7 Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work
In this article, we will explore different ways to speed up your weight loss up to 0.5 -1.0 kg in a week without feeling any of the anxiety or frustration & enjoy the process of becoming healthier. You will start looking younger and having a better mood.
1. Substitute Dinner with a Big Bowl of Salad
A lot of useless calories are taken when eating a large and heavy dinner. Our bodies require fewer calories at night and there is simply no reason to overload your system at night which will end up as fat in the body.
Try to match your calorie intake by thinking about the amount of work that you will do in that 3-4 hour period after eating. You can eat a good breakfast and lunch as you will require calories to function throughout the day and then keep on decreasing calories at the end of the day.
You require minimal calories at night. Substituting your dinner for a big bowl of salad will do the job. Salads are filled with fiber and are super healthy and filling. You can also add any source of protein like eggs/paneer with the salad which will provide you plenty of protein with fiber.
2. Increase Intake of Protein
Protein acts as building blocks for the body.
How much protein does an individual need?
As per the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) given by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for Indians, 0.8 to 1 gm protein per kg body weight per day is sufficient to meet the basic nutritional requirements.
In order to meet the daily requirements, always try to include protein sources in every meal be it breakfast, lunch or dinner like adding egg whites in lunch or breakfast, chicken breast, soya chunks, cheese, etc.
Protein is filling and you are less likely to feel hungry easily. A good amount of lean protein will reduce hunger pangs and overall calorie intake. You can also add a supplement like whey protein to balance the deficit in protein intake. However, it is best to focus on natural sources before adding supplements.
3. Exercise at least 3-4 days a week
Maintaining your nutrition will help you lose weight always but exercise with nutrition is strongly recommended because of the host of benefits attached to regular exercising. Exercise will accelerate the results of good nutrition. Exercising regularly even for 20 mins a day for 3-4 days will greatly boost your mood and help you remain in a calorie deficit apart from making your cardiovascular systems stronger.
Aim for 45 mins- 60 mins duration long sessions. You can try weight lifting too which will help in building muscle. A mixture of cardio and weight training will help in achieving better health and adding variety to your workouts. You need not necessarily need a gym and just follow any fitness YouTubers of your choice. You can follow their playlist and lose kilos easily. All you would need will be a yoga mat and weights of 2kg, 3kg, and 5 kg which will be very sufficient for beginner-level exercises.
4. Remain in Calorie Deficit
You can easily calculate the number of calories you require in a day by using any of the BMR Calculators online and also factoring in the level of your activity. You can reduce 500-1000 calories from the number you get from the BMR calculator. Always aim to eat up to the final calculated number of calories only in a day.
For calculating the number of calories in your food download any calorie counter app of your choice. Developing a habit of thinking about calories will help you in judging what foods are beneficial and which foods should not be eaten. This will help in being more mindful about the food choices you will make. Weight loss is a function of calories and you must ensure to remain in a calorie deficit to see consistent results. You can treat yourself with a favorite snack or a sweet sometimes if you just keep in mind the total calories that you would consume on that day and appropriately cut down on other foods so that you remain in a calorie deficit on that day.
You might feel a little low in energy when starting out with a calorie deficit but don’t worry this will soon go away in a week or two as your body will adjust to eating a lesser number of calories in a day.
5.Drink More Water
A normal healthy person needs about eight glasses (two liters) of water a day, which should go up in hot, sweaty weather and during vigorous activities, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Dietary Guidelines for Indians. Our bodies need water to maintain hydration, digestive, heart, and lung function, joint lubrication, protection of tissues, regulation of body temperature, and much more.
Water is an elixir of life and the best you can do for your body is drinking upwards of 2 liters in a day. Drinking water will help you in feeling full. Replace all your sugary/soda drinks and see the magic. You can very easily cut down on extra calories without any effort.
6. Journal Daily Progress
We always need to constantly monitor our progress so that we can work on areas where improvements are needed. You can maintain a diary where you will journal your daily progress as to whether you were able to eat according to the predefined meals or you somehow missed. You can meditate and think about how you can do it better the next day.
The Journal is not to feel angry about yourself but to understand where changes can be made to improve. You can also keep track of the various exercises you are doing and how you are progressing each week or month like how much weight you can lift, how many reps you can do etc Another great tip would be to always take progress pictures in order to motivate you as sometimes the scale does not move but you will surely notice changes in the body.
Also, order a weighing machine and a measuring tape as well to keep track of your progress.
7. Stay Consistent
Remember Rome was not built in a day and so you must consistently endeavor to improve your eating habits and see the long-term changes. A combination of the right exercise and nutrition will give you results provided you remain consistent. Even if there are minor hiccups in your weight loss journey and you eat what you are not supposed to or are unable to exercise, you do not need to beat yourself up and feel discouraged or motivated. Rather pick yourself up, and reflect on how better you can do it the next time.
Utilize your journal to keep yourself motivated and not give up easily. Staying consistent will help you to slowly change your eating habits as you eat more greens and more protein. You will crave less and less junk and sugary foods. You will be able to see wonderful results if you just take tiny baby steps towards fitness every day.
Conclusion
You will see results if you follow all the points religiously. Just remember Nutrition is The King. No amount of exercising can compensate for nutrition. There will be no results with poor nutrition. Make all the efforts necessary to design your lifestyle around better eating and incorporate exercise to reap maximum benefits. Build a habit of meditating upon your goal and taking the relevant steps. You will surely achieve what you set your mind for.
We know that weight loss can be anywhere from being frustrating to being boring to being restrictive with your favorite treats and food. Weight loss can sometimes feel like an ordeal when working without the right approach or just in random ways without actually understanding the concept.
