Let’s get something straight, losing weight is not easy. It requires hard work, determination, and an enormous level of self-love. If you intend on losing weight in a healthy, sustainable manner, you need to understand that everyone’s body is different, and some tips that may work for you might not work for others. You also need to realize that although fad diets might help you lose weight relatively quickly, they are not sustainable in the long run and will do nothing to help stabilize your future weight. So, save yourself the physical and mental anguish of trying crazy low-calorie diets and tea/juice cleanses, and go about losing weight correctly.
How Do I Start?
To start losing weight, you have first to find out what’s causing you to gain it in the first place. There are so many reasons why people gain weight, like overeating, exercising, their lifestyle, and certain medical conditions. But generally, 90% of the time, people gain weight because of under exercising and eating; consuming more calories than they burn is guaranteed to make them gain weight. Many people use the excuses of lack of free time to cook healthy meals and exercise or the lack of financial support to be healthy. But we believe in the saying, ‘if there’s a will, there’s a way.’ Even if you are on a budget, on a tight schedule, or have a hectic lifestyle, you can still lose weight if you follow these three easy steps.
- Make healthier choices when ordering out or snacking.
When ordering out, try to make better, healthier choices. For example, instead of ordering a side of fries, order a salad and make sure it has a nonfat dressing if they have that option. Instead of deep-fried chicken, order oven-baked chicken; instead of white rice, get brown rice. This will help you drop a couple of pounds and teach you to love healthy foods!
If you are a serial sacker like myself, try swapping out your snacks for healthier versions, like swapping out coke for sparkling water, regular chips for veggie chips, and milk chocolate for dark chocolate. You can also grab protein-filled snacks like the 1st form protein sticks, which are delicious and an excellent replacement for beef jerky! Trust me, not only will you feel better and less guilty about eating them, but you will also lose a couple of inches off that waist!
2. Try your hands at meal prepping:
Meal prepping is not only efficient for people with a tight schedule, but it’s also a great way to save money! This is done by cooking meals you enjoy, counting calories, and portioning them out for the week. Of course, it’s best to try to include high protein ingredients. But if you cannot do so due to allergies or just plain preferences, you can use protein powders like level 1 protein powder in your meals. If you are unsure how to do so or aren’t a fan of the traditional way of drinking a protein shake, you can find many recipes on the web. Just type ‘level 1 protein recipes’, and there you have lots of easy healthy protein recipes to try! But remember, these meals must be nutritious, healthy, and satiating. This way, you can grab lunch or breakfast and either pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes to heat it up or eat it on the go.
3-Walk EVERYWHERE!
Walking is probably the most accessible, most effective form of exercise for weight loss. It can be done quickly by anyone, even people who have not exercised for a day. You can incorporate it into your daily life by changing a couple of things, for example, if the supermarket is close enough, walk there, don’t take the car. If you have to go somewhere, walk there if your gym isn’t far away. Not only will it help you lose weight, but it will also help you decompress and relieve some stress! A 30-minute walk will help you clear your head and get fresh air while exercising and burning calories.
Although losing weight is not easy, it’s not impossible either. It’s worth the time and effort it takes for your health, confidence, and happiness. We all know that obesity doesn’t only affect you physically but also mentally. The physical effects of exhaustion, joint pain, and other health conditions that come along with being obese or overweight are hazardous. The levels and numbers of obesity are growing every day, and so are the numbers of deaths as a result of obesity related issues. Don’t let yourself be a statistic. Make a change in your life to live longer, happier and healthier.
