There are many suggestions that will make the process of losing weight easier, such as eating more slowly, drinking more water, and avoiding skipping meals.
Additionally, it is advised not to weigh oneself each day to see if you have gained or lost weight because this can be stressful and interfere with the process.
The best approach is to weigh yourself only once per week, on the same scale if possible, and always at the same time.
Women should also be aware if they are in the middle of their menstrual cycle because it is common to feel a little more bloated during this week, which can show up on the scale.
Because of this, depending on the starting weight and other relevant circumstances, lifestyle adjustments can be quite effective in promoting fat loss, between 500 g and 1 kilo every week.
You should incorporate the following advice into your fat loss plan to support your losing weight:
1. Eat slowly and savor the food
Eating slowly is not only a great way to lose weight, but it is also a way to savor the taste of food.
Eating slowly when the stomach is almost full sends a signal to the brain that it has already had enough and does not need to continue eating.
However, in people who have a habit of eating fast, their brain does not understand this satiety signal, which leads to the person eating more food.
1.1 Sit down to eat at the table
If you eat in a hurry or in front of the TV, you will be more likely to overeat. You won't pay much attention to the food in the distraction zone. Try to eat every meal at the kitchen table.
1.2 Try to eat with someone
If you talk during a meal, you are likely to eat more slowly. Eat with other people whenever possible.
1.3 Don't do anything else while eating
If you watch TV, read, or do some other activity like solving a crossword puzzle, you won't be likely to pay attention to food. This may encourage you to eat it instead of taking the time to enjoy it.
1.4 Drink Water during Meal
Never forget to drink while eating. Have something to help slow down your eating rate, as you'll need to stop to sip your drink. Liquid also makes you feel full, which prevents you from overeating.
Be sure to take a sip of water between each bite. Water is very useful because it does not contain calories.
1.5 Chew more
Chewing more food will help you focus on it. It will also allow you to prolong the time between biting and swallowing. Try to chew for 10 to 15 seconds before swallowing.
1.6 Eat every 2 or 3 hours
Waiting too long between each meal can make you feel hungry. If you get very hungry, you will be more likely to overeat. Instead of having 3 big meals a day, try having one small meal every 2 or 3 hours.
1.7 Serve small portions
A clean plate is an incredibly strong signal that a meal is finished. Due to our tendency to eat what is in front of us, excessive portions commonly result in overeating.
To remind yourself to take your time and enjoy every bite, serve yourself smaller servings. So that your brain doesn't view the servings as small, use small plates.
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2. Drink More Water Throughout The Day
You should drink plenty of fluids between meals, as this will help reduce appetite and eliminate excess fluid accumulated in the body.
The more water you drink, the more urine the body produces, and its elimination Along with, toxins are also released which harm the body.
- What you can drink: Water, smoothies, coconut water, sparkling water, and non-sugar teas, such as ginger, black, green, and hibiscus teas.
- What not to drink: Industrial juices, chocolate drinks, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages.
The amount of water per day should be between 1.5 to 3 liters per day. If you have any difficulty drinking water, for example, it is possible to prepare flavored waters, such as orange or lemon water, to make it easier to achieve goals during the day.
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3. Do Physical Activity
The type of exercise isn't the most important thing, but it's essential to take advantage of all opportunities to burn calories whenever possible, practicing physical activity at least 3 times a week, such as:
- Take the stairs instead of using the elevator; Get off a bus or subway stop before work or school and walk the rest of the way.
- Go for a brisk walk or take the dog for a walk before or after work.
- Play a sport such as swimming, soccer, tennis, karate, baseball, or basketball.
- Go to the gym and do aerobic exercises such as Zumba, treadmill, and spinning, among others.
Ideally, any physical activity should be practiced for between 30 and 60 minutes, at least 3 times a week.
4. Eat Everything, But in Moderation
The body requires all macronutrients like carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for its proper functioning.
For this reason, consuming a very restrictive diet increases the risk of suffering from rebound effects and causing other undesirable effects.
It is essential to go to a nutritionist for evaluation and to prepare a nutritional plan best suited to the individual's needs.
- Prefer low-fat milk and its derivatives or vegetable drinks, such as coconut milk, hazelnuts, almonds, and oats.
- Add 1 tablespoon of seeds (flaxseeds, chia, or sesame) to natural juices, salads, breakfast cereals, and yogurts.
- Eat a handful of nuts in one of the snacks, such as peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and hazelnuts.
- Choose a single source of carbohydrate per meal, giving preference to whole foods and legumes, such as rice, whole wheat bread and pasta, lentils, beans, chickpeas, potatoes with skin, and sweet potatoes.
- Eat a raw salad before lunch and dinner.
- Eat 5 servings between fruits and vegetables per day.
- Avoid the consumption of simple sugars or foods that contain them, such as filled cookies and cakes.
- Avoid fried foods or foods rich in saturated or trans fats, such as ketchup, mayonnaise, margarine, butter, nuggets, frozen pizzas, and ice cream, as well as fast food.
5. Don't skip meals
Don't skip a meal. Eating foods every 2 or 3 hrs (approx.) gap promotes weight loss, as it helps maintain satiety throughout the day. Here are some tips to avoid skipping meals:
- Put reminders on your cell phone every 3 hours, so you don't forget it's time to eat.
- Always keep some healthy snacks in your bag for an afternoon snack, like fruit, a handful of nuts, and a whole grain cream cracker cookie, as these foods are practical to eat on the road.
- Some healthy snacks that can be consumed: Natural yogurt, whole fruit, carrot sticks, celery, and cucumber spread with mashed avocado and seasoned with salt and pepper, cheese, tomato, and oregano with a pinch of salt, And whole wheat toast with olive oil.
These tips can help you increase satiety and reduce hunger.
6. Write down everything you eat
Writing down what you eat throughout the day is also a good weight loss strategy. This way, the person becomes more aware of what they eat and is able to identify where there are mistakes and what to improve.
What needs to be done is to be able to change their eating habits to lose weight and lead a healthy life.
It is recommended that records be made every day and after each meal, as It is easier to remember what was eaten.
In the food diary, it is important to indicate whether it is breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner, the time of the meal, the amount of food eaten, and the amount.
In addition, the place where the food was made, whether he had an association, and how he felt at that time should be recorded.
This record should be made for a period of 3 to 7 days because in this way it will be possible to get a better idea of the eating habits.
After registration, it is essential to analyze all food choices with a nutritionist, as this way it is possible to identify errors and establish strategies to achieve the desired objective.
The nutritionist will also suggest the ideal foods so that the individual loses weight healthily and avoids nutritional deficits.
What to do if you can't lose weight
If you have tried several times to lose weight and have not been successful on your own.
You need to consult nutritionists to evaluate eating habits and other parameters while designing a personalized nutrition plan to achieve the proposed objective.
If you have already consulted with a nutritionist. The ideal would be to go to a general practitioner for evaluation and to suggest some tests to check.
If there are issues at the level of the thyroid gland or ovaries, so there are diseases such as hypothyroidism or polycystic ovary syndrome that can cause weight gain.
In cases where there is a health issue such as gastritis, asthma, osteoporosis, or even limited mobility.
The guidance and advice of doctors are essential to reconcile diet with the use of medications and with proper adaptation to the disease, so that in this way it is possible to lose weight improving the quality of life.