Weight loss & nutrition: Understand the basics and lose fat
We’ve all been there- despite all diet plans, tips and tricks, despite all the advice we find, we just don’t seem to be losing weight. We find ourselves chewing raw, tasteless foods, but at the end of the day, we end up angry with a burger in our hands.
Although many of those weight loss tips have benefiting health effects and are indeed healthy and useful, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will work for you. Due to different body structures, different genetic predispositions and even different eating habits, not every weight loss treatment will work for you- and that’s perfectly normal. With a good, healthy and suitable regime, dieting, exercising and losing weight don’t have to be that stressful. So, where do you start?
Desired body shape & body weight
Many people who have successfully lost weight claim that it is extremely important to know what the goal of your weight loss will be. Do you want to simply lose a couple of pounds, get a slimmer shape, or perhaps just lose some belly fat? As explained, some diet plans and weight loss tips do the trick for some weight loss treatments- but are counterproductive with others. Having a specific, realistic outcome in your mind will make it a whole lot easier to find corresponding weight loss diet ideas and reach that dream body.
Motivation all the way up
While some people find it enjoyable to wake up earlier, eat healthier and exercise more often, others, yet, tend to have less motivation for that kind of self-improvement. Even though it can be quite hard to commit to your new schedule, there are many creative ways that could help you reach your goal. If you find it hard to motivate yourself, consider using exercising apps or setting a certain challenge for yourself. For some, even motivational videos of other people working out are good enough to get them one step closer to their goal.
What you should avoid eating
One of the hardest steps of weight loss is respecting and committing to your diet. The main reason behind this is that we often don’t realize how much the food that we think is good for our body can actually harm our bodies and result in weight gain, even though there are much healthier, equally tasty alternatives.
Some of the things that certainly shouldn’t be included in your weight loss diet are sugary and alcoholic beverages-specially beer; snacks like chips, candy bars and energy bars, as well as other foods rich in sugar- like ice cream, candied dried fruit, sweetened yogurt etc. You should also be careful with when you eat white bread, pastries, pasta and potatoes as they are rich in carbs. In addition to that, consider avoiding junk food, as it is one of the most unfriendly weight loss foods.
Healthy alternatives & weight loss diet
It’s difficult to say that a specific type of food is completely unhealthy. In the world of weight loss and training, food is separated into foods you can eat before exercising and foods you should eat after you exercise.
When organizing pre-workout snacks, plan them from thirty minutes to three hours before your training, and preferably include carbs, proteins and fat. Even though it is said that carbs, fats and proteins make us gain weight-these nutrients represent fuel for our body, so completely avoiding them isn’t quite advised. It is often recommended to eat carbs and proteins before training to gain fuel and boost energy, and after workouts to repair muscles. While carbs and proteins are either used separately or combined, fats are mostly used alone, for longer, less intense workouts.
Some of the ideas good for pre-workout include fruit, toast, hard-boiled eggs, Greek yogurt with granola and berries, rice cakes, oatmeal, brown rice or roasted veggies. Make sure you consume enough water and leave enough time for your stomach to digest your meal.
Post-workout foods mostly include a proportionally balanced mix between carbohydrates and proteins. Consider treating yourself to foods like eggs, omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, grilled chicken with roasted veggies, as well as foods rich in healthful carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, fruits, grains and quinoa. Keep in mind that, even though these meals are healthy, overeating and consuming unbalanced proportions won’t exactly be of benefit to your weight loss plan.
Knowing the difference between being full and overeating
A lot of times, changing our nutrition can leave us feeling starving, craving for more food. In most cases, we are used to overeating, and that feeling, when we basically can’t have one more bite, we confuse with actually being full. Many of us actually continue eating even after we stop feeling hungry, resulting in overeating, gaining weight and sometimes even feeling sick afterward. If this is your case, then you should probably try to stop eating once you stop feeling hungry, and in that way prevent possible weight gain.
Workouts
You can indeed lose a couple of pounds just by changing your diet, eating less and avoiding unhealthy food. But, real results require a mix of both exercising and a healthy diet.
Depending on what your desired goal is, there are lots and lots of workout regimes and different exercises that can help you lose belly fat and get in shape for summer. Some lighter workouts include squats, sit-ups, push-ups and planks, while some other, more extreme workouts require a trip to the gym. There are also a number of apps that can help you create your own workout plan, or simply give you ideas which you can try out.
If you, however, don’t find yourself that much into workouts, there are still some good ideas which will equally help your weight loss treatment- from cycling, running and jogging, to walking or taking yoga classes.
Be patient and stay positive
Changes are tough, no matter what they are about. Changing your habits, schedules and routine is never easy, but when there’s motivation, there’s always success. So, arm yourselves with patience, positive vibes and good spirits-because the moment you get the hang of it, everything will start to pay off.
