Weight loss
Weight loss: When you try your next crash diet or start a new fitness regime to lose weight, stop and think. You just want to lose some weight around your waist and continue to maintain your muscles at the same time. Possibly you need an all-inclusive weight loss regime with a special diet and exercise plan.
Whatever you decide, don’t act in a hurry, losing weight is a marathon and not a sprint. If you want to lose weight, plan it wisely, execute it carefully, and follow it religiously. Weight is not lost overnight.
Second, you will try and find out if you need to lose weight or not? Because sometimes just the desire to shed a few extra pounds, even if your body doesn’t need to. Accurate knowledge of your BMI (body mass index) can help you know whether you are in the normal weight category according to your height.Â
But what exactly is BMI? And how can you ensure that weight loss methods suit you well.Â
This article will answer all these questions and many more.
Do you really need to weight loss.
Before you label yourself fat and jump on the weight loss regime, it is important to find out if your body also has a significant amount of fat. To know the status of your body in relation to weight and body functions, start checking your body mass index (BMI). BMI is a measurement of body fat based on your height and weight measurement. Once the final BMI is calculated, they will reveal the category that relates to your weight,
which is as follows:
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
Overweight = 25–29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
If you above normal weight, then go ahead and read the full article to learn more about weight loss and how to get it healthily. Remember that it’s never too late to start out.
How to lose weight?
Losing weight requires a realistic plan that will help you cut the extra kilos without creating you feeling ill in weak or bad cases.
Here is a simple 3 step strategy that you should keep to make your weight loss journey real and long-lasting.
- A proper diet plan
- Lots of regulated physical activity
- Maintenance of the above two
Diet plan for weight loss
The best way to lose weight is by making long term diet plans rather than forcing yourself. Need food and energy to keep yourself. So, starving yourself is never a healthy option. Always choose the right food that will.
make you feel full for a longer time without making you fat.
How much should you eat: Control your portion
Even when it is with a plethora of choices for the types of food available, you should always measure how much to eat. To live a healthy life and lose weight (preferably fat), you have to regulate what and what amount you are eating.
Most people tend to fill their plate with lots of cereals and little vegetables or binge on a whole pizza meant for multiple persons the moment they start to have hunger pangs.
However, according to WHO, a healthy diet should include fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat, oats, corn, millet).
- At least 400 grams (5 parts) of fruits and vegetables per day
- Saturated fats (found in fatty meat, butter, coconut, cheese, ghee) instead Consumption of unsaturated fats (fats from fish, avocado, nuts, olive oil)
- Do not take more than 5 grams of iodized salt per day
Sweet potatoes, potatoes, and other starchy foods are not considered fruits or vegetables.
For effective weight loss, large portions of low-calorie foods (fruits, vegetables, and lentils) and a very small portion of high-calorie foods (grains and other carbs) work best. This ensures that you get adequate amounts of fiber, vitamins, and minerals without increasing your total calorie count.
Mindful Eating: Keep an eye on your nutrition count
Losing weight should not reduce the weakness or the ability to work. To compensate for any energy loss due to calorie-deficit, you will need to check your nutrition number. You must have enough understanding and knowledge of what foods to eat to meet all nutritional requirements and to lose weight at the same time.​
Nature provides a full range of nutrients through its plethora of available foods. But no single food item contains all the nutrients and it calls for a diet rich in a wide variety of foods. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables has a lot of fiber in a diet with low amounts of fat, salt, and sugar. Fiber-rich food will keep you satiated and content for longer. This will reduce your food cravings and ultimately help you lose weight, lose weight.
Other than that, fiber will also improve digestion and absorption of nutrients, keeping you energized throughout the day. Fiber also enhances weight loss and helps prevent serious health problems like coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and gastrointestinal diseases. Daily dietary intake of fiber should be around 14 grams/1000 kilocalorie.
What to avoid?
Some of this article will tell you everything to get your weight right, avoid eating the following things:
Sugar: Sugar is one of the worst enemies of a good weight loss regime. Most sugars are empty calories with no nutritional value. By keeping an eye on your total sugar intake, you can reduce your total calorie intake, making healthy and nutrient-rich foods. So, avoid adding extra sugar to your coffee and tea. Stay away from soft drinks after loading with sugar. And most importantly, replace sugar with more natural alternatives such as honey or jaggery.
Excess salt: Your body needs more potassium than sodium to carry out the day’s activities. Processed foods are rich in sodium and have low potassium levels. High sodium intake can lead you to many health issues like heart diseases, kidney problems. It also makes you bloated, which only adds to the weight of the water.
Alcohol: You may think that alcoholic beverages have no calories. But this is not true. Every time you go out for a drink, every time anywhere between 300 and 500 calories depends on the type and amount of alcohol. Light to moderate consumption of alcohol is fine, but even if you are on a weight loss journey, one should avoid such amounts to get realistic results. So avoid Alcohol.
Processed food: Usually all processed food contains processed sugar, which is harmful to your stomach and bad for your weight loss. They also make you swell and cause gastrointestinal problems in the long run. Try to eat more homemade food in place of canned foods.
