Weight loss is a battle. Many of you try all the harder to trim down but end up binging on more calories. It is a hard and slow process that requires loads of patience. You quickly cut back on your calories when it comes to shedding pounds as you think you will be burning more calories than taking in.
The fact is that it does more bad than good. Before you understand what healthy habits you can adapt to in order to pare down extra fat, you should understand how your body works when you stop taking in calories.
When you start a weight loss diet, your body starts producing a higher level of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger. This is a natural response of the body in order to prevent you from starvation. It needs energy for the functionality of all body organs, and it derives from food.
Your appetite increases as you cut back on your calories as the levels of leptin hormone go down, making you feel fuller. If you cut calories too quickly, your metabolism will slow down, making it harder for you to keep pounds off.
You will likely notice a drastic fluctuation in your weight, but that may be owing to muscle loss. This is why it is recommended that you maintain a balance between your diet and physical exercise.
4 ways for maintaining a healthy weight
Here are the tips for maintaining a healthy weight:
· Do not skip meals; instead, choose healthy meals
When you hear a weight loss programme, the first thing that flashes across your mind is to stop eating food. As you stop eating food, you will start burning calories, and as a result, you will be in shape. Oh, how simple is that. Stop hallucinating.
If you skip meals, you will miss out on essential nutrients that your body needs for the organs to function properly. You will likely feel fragile. Body fatigue, dizziness and mood swings are some of the symptoms you will be experiencing if you skip meals.
If you do not want to catch diseases and fund your medical bills with personal loans in Ireland, never skip meals. No health practitioners suggest skipping meals even if you are on a weight loss diet.
You should eat regular meals as this will help your body burn calories at a faster rate, and you will be less tempted to snack on foods high in fat and sugar. Breakfast is the most important source of energy. You should never miss it as this is the source of energy you need for your whole day.
You should include healthy options like eggs and fish (every so often), skimmed milk (it is extremely important as it provides you with all types of amino acids for your muscle health), nuts, fruits, dark leafy vegetables, etc. cruciferous vegetables, and salad.
All these will provide you with essential nutrients, and they are rich in fibre, so you will feel fuller for a longer period, meaning you will be less tempted to snack on sugary and processed foods. Stay away from all types of processed/ junk food like bakery products, red meat, pizza, pasta, macaroni, and food high in saturated fats like cheese.
· Do workout
Exercise is extremely important when it comes to losing weight. However, you have to be very mindful about it. Some people think that you can easily lose your pounds by exercise, but it is not everything.
For instance, if you cycle for an hour and burn 300 calories, you can easily get those calories back after drinking a protein shake. As a result, you will never be able to lose pounds. This is why it is crucial to understand that exercise is not everything.
To lose a pound, you will have to burn almost 3,500 calories. Now you can imagine how rigorous a workout you need to do to burn this much. Further, you need to ensure that what you are eating. If you get those calories back, all your effort will go in vain.
It is crucial to maintain a balance between exercise and what you eat. In order to maintain a healthy weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. However, it does not mean that you will skip meals because if you do so, you will find it very difficult to do a workout to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound.
Be watchful of what you eat. Make sure that you prefer low-calorie drinks that give you instant energy after a workout. Try to include those food items in your diet that consist of few calories but are high in nutrient value, so you feel fuller.
Various kinds of exercises can help you manage a healthy weight. High-intensive training should be a part of your workout. Some people do not prefer going to the gym.
If you are one of them, you can buy some equipment and create a gym at your home. Of course, this will require you to invest some money, but cash loans in Ireland can be an alternative in case you do not have enough money.
· Use a smaller plate and eat slowly
Eating from a smaller plate is a good way to cut back on your calories. Since the plate will get full with a small quantity of food, you will likely manage your calories intake. When you use a large bowl or plates for food, you try to finish everything.
As a result, you fail to consume calories moderately. Try to eat food gradually. When you take a longer time than usual to finish off food, you will get tired of chewing food. You will automatically stop before you feel full.
You get food in big bowls and plates if you go to the restaurant. Be watchful of the quantity of food you eat there. As long as you are on a weight loss diet, you should prefer to avoid eating in restaurants. In fact, you should prepare the meal at home. Home meals are healthier than restaurant meals. It helps us maintain healthy weight.
· Understand how your body responds to your diet
Never forget the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all diet. A diet that works for your friend or any family members may not work for you. Everyone’s body is different. In order not to lose track of weight loss, you need to understand how your body responds to a particular diet.
Consider your family history, your metabolism rate, workout level, age, gender, likes and dislikes. Many people remove their favourite foods at the time of dieting, but this behaviour makes you more tempted to snack on things you should not eat.
Try to allow your favourite food as well. If you love ice cream, you can have a couple of scoops once in a while. You will feel less deprived and be able to stick to your healthy eating plan. Try to make a diet chart based on your body needs. Since a ketogenic diet works for your friend, it does not mean that it will work for you too.
The final word
Weight loss is not easy at all, but if you understand what your body exactly need to trim down, you will definitely be able to achieve your goal.
Set small, specific and realistic weight loss goals. Make sure that you stick to your goals. It can take some time.
