The vast majority of people will try and lose weight at some point in their lives. Dropping dress sizes is the most common New Year’s resolution, but this is a goal that motivates adults to make healthier lifestyle choices all year-round.
The trouble with weight loss is that it often takes time to see results, and it can be tough to stay motivated. If you’re hoping to kick off a weight loss campaign, or you’re struggling to hang in there, here are some top tips to help you lose those extra pounds.
Diet the Dreaded D Word
It’s vital to get your diet right when you’re trying to lose weight. While buying weight loss treatments can help you to drop pounds, these items should be incorporated into a regime that includes regular exercise and healthy eating. Online Pharmacies can help you choose products based on your health status and your BMI and offer advice about revamping your diet and making healthier food choices.
The most important consideration for dieting should always be nutrition. Many of us tend to assume that a diet that makes us lose weight is beneficial, but this is not always the case. A healthy diet should be packed full of foods that are rich in nutrients.
Avoid the Latest Magical Diet
Fad diets and trends that come and go may achieve rapid results, but these outcomes aren’t sustainable, and often, fashionable diets cut out valuable vitamins and minerals.
Focus on following a healthy eating plan, which contains a variety of foods that are good for you. Moderate your intake of sugar, salt, and saturated fats, cut down on processed foods, and add whole grains and healthy fats.
Dieting can seem like a chore, and this often makes it a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Rather than putting yourself on a diet, try supporting a ketogenic diet and make changes to your lifestyle that you can adopt for many years to come. Design weekly menus that are balanced and nutritious, control your portion sizes and reduce snacking.
If you eliminate all your favourite foods and you’re trying to survive on a diet of leaves, you’ll only end up craving treats, so find healthier ways of making dishes you love or give yourself a treat day once a week or every 2 weeks. If you can’t stand the thought of living without burgers and fries, for example, you can make a much healthier version of this classic by swapping beef mince for lean turkey and grilling the meat, rather than frying it. Add plenty of salad and use a whole grain bun. If you’re having fries, replace deep-fried potatoes with baked sweet potato wedges.
Exercise with a Gym Buddy
Exercise is one of the best natural health remedies out there. As well as helping you to burn fat and tone up, exercise also reduces the risk of a host of serious health conditions, and it can reduce stress and improve sleep quality.
Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of exercising. We tend to conjure up images of gyms full of impossibly toned specimens when we think of exercise, but you don’t have to become a gym-bunny overnight to get fit.
Gym Isn’t the Only Exercise Option
There are myriad ways you can become more active and incorporate exercise into your weekly routine without signing up for a gym membership. You can dance, walk, run, cycle, swim or even bounce your way to better health and fitness.
Exercise plays an integral role in weight loss because it uses the calories you consume through your diet. If you have a deficit, and you’re burning off more calories than you take in, you should notice a difference on the scales.
Keeping with It
Many of us find that we start an exercise programme full of energy and enthusiasm, which soon start to wane. If your motivation levels are low, vary your workouts, take a buddy along with you and introduce an element of friendly competition, and remember why you started out on the regime in the first place.
Set yourself realistic targets, and don’t forget to reward yourself when you hit those milestones. If you find it hard to push yourself, it might also be a good idea to consider working with a personal trainer.
Losing weight is never easy, but there are ways to increase motivation levels and improve results. When you’re dieting and exercising, staying motivated can be tough. Try and focus on the end goal. You might be struggling to muster up the enthusiasm to leave the couch, but think about great you’ll feel if you do go for that run or successfully complete a yoga or spin class.
Think about how far you’ve come and why you wanted to start being healthier, get your friends and family involved, and keep setting yourself achievable targets.
Tim Costello
Tim Costello is a marketing and content strategist. Tim has spent many years in I.T with a heavy technical background but now spends time in a more creative space with digital marketing. Writing high-quality articles on topics that are attributed to his life experiences. With the aim to fix the internet one page at a time, with better quality content. Read more about Tim Costello and his endeavours.
