Three Science-based Strategies for Losing Weight
Losing Weight
Your safest bet at losing weight and keeping it that way is to be realistic with yourself and making lifestyle changes that you can stick to in the long-term. You will need to be accountable to yourself, to monitor your diet, do exercises, and monitor lifestyle behavior in order to see any sustainable changes. If you have trouble managing weight loss in Frisco, contact an expert team that specializes in safe, surgical weight-loss services.
Changing Your Diet
Calorie deficiency is the first step to weight loss, so you’ll need to start consuming fewer calories. Cutting out anywhere between 500 to 700 calories daily will yield about 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss in a week. Ensure your calorie consumption does not go below 1200 per day as this will make it impossible for the body to carry out daily functions. It can also lead to starvation, retaining nutrients it doesn’t receive and inhibiting metabolism.
Keep track of the nutrient content you eat, measuring your portion size. It’s important to make nutritious food choices at this time to provide the body with all the nutrients it needs. Diets composed of lean proteins like eggs, legumes, and vegetables contribute to faster weight loss than other dieting styles. And although fruits and whole grains are healthy to eat, avoid them as they contain higher amounts of carbohydrates which can slow down the rate of weight loss. Additionally, limit snacks and drink plenty of water.
Speeding Up Your Metabolism and Curbing Hunger
Exercises help you burn out extra calories and speed up your metabolism. Every week, aim for 150 minutes of aerobic exercises at the least. If you can do more, that is even better as you’ll burn more calories. These include any exercises that make you sweat and get your heart rate pumping, such as jogging, swimming, hiking or dancing.
Curb hunger by drinking black coffee or green tea, which reduces appetite. Ensure the drinks are not laden with calories such as mochas or lattes. Always go for sugar-free items. Chewing gum and sucking on hard candy can also help control appetite.
Staying Motivated
Journaling can help you keep track of your progress in the long-term. It’s also a place to vent out all your frustrations and write about any exciting progress you’ve made. Seeing the progress you’ve made is a motivating factor and it also keeps you accountable to yourself.
One of the most common experiences when trying to lose weight is the weight plateau. This is where the rate at which you were losing weight seems to stall and can go on for about a week or so. Weight stalls are normal and should be expected, so don’t give up. There are many reasons why weight stalls happen. You could be slacking at exercise without noticing or snacking a little more than usual. Review your food journal and exercise patterns to see if this is the case. If you’ve been keeping to the regimen, then continue sticking to the plan and be patient.