TIPS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

If you’ve fallen into some weight loss gimmick in the near past, don’t give yourself a hard time. Many of us have fallen into the trap at some point in our life. What I mean is the wellness industry didn’t turn into a billion- dollar industry for no reason. You might be confused by now what or who to believe for such things. By the end of this article, I am sure you will learn the right way and few mistakes to avoid.

1) Diet :-

Learn to distinguish between a diet and lifestyle. Diet is a routine we follow to achieve short term goals. Whereas, lifestyle is something you follow for life. It is where you shift your focus to upgrade your life and habits.

But if your goal is to lose 5 kilos in few weeks, you might actually be able to do it. But it’s not going to stay that way. Many people follow crash diets and lose weight rapidly. However, within no time they gain back. That’s something you’ve already heard or figured out yourself.

So the real question here is : why haven’t anything worked yet? The simple solution is if there was any diet that truly worked; we already would have known. We all would be skinny by now.

2) Short-term gains:-

Anything that promises instant results is a gimmick. I am sorry to break it to you. That can be diet, bars, pills or any therapy there is. But at least this way you can save money and energy. And put that into pursuing for healthy goals.

Always welcome changes that can be strategically inculcated into your lifestyle to achieve long-term goals.

3) Keto diets:-

Restricting calories puts our body into a state called “ketosis”. That’s why ketogenic diets are so in. Ketosis reduces our appetite. Which obviously means eating less, less calories and weight loss ensues.

When you see these before and after pictures, why wouldn’t you want it for yourself? Right ? You see these ribbed bodies after few months of calorie restriction that you want for yourself. But what you don’t see is them after 3-5 years after calorie restriction is over. They tend to gain that weight back plus more.

People who follow calorie restriction grow to have a very unhealthy relationship with food. That is because calorie restriction is not sustainable in the long term. Studies have shown that after calorie restriction is over, your metabolism slows down. That way your weight loss journey slows down too.

4) Drinking too little water :-

Many people don’t know the fact that water is essential for burning calories. When you are dehydrated, your metabolism slows down, dragging down your weight loss.

Here we are avoiding drinks available at drive-thru and cafeterias. These drinks contains 500 calories in one cup. That’s whole meal in one cup. All of these are good occasionally. But we are talking about excess. Excess of soda, caffeinated drinks and beverages add up those calories.

Above are some common mistakes that many tend to make. Mainly in haste to get instant results. But these are avoidable and reversed. Now, let’s focus on few tips to how to do it right.

1. Focus on your will power :-

Studies have shown that your “will power” is a depletable source. That means if you’re doing everything right- from diet to exercise plans; you might not see results even then. Which leads to frustration and self-blame. Blaming one self for not sticking with something, is self-harm in one way or the other.

Instead ask yourself why ? Why do I want to eat healthy and lose weight? Write that reason down and every time you tend to lose track of it, re-read it.

2. Snacking :-

Some people might not need snacking at all and do just fine. But if your track record says you require snacking in between; you must not avoid it. I am one of these people who do snacking in between meals.

Planning your snacks beforehand will save you time and stress. By doing so and not depriving yourself, you’ll better manage your hunger and weight loss. Snacking at intervals is great if you’re planning to take your meals at six to eight hours gap. It helps to keep your metabolism at right gear.

I am all in for seasonal fruits and vegetables – be it juice, smoothies or side pickle. They provide a lots of vitamins and minerals. On top of that they are high in fiber; which will keep your stomach full and manage hunger.

3. Holistic approach :-

Are you focused on only one thing while losing weight ? How do you plan to shed those extra kilos? Is it only the exercise? Or is it only food?

Food or exercise will certainly help you in short-term. But it’s not sustainable in long-term. I want you to have a holistic approach to health. It means adequate hydration, adequate sleep, lack of substance and even a positive emotional state.

Scientists have found that stress increases your cortisol level, which in turn aids in weight gain. So do what you can to find your zen.

Featured image source: Weight loss photo created by freepic.diller – www.freepik.com