There are many diet plans and eating patterns that can offer safe and sustainable weight loss results. Choose foods that are low in added sugars, saturated fat and salt.
Weight loss can help improve your health and reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. However, it’s important to lose weight slowly.
Eat Less Calories
The number one rule for weight loss is to eat fewer calories than you burn each day. You can do this by eating smaller portions or consuming healthier foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
When your diet is nutrient-dense and low in calories, it can boost immunity and reduce inflammation throughout the body, making it easier to lose weight. It can also help improve insulin sensitivity, which reduces the risk of diabetes and metabolic disorders. It may even extend your lifespan.
While reducing calories can speed up weight loss, it’s important to make sure you’re not eating too few. Eating too few calories can affect your metabolism and increase the risk of underlying health conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome or sleep apnea. It’s important to talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian before beginning a low-calorie diet. This can help you determine your daily calorie needs and create a sustainable plan.
Exercise More
Exercise is a key part of any healthy lifestyle, and can play a role in weight loss, but it won’t do the trick by itself. You need to watch your calories, too. If you eat too much, even the most vigorous physical activity can make it harder to lose weight. To increase your chances of success, commit to at least some moderate physical activity most days, and slowly build up your time. Find ways to make exercise more fun and interesting, and try to be flexible if the weather or your schedule change. This will prevent boredom and help you stick with your plan.
Manage Your Stress
Stress is not just bad for your health – it can also thwart weight loss. This is because when you’re stressed, your hormone levels change. This can affect your appetite and cause you to eat more.
In the past, humans often had to deal with wild animals and other physical threats that required them to burn large amounts of calories. As a result, the body would release hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones would shut down your appetite so that you could focus on running away or fighting the threat.
However, chronic stress can lead to the continued release of these hormones, which can make you feel hungrier and increase your body’s fat storage capacity. This can make it hard to lose weight, especially if you’re constantly skipping meals.
Getting enough rest and practicing relaxation techniques can help you manage your stress level and get back to a healthy weight. You should also include some form of exercise in your daily routine as this can lower cortisol levels and boost feel-good endorphins, helping you relax.
Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is a key part of the body’s finely tuned system that balances blood sugar, insulin and appetite. This system can be thrown off kilter when you don’t get enough sleep, which may contribute to weight gain or make it harder to lose weight.
Sleep deprivation increases levels of the hormone ghrelin, which promotes hunger, and decreases leptin, a hormone that suppresses food intake. These changes, coupled with the dulling of activity in the brain’s frontal lobe, which is responsible for decision-making and impulse control, can lead to overeating.
In one study, researchers found that sleep-deprived people ate about 200 to 500 more calories per day than their well-rested counterparts. To prevent this, try to stick to a regular bedtime, set your alarm for an early time and keep your bedroom dark and free of electronics. This can help you fall asleep quickly and stay asleep throughout the night.
