Losing Weight Using Three Simple Ways
Ask a lot of people about weight loss and you will definitely get this common reaction: losing weight is a hard thing to do! If you’ve been struggling to shed those pounds for the longest time but to no avail, there must be something wrong with your diet regimen. So if you want to know about proven ways to permanently keep those unwanted fats away, here are some healthy ways to lose weight:
1. Drink plenty of water – If you don’t know the many benefits of water, think again. Drinking lots of water on a daily basis speeds up one’s metabolism. And the moment your metabolism is boosted, weight loss follows. So get rid of those decaffeinated drinks, sodas and other sugary beverages. Instead, opt for water as your main ally in losing weight.
2. Allow for a cheat day – Going on a diet for many successive days and weeks could be very daunting and discouraging, especially if you’re not seeing any results. This is the reason why cheat days are very important. Give yourself a break from dieting at least once a week, and indulge on foods you missed eating.
3. Don’t give up – The right attitude towards weight loss is vital. There will be times when you will feel discouraged, particularly in the first few weeks. If you ever feel this way in the course of your diet, don’t give up. The results of your hard labor will be seen in a month or two, so just continue what you’re doing to shed those pounds, and you’ll achieve your weight loss goals soon enough.
The best way to lose weight? By ditching faddy regimes, says the nutritionist Hala El Shafie
ReplyDeleteBy Sonia Juttla
Monitor your habits Try to understand why you’re overeating. For a few weeks keep a food journal, then you can see when you’re eating and why. If you have a stressful job and head straight for the crisps every evening, you are a 'stress eater’. For other people, it could be boredom, sadness or loneliness – there are a number of reasons why we eat besides hunger. Work on relieving those emotions and you can really progress with your eating habits
Don’t starve yourself So many people think that by eating less they will lose weight. But a lack of food will have a direct impact on your metabolic rate, and if you damage that you’ll start gaining weight the second you start eating properly again. If we’re not eating the right foods – in particular protein – we diminish our muscle stores, which is what burns our excess fat during our sleep. Diets don’t actually work as they are not sustainable
A proper start You must have breakfast in the morning. Your body has fasted all night and skipping breakfast means that your body will start to lay down fat stores because it thinks it’s not going to get fed. It goes into survival mode. Once you establish a good, regular eating routine you will naturally lose some excess weight, as your body starts to trust you again. But if you’re going from feast to famine your body won’t know what on earth is going on
Don’t deny yourself Depriving yourself of certain foods makes you more likely to fixate on them and then binge. By allowing yourself them the mysticism and excitement diminishes. Obviously, chocolate or cake most days will make a difference, but once or twice a week is fine
Keep it varied Look at what most people eat and you’ll see they have the same thing for breakfast and the same thing for lunch every day. Aim for lots of variety, and for food that looks colourful and appealing. Focus on what you’re including in your diet not what you shouldn’t eat
The C word Don’t be scared of carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and wholegrain bread are very important, as they keep your blood sugar-level stable, are great for mood and contain essential minerals. Eliminating a whole food group means you run the risk of being deficient in minerals. You don’t need to eat huge quantities, just a bit
Take your time You should have 'protected’ mealtimes, which means not eating food while watching television, reading the paper or working on your laptop. If you don’t concentrate on the food you won’t feel as if you’ve been fed. Take time to really enjoy food
Hala El Shafie is the resident nutritonist at Urban Retreat at Harrods, as well as the founder of Nutrition Rocks (urbanretreat.co.uk)