When it comes to losing weight, the biggest challenge is maintaining that ideal weight and staying healthy. To lose weight the healthy way, you must look for sustainable ways and be prepared to make a few lifestyle changes.
Follow these fifteen healthy ways to lose weight, and you will see a significant difference in your overall health and weight.
-
Water before and after meals
Water helps you to lose weight the healthy way by improving metabolism while keeping you satiated and hydrated. Drinking a glass of water in the morning and before meals instantly boosts your digestive system and helps you burn calories faster. Drinking water throughout the day can keep you hydrated, active, and more focused on helping you make better eating choices.
-
Don’t skip breakfast.
When you skip breakfast, your body thinks it is starving and goes into energy preserving mode. It slows down metabolism and increases insulin response. So your first meal triggers a rush of blood-sugar to digest that meal and quickly leaves you feeling hungry. To prevent this, grab a quick snack that’s rich in protein and fiber even if you are not really hungry.
-
Lighten the last meal.
Since your body digests food at a different rate at different hours of the day, you need to plan your meals accordingly. It is best to have heavy meals during the day and lighten up as the night draws nearer because digestion slows down at night.
-
Eat more fruits and vegetables, fewer carbs, and less fat.
Losing weight doesn’t mean you eat less. It is about substituting unhealthy carbs and unhealthy fats with healthier food. Instead of treating yourself with a pizza or a burger, try having more fruits and vegetables. It’s not always easy, but try some of the recipes to use fruits and veggies as desserts and wholesome meals.
-
Cut down all soda and artificial drinks.
If you are thinking about soda and packaged juices as a substitute to quench your thirst, stop it. Soda and artificial drinks are loaded with carbs and sugar and in no way contribute to a healthy way to lose weight no matter what’s written on the label.
-
Eat Fruit for dessert.
Treating yourself to a chocolate soufflé or vanilla ice cream can be tempting, but it makes you regret later. Instead, opt for fresh fruits with non-fat cream or opt for fruity cakes. Having sweet fruits will give you the same satisfaction, and the results will make you feel more accomplished, as well.
-
Substitute salty snacks.
Instead of those French fries and chips that retain water and make you feel bloated later, opt for carrots, cucumbers, and tapioca chips in guacamole or hummus dips. You can also have fiber-rich nuts roasted if the urge persists.
-
Avoid “sugar-free” snacks and drinks.
Instead, stick with water, fresh fruit juice, green tea, and fruits and vegetable smoothies. You will find plenty of recipes to make power-packed juice and smoothies on the internet.
-
Slow down and remove distraction while eating.
When you eat slowly, your brain gets time to register the signal from your stomach when it is full, and it makes it easier for you to stop eating. Distractions from your gadgets while eating makes you eat more and longer. So make it a habit to set aside at least 15 minutes of your time to focus on your food.
-
Focus on intensive workouts and use weights.
Don’t just concentrate on your evening walks and yoga classes; you need to build in lean muscles to ensure that the weight you lose doesn’t leave you with saggy skin. Use weights, do burpees, squat jumps, and sprint if you can. You can also check out other high-intensity work out to build strength and muscles on YouTube for inspiration.
-
Regularize your exercises.
To lose weight the healthy way, stick to a regimen, and keep your appointments for days when you are absolutely free. Make hours in a day or mark your calendar so that the workout routine feels like leisure more than a task. That will keep you motivated and make it more of stress- buster rather than pressure.
-
Take up active ways to socialize
Instead of going out for coffee or dinner and sitting around for hours, find a social squad who likes to have an active lifestyle. You can work out while watching Netflix, or you can take a stroll and catch up on the latest gossips. Whatever you do, make sure you keep your body moving.
-
Prepare your mentality to believe that exercise reduces hunger.
Mental preparedness is another important factor. When you mentally prepare yourself to make things work, your endurance, self-control, and motivation get stronger. Likewise, you can tell yourself that you are not hungry after a workout and stick to the low-carb, high nutritious substitutes to prevent putting back the fats.
-
Sleep for at least 6 hours.
Sleep moderates hormones that control your appetite. Too less of it will leave you fatigued, and too much will mess up your appetite. When you get a good six hours of sleep, your body automatically balances the hormones that trigger hunger, making it easier to control eating when you need to.
-
Set small goals and follow through.
Finally, give yourself credit for your effort, even if it’s a small change. Remember that seeing results within a few days is unrealistic and definitely not sustainable. You need to be patient, have self-discipline, and be persistent.
It’s the hardest when you are starting, but once you see how these steps affect your skin, mentality, and your weight, the effort will all be worth the sacrifices.
