Are you planning to drop a few pounds? First thing to do is not fall prey to any unhealthy weight loss schemes, that promise quick results but are simply harmful for your body. It’s important to have a safe and healthy approach towards weight loss. The idea is to not only reduce weight, but also to keep the weight off. Hence, you want to go about this process the right way. It will require persistent and sustainable efforts that you can stick with over the long term. Here are some tips that can help you achieve your target weight steadily and effectively.
1. Build More Muscle with Weight Training
One of the best ways to build muscle mass and lose body fat is through lifting weights. In addition to the aerobic activities like running or cycling, doing some amount of resistance training can do a whole lot of good for weight loss.
When you complete a challenging weight training workout, there is a boost in your EPOC, or Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. EPOC refers to a rise in oxygen consumption, metabolic rate, and calorie expenditure that takes place in the body post an intense workout. Moreover, strength training helps in boosting your resting metabolic rate. Muscles expend more calories as compared to fat tissue. Therefore, your resting metabolism improves when you gain muscle mass via weight training.
Resistance training isn’t restricted to using barbells or dumbbells. Especially, if you’re new to this type of training, you may find that bodyweight exercises are enough of a challenge for now, like lunges, squats, and regular push-ups or knee push-ups. You can start adding on weights once you are ready to take on the extra challenge.
2. Reduce Your Intake of Salt (Sodium) and Sugar
A high-salt diet may be responsible for water retention in your body. Removing the excess salt from your diet may help reduce bloating as well as water weight. Excessive sodium in diet can have health effects far more dangerous than just fluid retention, including osteoporosis, high blood pressure, kidney disease, just to name a few. Being cautious about your salt intake is a step towards healthier living. Go over the nutritional information on the food items that you buy to check how much sodium content these have. This can help you to be aware of your sodium intake and to make better choices, like going for low-sodium foods, wherever you can.
Another thing you want to be careful about is your sugar intake. Foods and drinks rich in added sugar usually mean lots of calories but only little nutrition. These extra calories may keep you from achieving the calorie deficit you need for weight loss. So, you want to avoid having too much of added sugar. In fact, sweets and desserts aren’t the only foods with added sugar, certain savory food items may also carry a lot of sugar in them. Even things that you may consider healthy like breakfast cereals and low-fat yogurt could be rich in sugar. Check the sugar content of the foods you buy to prevent excessive sugar sneaking into your diet.
3. Make Water Your Go-To Drink
Drinking water is good for you in more ways than one. It helps with hydration, sure, but it can also help with losing weight. When we’re dehydrated, our bodies tend to retain extra water. Hence, proper hydration can help in releasing extra water from the body and dealing with the problem of water weight. Having some water before your meals can help make sure that you’re not overeating. This step may prevent you from consuming more calories than you actually require during your meals.
Drinking high-sugar and high-calorie beverages is not the best idea for satisfying your thirst, replace these with zero-calorie plain water! Have a water bottle with you always, whether you’re at home or going outside. Keeping water within easy grabbing distance is a great way to remind yourself to take a sip now and then. To increase your water intake, you can also have foods with high water content, like cantaloupe, tomatoes, broccoli, watermelon, celery, cucumber, peaches, etc.
4. Eat Your Foods in Right Portions
Since calorie deficit is the basic principle behind weight loss, it only makes sense that you be mindful about your daily calorie intake. Eating your foods in controlled portions helps ensure that you are eating enough to meet your body’s nutrition needs without going over the board. Keep a digital weighing scale handy for your kitchen. You could use this to measure your portion sizes and calculate the calories you’re consuming. Another good tip that can help maintain portion control is to eat your meals slowly and not rush through them. Before helping yourself with second serving, see if you really have the appetite for it.
Don’t forget to mind your portions when you’re eating out. If you like experimenting with a variety of foods, be sure that you’re trying out each of the items just within moderation. When you train yourself to be disciplined with portion control, you could even enjoy your favorite snacks or desserts occasionally without feeling guilty.
5. Plan and Follow a Diet and Exercise Schedule
Think about what are your weight loss goals and tailor your workouts and diet accordingly. It helps to have a well-planned schedule prepared to guide you every day towards the goals you’ve outlined for yourself. With your meals and workouts planned in advance, you know exactly what’s in store for you and what you need to accomplish for the day.
A good exercise plan ensures that you’re paying attention to each aspect of working out, whether it’s cardio, weight training, or even taking rest days. You could always take help from a certified fitness instructor if you need help planning your workouts.
Protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats are the three key essentials of a good diet. So, make sure that you include all these in your diet planning. Consult a nutrition expert if necessary, to create a balanced meal plan for yourself.
