We all make approximately a dozen promises to ourselves each year that we’re going to begin our journey to losing weight the next day or week. While most people have difficulty even starting, many others find themselves giving up in a matter of months. To add to it all, a busy lifestyle doesn’t help, with most people being too tired after a long day of work, to step into the gym or park. What most people don’t know, is that weight reduction isn’t so difficult, especially when we incorporate a few lifestyle changes and make them a habit. Here are some important tips to help you lose the weight you’ve slowly been storing since months, and even some more.
Important tips for weight loss
- Drink plenty of water – Water fills you up and keeps you hydrated throughout the day. Moreover, it keeps your mind and body fresh, helping you resist the temptation to binge on unhealthy food.
- Don’t expect instant results – If you’re expected to lose all that fat within a month, you’re more likely to give up when you feel disappointed at not achieving the results you desire. Weight loss is a slow process and maintaining the lost weight, an even slower one. Keep your targets achievable, for greater satisfaction, and the will power to keep going on.
- Avoid skipping any meals – Skipping your meal may make you feel lighter for a few hours, but that soon turns into the hunger that ends with you eating more when you finally get your hands on some food. Eat nutritious meals that are tasty at the same time, and you won’t feel the desire to skip any meals.
- Eat smaller portions at a slower rate – Portion your meals, for a dietary balance that gives you the right amount of nutrition within a smaller quantity. Eating slowly also allows your food to digest better and lets you savor the food you’re eating.
- Juice your vegetables and eat your fruits – Fruits lose their nutritional value when you juice them, so make sure to eat them whole. Vegetables, on the other hand, can be quite tasteless, and easily blended with tasty ingredients without any loss of nutrition. A glass of juice each day gives you all the nutrients you need.
- Walk more often – Most weight loss journals tell you to exercise every day, but what about people who simply don’t have the time. Simple. Incorporate more walking into your daily life. Use stairs instead of elevators, and walk short distances instead of using transport. This helps you avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
- Plan your meals – Planning your meals ahead ensures you don’t just grab the first thing you see, and instead promotes a diet where you have healthy meals ready when you need them. This is perhaps the best tip to avoid random binge-eating days.
- It’s ‘cheat meal’, and not ‘cheat day’ – Make sure to have at least one day a week where you can eat one cheat meal. This only includes one meal and not an entire day. This also helps control binge eating, since you already look forward and plan your cheat meal.
One of the biggest issues with crash diets is that they hardly ever work in the long term. Instead, incorporate lifestyle changes that are achievable, and give you a reason and the will-power to wake up every morning and seize the day. Focus on remaining healthy, and weight loss is sure to come naturally. In case you’re suffering from extreme, irregular weight gain, Dr. Mohit Bhandari is the leading Bariatric surgeon in Mumbai, with years of experience in helping people around the world battle weight issues.