We are constantly bombarded with advertisements for diet products and flash diets, which promise to help us shed unwanted pounds quickly and effortlessly. In some cases, weight loss is real, but almost always short-lived. The truth is, the only way to safely and effectively lose weight is to develop new, healthier habits that you can maintain over the long term. Changing your diet and exercise regimen takes time and effort, but it's definitely worth it to get a leaner, healthier body and, most likely, a longer life.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Eat Healthily
Step 1. Determine how much you should eat
Many people consume far more calories than their bodies can burn. The direct consequence is that the body stores those excess calories in the form of fat, in hopes of being able to use them in the future. An important first step to shedding extra pounds is therefore to stop eating more than you need.
- An easy way to calculate how much you should be eating approximately each day to reach your desired weight is as follows: multiply the weight you want to achieve by 24, then consider your age and subtract 2 for each year beyond 20 (in most people, the metabolism begins to slow down around the age of twenty). Add 10% to make sure your body has the calories it needs to cope with daily tasks. Albeit roughly, the final result describes how many calories you should be consuming roughly each day.
- For example, if you are a 34-year-old man who would like to weigh 72 kg, you can perform this calculation: 72 (desired weight) x 24 = 1728; 2 x 14 (number of years over 20) = 28; 1728-28 = 1700; 1700 x 1, 1 (additional 10% to deal with daily tasks) = 1870. Basically, you should be consuming around 1870 calories each day.
- Remember this is an estimate. If you have a very active lifestyle and do strenuous exercise, you are likely to be consuming a higher number of calories. Conversely, if you are an extremely sedentary person, it could be too much.
Step 2. Eat less
Once you have calculated the number of calories you should be taking in, you can start reading the labels on the food packages to avoid exceeding this limit. There are two ways that allow you to succeed in your intent: eat less and eat better; in all likelihood you will have to go through both. Below are some strategies that can help you eat less.
- Use smaller plates. It is not possible to put so much food on a small plate. Once you've eaten everything in it, wait 20 minutes before serving yourself a second serving. In that time the brain should be able to notice that the stomach is already full and satisfied.
- Use blue plates. Believe it or not, some people claim that the color blue can reduce appetite.
- When snacking between meals, choose a food that takes time to consume, such as unshelled peanuts. You can also try using the non-dominant hand. Several studies have confirmed that these methods can help you eat less, thus promoting weight loss.
- Many argue that it is better to have many small meals evenly distributed throughout the day, rather than the usual three large meals, to allow the body to handle only a few calories at a time. However, recent studies have shown that this approach could hinder the elimination of unnecessary fat. Eating often - even if little - keeps insulin levels high, so the body may have difficulty burning fat cells.
Step 3. Eat fewer high calorie foods
Try to avoid sugar-rich foods, including those that contain fructose syrup. Generally, sweets and starchy foods bring a lot of calories.
- In the morning, try sprinkling some cinnamon on your coffee or cereal - it's a great way to stabilize your blood sugar level with the aim of keeping cravings for sweet foods in check.
- When you crave a snack, avoid high-calorie foods, such as potato chips. Even when you are craving a salty snack, it is certainly possible to opt for less caloric alternatives, such as pickled gherkins: they contain very few calories!
Step 4. Choose foods that help you lose weight
There are so many that can actually make you lose weight, as they help your body process fat or keep away the urge to eat something unhealthy.
- Eat spicy. Thanks to some recent studies, it has been found that chili peppers help the body to produce a type of fat cells that burn for energy, rather than just storing it like those created when we eat foods rich in carbohydrates.
- Don't give up on healthy fats. Many dieters believe they need to eliminate all types of fat from the table. The truth is, cells need fat to stay healthy; Additionally, fats help your body know when you have eaten enough. For these reasons, it is important not to avoid them completely: the essential is to eliminate the saturated ones, instead trying to eat foods rich in healthy fats, such as nuts, extra virgin olive oil and avocado.
- Get enough calcium. When the body doesn't get enough, it produces hormones that cause it to store fat. Eating foods that contain a lot of calcium, such as low-fat yogurt, will help you prevent this possibility.
- Get more vitamin C. A high level of cortisol, a stress-related hormone, can cause the body to retain fat. Foods rich in vitamin C, such as oranges and kale, help regulate cortisol levels; they also help you strengthen your immune system.
Step 5. Drink lots of water
Often, when your body is dehydrated, you can confuse thirst with hunger, so you run the risk of overeating.
Water takes up space in the stomach, so by drinking a large glass of water before eating, you reduce the space available for food
Method 2 of 2: Burn Fat with Exercise
Step 1. Stay active every day
To burn fat, it is important to try to exercise as much as possible. Most people don't have the time to hit the gym every day, so the best thing to do is try to incorporate movement into your daily routine to be able to burn several extra calories. Every little attempt allows you to get closer to the desired result!
