because physical activity is a sure-fire way to shed some extra pounds. A consistent work-out regimen can help you burn calories and reduce your weight in the long run. In addition to weight loss, exercising helps to reduce the risk of contracting several chronic diseases.
According to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), helps to:
- Reduce high blood pressure.
- Reduce risk for type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and several forms of cancer.
- Reduce arthritis pain and associated disability.
- Reduce the risk of osteoporosis and falls.
- Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
From walking, jogging, swimming, to competitive sports, there is a wide range of ways to exercise. One of the best ways to exercise consistently is to join a fitness where you can partner with trainers to keep you in shape.
Conclusion
Losing weight is not an impossible task. If you do the right things and follow-through with diligence and consistency, you’ll undoubtedly see some good results. While there are tons of tips and tricks out there about weight-loss, the ones that work the best are often the simplest.
In this article, we have outlined three of the simplest ways to kickstart your weight-loss journey. We’ve also shared some helpful tips under each of the points. Please take advantage of them to help you attain your desired weight. If you have any doubts, consult your medical personnel.
