5 Tips to Help You Lose More Weight This Year
If you’ve been trying to get into shape but find it hard to be on a continuous diet or exercise regimen, you’re like millions of others who want to lose weight but struggle with maintaining the rigor it needs. If you’re not used to exercising, you may get stuck after losing a couple of pounds, which is probably more disheartening than not losing any weight at all.
The harsh truth is that no one can get physically fit if they lack the commitment, willpower, and dedication it takes to take charge of their wellbeing and keep at it until they achieve their fitness goals. With the right mindset, you can make the process of weight loss a lot easier for yourself.
Here are five tips that will help you lose weight gradually without wearing yourself out.
Change your perception about exercise
If you’re not an indoor person, you probably won’t like hitting the gym every day. Exercising outdoors is, in fact, a lot easier, as you can do it anywhere at any time. But before you get excited about working out outdoors, you need to change your mindset about exercising and treat it as a feel-good activity rather than a chore.
Once you change your approach toward physical activity, you’ll find it easier to build it into your routine. Cardio activities such as walking, running, swimming and rope jumping can speed up your weight loss process by helping you burn more calories while strengthening your heart, lungs, and limbs.
Switch to healthy fats and eat more protein
Once you get into an exercise routine, you’ll become addicted to the high it gives you. You will feel lighter, happier and in control of your wellbeing. However, regular workouts need to be supported with a wholesome diet. If you find it hard to diet, make a gradual transition toward healthy substitutes so that you can sustain your new dietary habits.
Eat protein-rich foods to build lean muscle and compensate for muscle loss from your workouts. Switch to healthy fats such as seeds and nuts rather than completely cutting fat from your diet. Healthy fats will aid your weight loss without attacking your body with empty calories. The article “Best Vegan Food Sources Of Omega 3’s And Supplement Options” from Jordyn’s Vegan Place explains that cells use fat for energy, making healthy fats an important part of our diet.
Learn the difference between burning fat and losing muscle
If you follow the advice of the most trusted weight loss experts, you’ll be surprised to know that they do not advocate rapid weight loss, as you end up losing muscle instead of stored fat. Exercising rigorously and following a fad diet will indeed reduce your body weight, but by losing critical muscle mass you’ll end up feeling weak and tired all the time.
Educate yourself about the proper way to lose weight, choose the right diet and exercise routine and avoid weight management programs that promise magical weight loss within days or weeks. Eat healthy carbs to build energy reserves your body can use when you exercise. This will protect your muscles from being used as fuel during workouts.
Take a bottle of water everywhere you go
Stop buying beverages when you get thirsty and carry a bottle of water everywhere. Water is an elixir that will flush toxins from your body, enhance your metabolism and thereby your body’s fat-burning capacity, and help you eat less with every meal.
Make water an integral part of your routine—if you don’t find plain water palatable, add a few drops of lemon or a slice of your favorite fruit to the bottle. Make friends with water and you’ll be rewarded in more ways than one.
Start eating more fiber-rich foods
Not everyone loves salads, which makes it hard for some weight watchers to increase their fiber intake. However, fibrous foods can be of tremendous benefit when you’re trying to curb your appetite. This is because fiber-rich foods create a long-lasting feeling of fullness, reducing the urge to reach out for snacks after meals. In addition, fiber takes longer to digest, which helps control your appetite over time and makes you get used to eating less.
Even if you’re not a fan of salads, you can easily include high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains, flaxseed, chia seeds and almonds in your diet. It will make a big difference in your weight loss process.