Fat: Reducing total fat intake is probably the first thing a person thinks about when they lose weight. However, it is important to note that fat is an important part of your body’s metabolic functions. During this macronutrient deficiency, you may be at risk of various health conditions such as hormonal disturbances. Instead of avoiding fat altogether, remove all saturated fat from your diet. These are a type of dietary fat that has the highest health risks and is usually associated with the accumulation of fat in body issues. Avoid cooking oils such as coconut oil and palm oil and choose oils rich in unsaturated fats such as olive oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil.
Emotional eating: This is a funny topic but how often have you eaten an entire bag of chips due to an emotional breakdown? Emotional eating and negative thinking make it difficult to excuse all those kilos, no matter how much you try in it. Studies have indicated that mindful eating and positive self-image are favorable for weight loss in emotional eaters. So, the next time you go through an emotional tornado, try to snack on fruits instead. Other activities like rewarding yourself Nature moves, learn something new every day such as swimming, dancing, yoga. This will not only relieve stress but will also improve your health and well-being.
Maintaining your weight
Now if you feel that the battle is won by achieving your weight loss goals, then you are in for a surprise. You have to maintain your hard-earned money otherwise it will take you to the place where you started. To avoid this you need to maintain your new weight without any major.
Keep up with the ups and downs and keep an eye on your progress. Include more plant-based foods in your diet. Minimize your non-vegetarian food intake but frozen and red meat to a minimum. Involve your friends and family on your fitness journey and help each other achieve their health goals.
Exercise for weight loss:
Incorporating some amount of physical activity is an essential part of any fitness plan. This becomes even more important when your goal is to lose weight. Physical activity burns calories and increases your metabolism at the same time. It imparts a tone to your muscles and adds to your overall strength. By burning calories, regular physical exercise helps you keep calories down while you eat low-calorie food, which leads to weight loss.
​Yoga Mudras:
There are some yoga Mudras which if any person does daily, they will definitely have less fat in their body and their weight will be less. These postures should be done with restraint, otherwise these are best done in the morning. But if you do not have time, you can get benefits by using these yoga postures whenever it is empty. Those yoga mudras are of this type.​
Example: Surya Mudra, Â Linga Mudra, Â Khechari Mudra, Â Vaayan Mudra
What all you can do walking:
If you are someone who does not have long experience of strenuous physical activity, then you need to start slow to avoid any muscle injury. Start with brisk walking for short periods and then increase it gradually. Use a pedometer to count your steps. An instrument of 10000 steps per day has shown a positive effect on weight loss.
Aerobic exercise:
Aerobic exercise basically means exercising with oxygen. It is also called cardio exercise. Cardio increases your heart and breathing rate. It includes many activities like swimming, running, jogging, dancing, biking, climbing, playing games like table tennis, basketball, badminton. Again, be realistic, start by setting small goals and be persistent.
Strength training:
Strength training or resistance training comprises of exercises where your muscles work against a resisting force like weights or tension. When done regularly, it adds strength and mass to your muscles. Greater the muscle mass, greater will be the number of calories burned during exercise.
Start with bodyweight squats, pushups, chin-ups, etc until you become strong enough to move more weight safely.
Along with weight loss, strength training will improve your body posture and muscle tone. It also prevents you from many health risks like osteoporosis, heart-related diseases, diabetes, arthritis, back pain.Â
Recommended amounts of physical activity:
Now that you know about the types of physical exercises to achieve weight loss. Here are the recommended amounts of physical activity that are needed to lose weight quickly and efficiently and for preventing injuries and overstraining.
- Maintaining and improving health: 150 minutes/week
- Prevention of weight gain: 150-250 minutes/week
- Significant weight loss: 225-420 minutes/week
- Prevention of weight gain after the weight loss of 200-300 minutes/week
Some specific diet plans for weight loss
To help you start your weight loss journey, here are some famous diet plans
Keto diet:
Keto diet is used for a minimum interval of 2-3 weeks for 6–12 months and works by the principle of burning fat instead of carbohydrates for energy.
It contains high amounts of fat (55–60%), moderate amounts of protein (30–35%), and very small amounts of carbohydrates (5–10%).
This diet plan has shown results in terms of weight loss, although it is not recommended for everyone. If you are suffering from any liver problem, then you should not follow this diet plan.
Intermittent Fasting:
Intermittent fasting forces one to eat during a limited window of time in a day and prevents the rest from consuming any food. During the fasting mantra, your body uses stored fat as a source of energy, thus making you slim. It is an effective way to lose weight. The duration of fasting varies from person to person. You can also opt for alternate feeds and fast days or cyclic fasting schedules.
Mediterranean diet:
This diet generally emphasizes the intake of healthy fat sources such as fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, seafood, olives and reduces the intake of red meat and poultry. Due to the preference for healthy low-calorie foods, the Mediterranean diet has shown to reduce the risk of heart diseases, cancer, and enhance cognitive health.