Losing weight isn't easy at all. The ideal is to lose weight slowly and safely, losing about 500 g to 1 kg per week, thus having a greater chance of being able to maintain the weight achieved over time. You will need to cut down on the number of calories you consume, eat the right foods, exercise, and possibly change your harmful habits. That said, it should be stressed that being able to lose weight can mean reaching an extremely rewarding and beneficial goal. In addition to improving your health, you will see your self-esteem and life expectancy increase, so it's definitely worth it. Modify your diet, schedule physical activity and make some changes to your daily routine to be able to lose one pound per week.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Eat Well
Step 1. Fill up on protein, fruit and vegetables
These three food groups are relatively low calorie, rich in nutrients and have a high satiating power. Incorporating them into most of your meals can help you lose weight.
- If you want to lose weight and keep your calorie intake under control, you need to rely on foods that have good density. These ingredients are low-calorie, but rich in nutrients.
- Vegetables contain a wide variety of nutrients, including a lot of fiber. Larger amounts of fiber anticipate the feeling of satiety, and also allow you to feel satisfied for longer. As a result, it will be easier to eat less, especially between meals.
- Include 1 or 2 servings of fruit and vegetables in each meal. A portion of fruit corresponds to approximately 100 grams, while a portion of vegetables corresponds to approximately 75 grams (or 110 grams in the case of leafy vegetables).
- Protein also helps you feel full longer, making it easier for you to keep hunger in check. They are also able to support metabolism throughout the day.
- Include a source of lean protein in your every meal, such as chicken, fish, tofu, legumes, seafood, or low-fat dairy products. Each serving of lean protein should weigh around 90-120 grams.
Step 2. Eat moderate amounts of whole grains
Including a few servings of whole grains in your meals promotes a good dietary balance; Since they contain a good dose of fiber, they will also help keep you feeling full for longer.
- Compared to refined ones (bread, pasta, white rice), whole grains are certainly more nutritious, nevertheless the benefits offered do not equal those of proteins, fruits and vegetables.
- Go for the full version whenever possible; also try the quinoa, oats, spelled, pasta, bread and brown rice.
- Carefully dose the portions of whole grains so as not to interfere with weight loss; normally a serving should be around 30-50 grams.
- Keep in mind that a slice of bread is a portion, but it depends on the type of bread… keep that in mind.
Step 3. Limit highly refined and processed foods
In this category, you can include bread, pastries, fast food and frozen ready meals. Do what you can to avoid them as, compared to less processed ones, they tend to be much more caloric.
- Eating a lot of processed foods can mean not being able to lose even one gram of weight. In fact, most of these foods have a very high content of calories, fats, sugars and additives.
- If you're in the habit of relying on ready-made meals, try gradually introducing fresh, under-processed foods. Start by preparing a meal or snack yourself to eat at home or take with you to work.
- Planning and preparing your meals in advance will allow you to have ready-to-use meals and snacks, making it easier for you to switch from ready-to-eat to fresher and healthier ones.
Step 4. Drink lots of water
Providing your body with the right amount of water helps keep you healthy - it also aids in the weight loss process.
- Drinking water allows you to feel full, which is why it helps you lose weight. Just like food, water also takes up space in the stomach; drinking a large glass of water before each meal therefore helps you feel satisfied even before you start eating. Likewise, when you feel hungry between meals, drinking a glass of water will help you feel full without having to resort to a snack.
- An adequate fluid intake also allows you to keep your body properly hydrated, promoting a healthy body weight. In fact, even minimal dehydration can convince you that you feel hungry when in reality you are only thirsty.
- The ideal is to take about two liters of clear liquids every day. Prefer low-calorie, caffeine-free drinks: plain or flavored water, decaffeinated coffee and tea are ideal.
Step 5. Eat slower
Eating unhurriedly helps you ingest smaller, lower calorie portions, allowing you to lose weight. Your body will have time to register the feeling of satiety.
- Most doctors state that each meal should last around 20-30 minutes so that the digestive system has time to report its satisfaction to the brain.
- When you eat faster than you should, you tend to overdo the quantities.
- Set a timer, place your fork on your plate or sip some water between bites, or chat with your diners. Any of these will help you slow down the pace of your meal.
Step 6. Take a multivitamin supplement
Taking a multivitamin daily can help you lose weight. While it does not speed up the weight loss process, it will help you take in all the necessary nutrients despite the few calories consumed.
- Vitamins and multivitamins do not make you lose weight. Only by reducing the number of calories and exercising will you be able to lose weight.
- However, if you have decided to significantly reduce the number of calories you consume (about 500-1000 fewer to lose a pound per week), they can help you meet your daily nutrient needs.
- Before taking any type of supplement, talk to your doctor. Thanks to his skills he will be able to tell you if it is safe and suitable for your health conditions.
Part 2 of 3: Eat the Correct Amounts
Step 1. Calculate your basal metabolic rate (or MB)
The basal metabolic rate represents the number of calories burned daily by the body in the resting phase, that is while it keeps active only the vital functions: breathing, digestion, blinking, etc. This is an important calculation that allows you to determine your basic calorie needs.
- Women can calculate their MB using the following formula: 655 + (9.5 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age in years).
- Example: The MB of a 30-year-old woman, 174 cm tall, weighing 61 kg will be equal to 655 + (9.5 x 61 kg) + (1.8 x 174 cm) - (4.7 x 30 years) = 1406.7.
