Whether your goal is to pursue a better physique or you just want to have better physical health overall, losing weight can be an essential part of this. Unfortunately, losing weight is easier said than done and there are some unpleasant methods out there that have made the weight loss process very dreadful. Maybe you once did a program that focused on excessive cardio workouts and still were not able to accomplish the weight loss you desired. There’s also the dreadful strict cut back diet that can leave one feeling very empty and drained of energy almost to the point of sickness. For some, you're able to tolerate methods like these and lose weight just fine in the process. For those of you who are not so fond of them, losing weight does not have to be such a dreadful process.
First things first, losing weight can be a delicate matter. If you have any health complications or you aren’t fully confident in your ability to lose weight, you may need to speak to your physician and include them in your weight loss process. Everyone’s body is different and the challenges we all face are unique as well. Health complications are always a potential factor preventing anyone from losing weight safely and properly. So, make sure your process is right for you and your personal health situation.
Obviously, there is not a universal 12 step process that works for everyone to lose weight. Weight loss is a process that requires multiple things to happen simultaneously. On top of that, the reality is they all cannot happen together very quickly. Therefore, it’s important to take time to plan out your process and remain diligent and patient with it. Ideally, we want to transform the body in such a way for it to start using stored fat for energy, rather than having enough energy to store as fat. Yes, your body can use fat for energy. It’s not a matter of can it do so, but is it doing so? So, here are some key tips for transforming your lifestyle in order to help your body lose weight effectively.
One pillar of losing weight is to burn calories. Having a healthy metabolism is what helps the body to burn more calories. Not only will you burn more calories while active, your body will also burn more calories at rest with a higher metabolism. So, how can you jumpstart your metabolism?
Intermittent fasting actually helps increase your metabolism by doing short term restrictions of calorie intake. Do a short fast for 24 - 48 hours max, and then go back to regular eating for a day or two. You can continue to repeat this process for weeks at a time and it will set you on your way to shedding the pounds.
You don’t have to be a bodybuilder by any means. Weight lifting is actually a very effective way to jumpstart your metabolism and lose weight. If you don’t know already, small muscle fibers are broken down each time you do weight lifting exercises. As a result, your body will seek out protein from food during recovery to metabolize specifically for the rebuilding of stronger muscles. This process keeps your metabolism going, which ultimately helps you burn calories, even while resting.
To lose weight, eating breakfast is just as important as any other meal in your day. By eating breakfast daily, you jumpstart your metabolism by giving your body nutrients to metabolize early in the day. Throughout the day, your body will continue processing food for energy as you eat and maintain activity.
There are fat burning supplements that can help with keeping your metabolism going and help your body use up stored fat daily. My go to is OxyShred by EHP Labs. It’s a thermogenic fat burner that boosts metabolism. I use it daily to burn fat and it also provides a little extra energy as well.
Eating in a caloric deficit doesn’t mean that you have to starve yourself to lose weight. It is simply the intentional practice of taking in less calories versus the calories you burn each day. Everyone’s recommended number of daily total calorie intake will be different depending on age, weight, height, gender, and body mass index (BMI). On average in the United States, it’s common to see men take in around 2,500 calories daily versus 2,000 calories for women.
If you aren’t used to being active, your body may not be ready for a whole lot of activity yet. So, it’s recommended to slowly go into that. This is to protect yourself from things like injury, which can make the weight loss process a disaster.
This is ideal in the case where you are not eating enough already but are struggling to lose weight effectively. You don’t want to starve yourself, so the best thing to do is ramp up activity. Go biking, take long walks, go jogging, get into a sports hobby, swim, or just find something that helps you break a good sweat. Use some of the great tech out there to track your calories burned. Take advantage of tracking apps you can download to your phone or get a smartwatch to keep up with your daily activity.
This is the ideal situation for anyone, but it requires a lot of planning and discipline. Don’t just start eating less, but plan your meals out counting calories so that you can know what is going into your body. Also, create a schedule that you will dedicate yourself to for maintaining physical activity regularly to burn calories.
Losing weight is a process so be patient. Don’t get on the scale everyday to see if you are making progress. I actually encourage throwing away the scale because sometimes it can be deceiving, especially when weight lifting is a part of your weight loss program. Muscle carries a higher density than fat. So as you put on more muscle, you may hold a range of weight for some time. Take progress pictures instead as there is no better indicator of progress than the human eye. I break this down in my Top 4 Fitness Myths.
It’s easy to think that minimal eating will increase the rate of weight loss, but it can actually be detrimental. First, it robs your body of having an essential balance of the nutrients you need to be healthy. In addition, starving yourself will only make you crave eating even more, making it more difficult to remain disciplined throughout the weight loss process. Don’t put yourself in a position where you will have to fight a battle or urges with hunger. It is way too hard for anyone!
Even though our bodies still burn calories at rest, it is not near the amount of calories that we can burn during the day while active. To each, the amount of sleep needed is subjective. Although, studies show that oversleeping has been linked to weight gain. If you find yourself sleeping in too much or even going to bed too early, this may create a problem for you to effectively lose weight. We all need sleep, but it is not good to fall in love with sleep.
Summary
Losing weight is a process that takes time, but it doesn’t have to be a dreadful process. To make it easier, you have to find ways to incorporate this process into your everyday lifestyle. A change in lifestyle will ultimately foster the transformation of your body through a healthy and enjoyable weight loss process.