When it comes to losing weight, most people think it's hard to do, especially during the holidays. But sometimes people waste too much time on treadmills without changing more important things in their lives. Even famous diet gurus or nutrition experts agree that there are some fundamental principles of healthy weight loss that everyone can do, without having to count calories or see a nutritionist.
There isn’t any consensus about what’s the perfect diet for each and every one of us, but there are a set of weight loss tips you shouldn’t avoid. Read on to learn more.
Here are the basic principles of losing weight healthily:
It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change.
Thinking of going on a diet may seem like torture, but doing it half-heartedly won't work either. To lose some pounds and keep them lost, you have to change the way you eat and even what you do everyday. A change in lifestyle is way more important than just torturing yourself everyday at the gym.
Once in a while, it's okay to indulge occasionally, but cutting calories temporarily may make you revert to your old ways of eating. Then you'll gain back the weight quicker than you can say pizza. So, you must commit to your change and be consistent.
Don’t over eat, and exercise the right way.
It’s a common mistake that many people feel confident enough after a workout to eat anything they want or eat until you’re no longer hungry. It’s true that, as you build muscle and burn more fat, your body is going to ask for more food. But we miscalculate how much more food we need. Our bodies are biologically programmed to hold on to some extra fat and protein in case something goes wrong, so you don’t really need that much more food than normally after you exercise.
On top of that, cardio gets too much credit for burning fat. The real heroes for burning fat are strength and interval training. It helps build muscle and increase your metabolism, which is your calorie-burning ability. Do it every week, about two or three days, intermixed with cardio sessions.
The three P’s: Protein, Produce, and Plant-Based Fats.
Protein is what makes you feel the most full after eating. The problem is that we get a lot of our protein from farmed animals, which can come with too much fat attached. So, stick to “lean” proteins like fish, poultry and some low fat dairy products. Another big help for weight loss is “produce”, or vegetables or fruit, which are full of nutrients but low on calories (for the most part. Avoid too much fruits because of the sugar they have). These will give you fiber and essential vitamins when combined with protein. Finally, have a lot of plant based fats. These fats come from oil rich produce like avocados, nuts, and some fruits, like olive oil. These three P’s will give you all you need to stay lean and full.
Drink loads of water
Sometimes, what you’re truly feeling is thirst, not so much hunger. You should learn to not eat every time you get anxious or are a bit dehydrated. Water can be your best friend when trying to lose weight, so have at least 5 to 8 tall glasses of water each day, and especially before any snack.
Cut the carbs
Like a lot of things in life, carbs can be too much of a good thing. They’re not inherently bad, like too many diets state, but an excessive amount of it can be harmful. As a general rule, avoid white carbs, which come from white rices, breads, soft drinks, too much sugar, and some fruits. Even beer has carbs, so you should avoid drinking too much of it —for this and other reasons of course.
Avoiding carbs right at the start of a diet or any change in lifestyle, but afterwards you will need a healthy amount of them in order to have the right energy for exercising and staying active. Always try to have whole grain carbs (unless you have any allergies that might prevent that).
There you have it! To have a healthy body while losing unnecessary weight, you have to go by these principles of weight loss. Having an excellent health is wealth, so do some exercises. If you want a clean home, hire a professional house cleaning service to help you out. Having a clean and sparkly home contributes to a healthy lifestyle.