- Men can calculate their MB using the following formula: 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6, 8 x age in years).
- Example: The MB of a 30-year-old man, 183 cm tall, weighing 82 kg will be 66 + (13.7 x 82 kg) + (5 x 183 cm) - (6, 8 x 30 years) = 1900, 4.
Step 2. Add the physical activity factor
Once you have determined your MB, you need to include the exercise you did during the week. Multiplying your MB by the amount of physical activity performed will give you an estimate of the number of calories consumed per day.
- Those who have a sedentary lifestyle must multiply their MB by 1, 2.
- In case of moderate physical activity, the MB value will be multiplied by 1, 3-1, 4.
- Very active people will be able to multiply their MB by 1, 4-1, 5.
- Example: the man described above has an MB equal to 1900, 4; assuming he has an active lifestyle he will have to multiply it by 1, 4. The result obtained will describe the number of calories burned approximately each day: 2660, 56.
Step 3. Calculate your daily calorie goal
Once you have calculated the number of calories burned daily, you can set a limit on your daily calorie intake to be able to lose about 1 / 2-1 kg per week.
- 500 grams of fat mass correspond to about 3500 calories. To be able to lose them, you will therefore have to consume 3500 fewer calories than you burn. If your goal is to lose one pound per week, you need to consume 7000 fewer calories than you burn in seven days. In other words, if you want to reduce fat mass by one pound, you need to create a daily calorie deficit of 1000 calories.
- To calculate how many calories you would have to consume to be able to lose one pound per week (given your current physical activity level), subtract 1000 calories from the daily burn value obtained in the previous step.
- Example: if you too, like the man described above, normally burn about 2660 calories a day, to lose one kilo a week, you will need to take in 1694 daily.
- Note that small-built women will struggle to stick to a 1000-calorie deficit. If after subtracting the 1000 calories listed, your daily calorie intake is less than 1200, consider planning a slower weight loss. Eating fewer than 1200 calories a day could cause a nutrient deficiency, which is dangerous to your health as well as unsuitable for your goal of losing weight and maintaining long-term results.
- Example: if you are a woman with a MB of 1407, on average active (x 1, 3), who therefore burns about 1829 calories per day, a 1000 calorie deficit would force you to take only 850 per day. This is too much intake. reduced for a long-term diet, which will prevent you from coping with your daily nutrient needs.
Step 4. Eat until satisfied
In addition to keeping your calories in check, you can pay attention to the sensations your body transmits to you while you eat. Your digestive system is able to tell you when you have eaten enough (without the need to count calories).
- The human body has many mechanisms that can help us know when we have eaten enough. Both the stomach and intestines contain cells capable of transmitting a feeling of contentment to the brain.
- Listening carefully to these cues can help you stop eating as soon as you feel satisfied, without feeling bloated or too full. This mechanism can be referred to as the body's "natural calorie counter".
- When you feel full, stop eating. You will feel a lack of hunger, a general feeling of fulfillment and you will know that you will not feel hungry for at least a few hours.
- If you feel full, you have probably eaten a few bites too many, perhaps because you wanted to finish everything on your plate or because you decided to have an encore. You have exaggerated, gorging yourself excessively.
Part 3 of 3: Physical Activity
Step 1. Train muscle strength
Strength training allows you to maintain healthy muscle mass despite the calorie deficit.
- When the body does not get enough calories, it starts burning its reserves for energy, affecting not only fat, but muscle as well. Your goal, however, is to burn fat only. Exercising strength regularly helps you minimize the loss of lean muscle mass.
- Doctors recommend doing at least one or two weekly strength training sessions, trying to exercise all major muscle groups each time.
- Try weight lifting, use gym equipment, do yoga, Pilates, or isometric gymnastics to help maintain and develop lean muscle mass.
Step 2. Do some cardio activity
Cardiovascular exercises benefit the whole body; they also allow you to burn calories, promoting weight loss.
- In addition to promoting weight loss, an aerobic or cardiovascular exercise routine has been shown to provide numerous health benefits: mood, blood circulation and energy levels improve, while the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, stroke or heart disease decreases.
- Cardio is the form of exercise that most helps you burn calories, thereby allowing you to lose weight. Combining a healthy diet with physical activity is the best way to lose weight.
- Each week, plan 5 cardio training sessions of at least 30 minutes each. This new routine will allow you to comply with national physical activity guidelines.
- Include exercises like jogging, brisk walking, dancing, swimming, using the elliptical.
Step 3. Move more generally
In addition to cardio and strength training, it is important to try to walk and move more throughout the day. Research has shown that performing normal daily activities can greatly contribute to weight loss.
- Common daily activities are the ones you do every day normally: walking to and from a destination, climbing stairs, vacuuming the floor, mowing the lawn.
- Each of these usual activities allows you to burn small amounts of calories. Trying to move more throughout the day will cause a significant impact on your weight.
- Do what you can to walk or move more: walk during your lunch break, use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk beyond your destination, park away from your destination, do some hops during commercials.
Advice
- If you want to lose weight, talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet or exercise routine. It will help you make the best choices.
- The amount of weight lost weekly depends on your current body mass. A significant overweight allows you to lose weight faster, but as you get closer to your ideal body weight, the loss of fat mass tends to slow down.
- Losing 500g to 1kg per week is generally considered safe. Faster weight loss, on the other hand, can be harmful to health.
