As someone who has successfully lost over 100 pounds in the past year, I get asked a lot about my secret to losing weight and keeping it off.
The truth is that there isn’t some secret to losing weight, and anyone can do it with patience and hard work.
But what I’ve found that works well for me isn’t necessarily the same thing that will work well for you, which can make it difficult to find simple answers to the question of how to lose weight without going on a diet or starving yourself.
The reasons why we go on diets
The truth is, most people have no idea what an actual diet is. The word diet conjures up images of rabbit food and unsavory shakes. Worse, we’re led to believe that our diets must restrict the amount of food we eat in order to be effective.
Well guess what – I’m here to break the news: diets don’t work!
No one who sticks with any diet plan for an extended period will be able to keep it up forever because ultimately, they are unsustainable and unfulfilling.
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It doesn’t matter if your plan prescribes leafy greens or limiting all carbs – the bottom line is that you can’t count your way into weight loss; you need nutritious foods coupled with exercise for sustainable weight loss to happen over time.
Furthermore, following an unsatisfying diet plan means a never-ending cycle of struggling with willpower and deprivation until you eventually give up out of sheer frustration.
The difference between losing weight and losing fat
First of all, you need to understand that weight loss and fat loss are two different things. Achieving one without the other is not possible.
The goal when starting a weight loss plan is to lose as much body fat as possible while still preserving muscle tissue. This can be accomplished through dietary changes, exercise, and adding some supplements into your daily routine.
How to lose fat
Sometimes the scale won’t budge despite all of your best efforts. In fact, you might be so fixated on that number and not seeing any improvements at all that it can take you right out of your weight-loss journey.
The important thing to remember is that weight loss isn’t always linear.
You may see an uptick in the number after every workout or experience a large drop every now and then for no apparent reason other than hormonal changes, stress levels, menstrual cycles, or even fatigue from lack of sleep.
Patience pays off because often weight will continue to creep downward at a slow and steady pace if you give it time and maintain healthy eating habits and adequate activity level.
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Workout Routine To Burn Fat
If you’re trying to burn fat and lose weight, you’ll want to make sure you don’t overdo it. For weight loss, we recommend working out four days a week for 30 minutes each day.
Day five is a rest day. Make sure your workouts involve variety, mixing up activities like biking, swimming, walking and jogging to give your body some well-needed rest.
Aim for 3 different types of activities at least every other week. It’s important to be mindful of what and how much you eat in order to have lasting results.
Eating small portions and having regular snacks can help with cravings so keep healthy options available such as veggies with hummus or yogurt with fruit.
What if you can’t go to the gym regularly?
One of the things that I have to constantly deal with is not being able to go to the gym on a regular basis. This can be for any number of reasons, from bad weather, having an emergency pop up at work or any other reason.
Regardless of why I can’t make it, I still want to maintain my weight and strength when possible.
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For this, I’ve found that taking 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night can help me do just that. These are low-impact workouts but they do provide some exercise benefits as well as keeping my muscles toned if I’m unable to get them directly worked out later in the day.
I’ve also found myself utilizing bodyweight exercises like pushups, planks and squats while standing. All of these exercises are done using nothing more than your own bodyweight, which means they’re easily accessible no matter where you are!
Dietary Changes That Help Burn Fat Faster
It’s well known that the best way to lose weight is by eating right and exercising. The food that you put into your body plays a huge role in either increasing or decreasing your chance of gaining weight.
These dietary changes can be tricky, but they are worth the try because they work fast!
Here are seven things to know about the diet and how it may help you lose weight faster:
-Add whole grains into your diet.
Whole grains have essential nutrients like protein, fibre, and magnesium. Plus, these foods are often lower in calories than other whole-grain products like breads or pastas.
-Switch out meat for beans for less calories and more fiber. Vegetarian protein sources like beans contain higher amounts of dietary fiber than proteins from meat sources.
Fibre helps keep us feeling full longer and also slows down the absorption of sugars which means we’re not likely to experience an energy crash after lunch.
Beans are high in antioxidants which protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals as well as provide health benefits including reduced risk of heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, arthritis, and strokes.
-Try adding oats into your diet for breakfast instead of sugary cereals. Oats take longer to digest so you will feel fuller throughout the morning rather than getting hungry soon after breakfast.
Start with one cup mixed with milk for a filling breakfast. In order to get creative with this suggestion add berries, bananas or peanut butter if desired.
-Swap out dairy for low fat dairy options. Not only do many people find non-dairy alternatives to be more tolerable, studies show that people who consume fewer dairy products tend to weigh less than those who eat dairy.
Dairy tends to be higher in fat content which can lead to weight gain when consumed excessively over time.
-Add protein shakes into your diet as a meal replacement option. Protein shakes often offer a good balance of carbohydrates and fats while being lower in sugar and calories than many other options available at stores such as yogurt or cereal bars.
-Eat meals earlier in the day so you’re less likely to overeat later on due to increased hunger levels later on in the day .
Try going to bed around 10pm and then consuming your first meal at 7am, second meal 12pm, third meal 3pm and fourth meal 6pm.
Consuming smaller meals throughout the day will give you more energy since it won’t leave you feeling lethargic after a big dinner.
-Stay away from foods high in refined sugars. Refined sugars spike insulin levels which triggers the release of stored fat cells to be used as fuel.
Also stay away from processed carbs since these are converted quickly into sugar once eaten which spikes insulin levels leading to the same effect mentioned above.
To cut down on refined sugars start by cutting back on soda consumption gradually until quitting completely.
Helpful Tips For Achieving Your Goals
1. Start off with small goals
2. Reward yourself for any small accomplishments
3. Find an accountability partner to keep you honest
4. Write down your goal(s) in black and white and share it with someone close to you who will hold you accountable
5. When you fail, forgive yourself, make a new plan, then try again
6. Find out what triggers the most unhealthy habits (stress, junk food, etc.) and then eliminate them from your life as much as possible
7. Maintain balance by rewarding yourself for each healthy habit achieved (e.g., one pound per week).
8. Keep water within arm’s reach at all times.
9. Take care of your body so that it can take care of you.
10. Be kind to yourself.
11. Surround yourself with people who encourage your healthful lifestyle.
12. Set aside time every day to do something active.