If work permits, walk while you do your duties. Find time to take a walk during your lunch break, use the stairs instead of the elevator, cycle to the office, or consider gardening as an opportunity to get some extra exercise. Any activity that allows you to spend less time sitting and more time on the move is welcome
Step 2. Go to the gym
The specialized machines available in gyms allow you to perform a deeper workout than what you can do on your own, for example running around the block. In many cases, you will also be able to attend courses, either in groups or individually, which will help you stay motivated.
Go to the gym as often as you can, trying to establish a proper exercise routine. Working out three days a week is a great achievement if you have enough time on your hands
Step 3. Burn fat with an aerobic workout
Core exercises, such as crunches, are great for building abdominal muscles, but to shed the underlying fat you need to do aerobic (or cardio) exercise, such as running, biking, swimming, and so on. All the activities that allow you to increase your heart rate allow you to burn calories.
Maintain a high pace. While it is true that every aerobic activity allows you to burn calories, during a high-intensity workout the body releases growth hormones that require the intervention of fat cells to use as fuel. As an added benefit, your metabolism will stay active for several hours even after you finish your workout, allowing you to burn even more fat
Step 4. It also trains endurance and muscle strength
Lifting weights and other similar exercises don't just help you build muscle and burn fat - they also improve your body's insulin sensitivity, so it helps it process glucose more efficiently, as well as store less of it as fat.
- Focus on all areas of the body, alternating exercises for the arms, torso, legs, etc. The aim is to train all muscles efficiently, without letting them rest for too long.
- Try to start with high intensity exercises, followed by others at a slower pace, then repeat again several times during the workout. This alternation of phases allows you to burn as much fat as possible, as it follows the natural biological rhythm.
- To get the most out of aerobic and strength training, combine them. Some studies suggest that doing a few minutes of weight lifting before running or biking allows you to burn more calories during the aerobic phase. Some people find it helpful to intersperse strength training with short bouts of high-intensity cardio activity. For example, after 15 minutes of weight lifting, you might try jerking and then go back to the previous exercises again for another 15 minutes, and so on.
- Go gradually. Start with weights that you can lift without exerting too much effort so as not to get too tired or risk getting injured. You will be able to increase the load progressively.
Step 5. Try interval training
This training technique is characterized by a series of exercises performed at high intensity, interspersed with other exercises of a lower intensity. During the high-intensity phases, the body is forced to burn more oxygen than it can receive through breathing. To compensate, the metabolism increases and remains elevated for a long time, therefore even after the end of the workout, to allow the body to assimilate more oxygen.
- Like high-intensity aerobic training, interval training also allows you to continue burning fat even after the end of your workout.
- The disciplines that are best suited to this technique are those that allow you to train the whole body simultaneously (for example, jumping rope, jumping jacks, lunges, training with the sledgehammer). The key is to perform the exercises as quickly as possible. After a few minutes you will be able to rest for 60 seconds, after which you will have to start over.
Step 6. Focus on stubborn fat deposits
After following a general exercise routine for a few weeks, you may notice that some areas of the body tend to slim down (or tone up) faster or easier than others. At this point, it will be useful to integrate targeted exercises that focus on those areas where fat deposits are disposed of with greater difficulty.
Some people find it helpful to spend different days on different body parts. For example, on Monday you might focus on arms and chest, Tuesday on core, Wednesday on arms and back, and so on
Step 7. Be consistent
Exercising regularly requires a lot of willpower, but in order to burn fat and maintain weight, it is essential to always exercise a lot and continue to eat healthily.
Advice
- Don't drink too much beer - it contains a lot of calories and can be one of the causes of fat deposits.
- Be consistent with your diet, but don't blame yourself for a few occasional concessions. If you eat healthily 95% of the time, but indulge in a slice of dessert or a slightly fatty meal from time to time, it doesn't mean that all your efforts have been in vain. Some people have a habit of occasionally indulging in something good just to congratulate themselves on their achievements.
- Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep causes the body to produce an excess of ghrelin, a hormone that triggers cravings for sweets and fatty foods.
- Keep stress under control. Avoiding cortisol spikes helps prevent the urge to eat unhealthy foods. Pay attention to your breathing and try to inhale and exhale slower and deeper when you feel tense and stressed.
Warnings
- Be careful not to tire yourself too much when exercising, otherwise you risk damaging your muscles. In extreme cases you could even get injured permanently. Train intensely, but don't risk getting hurt.
- Losing a lot of pounds in a short period of time can be a serious health risk. Set yourself reasonable goals and make sure you eat enough to keep yourself healthy. Crash diets can help you lose weight quickly, but you'll almost certainly regain all the lost pounds just as quickly. Plus, you risk burning muscle rather than unnecessary fat.
