There are millions of ways to lose weight. The dieting tips discussed here can help you to avoid diet pitfalls and attain success in losing weight. Different dieticians and health-related books claim different things when it comes to weight loss. Some claim eating less can help you reduce weight, whereas some believe that exercising regularly is the best way to reduce fat. So, the confusion is whom should you believe? Here we are discussing some easy ways to lose weight and ways to maintain weight reduction.
The reality is there is no fixed rule to follow for maintaining a healthy weight loss. What works for one may not work for others, as our bodies respond differently, based on genetics and other health factors. To find the right method of weight loss for your body you will likely need some time, patience, commitment, and experimentation with different types of foods and diets.
While some people react well to counting calories or such restrictive methods, whereas some may respond better in planning their weight-loss programs. So, no need to get disheartened if a diet that worked for your friend does not work for you. Remember, a diet is right for you only if you can stick to it for a long span of time. Here are some popular weight-loss strategies.
Reduce the intake of calories
Experts believe that managing your weight successfully comes down to a simple equation: “If you eat fewer calories than you burn, your weight will be reduced. Sounds simple, right?
Weight loss is not a linear process over time. When you reduce calories, your weight may be dropped for the initial few weeks. And then something changes. You consume the same number of calories, but you lose weight or no weight at all. That is because when you lose weight, you lose water and fat, your metabolism slows down, and your body undergoes changes in various ways. So, to continue reducing weight every week, you must continue cutting calories.
Reduce carbohydrates
One of the important things that you must follow for reducing weight is trying to reduce your carb intake. When you have a meal, carbohydrates in the food enter your bloodstream in the form of glucose. To maintain your sugar level, your body burns off this glucose before it burns off the fat in a meal. If you eat a meal high in carbohydrates like rice, pasta, French fried, or bread, your body starts releasing insulin to help with the influx of all this glucose in your blood.
Practice mindful eating
While eating, avoid any kind of distractions. Try not to eat while watching the mobile, or TV. It can cause mindlessly overeating, which in turn can increase your weight.
- Eat slowly, enjoying textures and smells of your food
Combine things to focus on the practice of eating. Try to use chopsticks instead of a fork. Stop eating before you feel full. It takes time for the brain to understand that you have had enough.
You might have heard people saying that they lost weight and regained it after a few months or years. Although there is not much evidence to support this claim, it is correct that there are many weight-loss plans that fail in the long-term. Most of the time, it is simply because people are not able to follow a strict diet for a longer period. Whatever diet you follow to lose weight, adopting these below-mentioned ways to maintain weight reduction. But before that let us find out the reason behind people gaining weight.
Why do people regain weight?
There are a few reasons why people regain weight after losing it once. They are related to impractical expectations and feelings of denial.
Restrictive diet- One of the common reasons behind regaining the weight is a restrictive diet. Extreme restriction on calorie intake can slow your metabolism and move your appetite-regulating hormones, which play an important role in weight regain.
Wrong attitude- When you consider a diet as a quick fix, instead of a long-term solution to improve your health, you will be likely to give up and gain back the weight which you lost after trying so hard.
Lack of natural habits- Many diets depend on willpower instead of habits that you can incorporate into your regular life. They mainly focus on rules instead of changes in lifestyle, which may avoid weight maintenance.
Ways to Maintain Weight Reduction
Workout often
Regular workout plays a significant role in maintaining your weight. It may help you to burn off extra calories and increase metabolism, which are the two most important factors required to attain energy balance. Once you attain energy balance, it means that you burn the same number of calories that you have consumed. As a result, your weight is probably going to stay as it is. Different studies have found that people who do about 200 minutes of moderate exercise per week after losing weight have more chances to maintain their weight.
In some situations, even higher levels of physical activity may be important for weight maintenance. Studies have found that at least one hour of exercise every day is enough for those who want to maintain their weight loss.
It is significant to note that workout is quite important for weight maintenance when it is combined with other changes in your lifestyle, like having a healthy diet.
Consume lots of protein
Including a lot of protein in your diet is one of the significant ways to maintain weight reduction. Protein is known for reducing appetite and encouraging fullness. Protein increases the levels of specific hormones in our body that stimulate satiety and are vital for weight maintenance. Protein can also reduce the level of hormones that is responsible for increasing hunger.
The effect of protein on your hormones and fullness may inevitably lessen the number of calories you consume every day, which is a significant factor in maintaining your weight. Also, protein needs a small amount of energy for our body to break down. Thus, consuming protein regularly may increase the number of calories that you burn during the whole day.
Based on different studies, it seems like the protein’s effects on appetite and metabolism are most noticeable when nearly 30% of calories are eaten for protein.
Keep a track of your weight regularly
Monitoring your weight by stepping on the scale daily may prove to be a helpful tool for maintaining your weight. This is important because it will keep you informed about your progress and encourage weight maintenance behaviors. Those who weigh themselves may eat few calories throughout the day, which proves to be helpful for maintaining your weight loss. The number of times you check your weight is your choice. Some people check their weight daily whereas some check once or twice a week.
Reduce the Intake of Processed Foods
Processed foods contain a lot of calories and are loaded with sugar. These calories do not contain any health benefits, making them a perfect thing to stop whenever required.
While weight management comes down to controlling calories, several studies have associated processed foods intake and intake of added sugar with higher body weights and prospective increased risk of gaining weight. Studies have found that decreasing the intake of processed foods can be beneficial in weight management.