1. PORTION CONTROL
Weight loss can seem intimidating when you think about having to give up your favorite foods and switch to boring salads. But as long as you control the portions of what you eat and not go on a crazy binge-eating session, you can enjoy all your favorite foods in moderation.
One way to control your portions is to switch your big dishes and plates with small ones. This way, you will eat much smaller portions but your brain will be tricked into thinking that you ate a whole plate of food.
2. HEAVY BREAKFAST, LIGHT DINNER
One of the most essential steps in weight loss is having a high-protein heavy breakfast every day. One needs to consume the majority of their macros in their breakfast so that it’s easy to digest throughout the day.
As one moves from meal to meal throughout the day, the size and calories of the foods should decrease. Dinner should be small in size and should be consumed 4-5 hours before bedtime.
3. WATER
The importance of drinking enough water cannot be emphasized enough. Even after intense exercise and dieting, one may not be able to see satisfying results and one of the reasons can be inadequate water intake.
When you don’t drink enough water in the day, your body clings to the little bit that is left in the body. Unsure of the next time it will get water, it retains it making you bloat. Therefore, 7-8 glasses of water every day is important to get rid of water weight from the body.
4. CARDIO
In order to lose weight, a clean diet accompanied with exercise helps to yield better and faster results. Doing 10-15 minutes cardio that raises the heart rate and makes you sweat is adequate and can fit into busy schedules.
If the idea of hitting the gym every day intimidates you, don’t worry, you can make yourself sweat by doing activities that you love. You can cycle, swim, dance, jog or do anything as long as it makes your heart race and body burn calories.
5. EAT FOODS THAT HELP IN WEIGHT LOSS
Foods like whole grains, lentils, hot peppers and grapefruits can result in fat burning and weight loss. Eating fibrous foods like apples, broccoli, carrots and artichokes can make you feel full easily and have very few calories, thus preventing you from consuming high calorie foods.
Drinking unsweetened black coffee and green tea also promotes weight loss by improving metabolism of the body due to the high content of anti-oxidants present in them.
6. CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY
Weight loss is a mental battle more than it is a physical battle. Do not expect it to be a smooth journey as you will face a lot of struggles. The key is to remain patient and be consistent even if the results seem slow in the beginning. You should be practical and not understand that weight loss is a gradual process and should be done healthily.
So do not starve or over-exhaust yourself as it can easily result in the breakdown of your body, physical or mental. Physical breakdowns like injuries and illnesses could put you two steps behind and mental breakdowns like giving into cravings and binge-eating could destroy your confidence and de-motivate you, thus hindering your weight loss journey.
So remember to maintain a balance and be patient and consistent with your diet and exercise routine.