How To Lead A Weight Loss Friendly Lifestyle

Fighting with excess weight has happened to many of us at least once in a lifetime. Still, some of us have a bigger issue with weight, constantly fighting to lose some or to keep it. If you ever had the same problem, you know how frustrating it can be to lose weight only to get it back after some time passes.

The trick is to make a couple of permanent changes in your life and make a habit out of them. In time, you won’t even notice anymore that you’re making an effort – you will simply be used to new ways. So, if you are determined to maintain a healthy lifestyle and say hello to excess weight once and for all, here are the changes you need to introduce into your life right now.

1. Adjust your workout

fitness-coach-help-with-doing-crunchesSome of us don’t like exercising but the fact is we need a regular physical activity to stay healthy and to keep our weight in check. If you don’t do any physical activity, take up something. It can be as simple as walking or dancing, or pilates or yoga classes. Just do it regularly and you’ll notice the difference in your physical fitness and mental state.

However, everybody who works out regularly knows that there are times they simply reach the plateau – this means that even though they exercise regularly, they will notice at some point that they are not making any progress. This is completely normal, because as you relax when you get used to certain exercises, so does your body. In other words, your muscles get more efficient which means they don’t burn as many calories as they used to. This would mean you need to add some changes to your working out routine and to raise the bar a bit. Make the exercise more intensive or change some parts of the routine. That will surprise your muscles and make them burn more calories. Don’t do it too often, but just enough to keep away from the boring routine.

2. Stick to crunchy food

fruits and vegetables boxMost of the healthy food has a crunchy texture, which means it contains more fiber that helps you maintain a slim figure. These foods also contain fewer calories than the processed food. Nuts and fresh fruit and vegetables are the ones that will provide you with fiber and keep you full for a longer time, which means you will eat less and get fewer calories. This is called calorie deficit, which means losing weight as you burn more calories than you eat.

3. Learn to eat slowly

man-eating-pizza

Maybe you already know this – our body needs 20 minutes to figure out it’s not hungry anymore. If you eat slowly, you will give it time to tell you when it’s time to stop. Otherwise, you’ll stuff yoursell with unnecessary calories long before you realize you’re full. So, chew your food slowly – not only will it reduce the number of calories you eat, but it will also improve your digestion because people who eat fast tend to swallow big chunks of food which makes their stomach hurt and get bloated. Allow yourself to enjoy every bite – that’s the point of eating.

4. Control added sugar intake

friends-or-teen-girls-eating-sweets-at-homeMany people fighting excess weight find it extremely difficult to cut out added sugar from their diet. This doesn’t mean cutting out ALL sugar, which means you don’t have to give up sugar that’s present naturally in the food, like in fruits. Reducing added sugar will make a big difference not only in losing weight but also maintaining healthy weight. Refined sugar is one of the biggest enemies of your body because your body doesn’t know what to do with it, creating fat cells out of them in the end. One more reason to avoid them is that they are much harder to get rid of because when you’re trying to lose weight, this type of sugar isn’t the first thing your body will choose to use as a source of energy.

5. Be realistic about your body

Orange juice glass handsOur bodies have their limits to what they can and can’t do at some point. There are simply some things you won’t be able to achieve and it’s perfectly ok. In other cases, you’ll notice that a part of your body simply can’t be shaped the way you want it unless you turn to an expert cosmetic surgery in Sydney for help. And it’s also ok! The point it to be gentle with your body – it does the best it can with what we give to it. It’s a waste of time to get frustrated when sometimes things don’t go your way even if you do everything by the book – it will only make you overeat or feel demotivated. Let the negative pass – and they will after some time.

6. Switch to smaller plates

young-women-eats-sweet-cakes-in-restaurant

This is a simple but very effective trick. We are used to filling our plates with food, so if you want to eat 20% less, then start using smaller plates and bowls. You won’t have the feeling you’re giving up anything and there will still be positive outcomes.

7. Walk any chance you get

people-walking-in-the-city-urban-ambient-rushWhenever you need to choose between standing and walking – choose walking. If you have to wait 10 minutes for the bus to arrive, walk to the next bus stop instead of standing at the first one. If you waste 10 minutes standing in line waiting for food, it’s better if you brink a healthy snack with you from home and spend those 10 minutes eating and walking at the same time. There are a lot of opportunities to be physically active, you just need to identify them and use them.

Final words
A healthy lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a series of healthy habits that you need to develop over a longer period of time. However, it will pay out in the end – just keep your eyes on the goal and be patient.