Do you want to lose weight but don’t know how to kick start your weight loss journey? Rest assured that you are not alone. All of us want to knock off those unwanted pounds but aren’t sure how to get started.
We have more weight loss information than we can ever digest. You will find tons of books that tell you what to eat, what not to eat, and how to exercise to lose weight fast. We wouldn’t be exaggerating if we say that we are overloaded with weight loss information, most of which we don’t need.
As we are different, we lose weight differently too. We just have to sift through all that information, choose what works for us, and discard the rest. Ultimately, we will succeed in getting back into shape.
Here are a few ways you can kick start weight loss:
Add More Vegetables to Your Diet
You don’t have to stop eating meat, but you have to add more servings of vegetables to every meal you have. Vegetables contain lots of water, fiber, and nutrients and very few calories. Do not hesitate to make them the main portions of all your meals. This way you will be ingesting fewer calories and still feel full.
For example, you can have scrambled eggs with vegetables like tomatoes, spinach, bell pepper, and mushrooms for breakfast. Go in for salads at lunch and have a dinner of rice or noodles loaded with vegetables and paired with chicken or salmon. Throw in some fruits and nuts with any of these meals.
Cut Down the Snacks
Have a snack only when you are truly hungry or when you have several hours in between two main meals. For example, if you had lunch at 1:00 p.m. and cannot have dinner until 8:00 p.m., you may have a snack at 4:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. to keep your metabolism in order and your blood sugar levels stable.
However, replace unhealthy snacks like sweetened bars and chips with nutritious snacks like nuts, fruits, or salads.
Drink Plenty of Water
You can keep your weight under control by drinking plenty of water. As 80% of your body comprises water, you have to drink lots of it to stay healthy.
Drinking plenty of water not only helps you to lose weight but also comes with the following benefits:
- Detoxification
- Rebuilding blood
- Vitalizes skin
- Protects and strengthens joints
- Improves digestion
- Regulates body temperature
Have Fun
Many of us follow sedentary lifestyles, work for long hours, and forget to have fun. Pursue those half-forgotten hobbies. Perhaps you used to enjoy swimming, dancing, or hiking. Start swimming once again or sign up for a dance class, or go hiking with friends or family members. You will burn calories, build muscle, and reduce stress.
Get Your Eight Hours of Sleep
One of the chief causes of weight gain is stress. When you are stressed out, nervous, or anxious, your body gets into the “flight or fight mode,” which increases your appetite and makes you eat more.
Sleep loss leads to an increase in the stress hormone cortisol in your body, which leads to the accumulation of fat in your mid-section. So give yourself a minimum of eight hours of sleep every day.
The Magical Ten Minutes
So you have been a couch potato for several years and just can’t get yourself to exercise. Be realistic about the situation and accept that you cannot start spending hours in the gym right away. But you can exercise for just 10 minutes per day. For example, you can get started by taking a ten-minute walk.
Keep adding 10 more minutes of exercise every day or every week and soon your lifestyle will change from sedentary to active. Knocking off those extra pounds becomes an achievable goal.
Get Motivated
Make a list of your reasons to lose weight. Do you want to look good? Or do you want to be healthier? Or perhaps you want to fit into your old clothes again.
Once you have made your list, keep it handy. Whenever you find yourself missing a gym session or reaching out for a bag of chips, go through your list and remind yourself why you want to lose weight.
You can also join groups of like-minded people who keep motivating one another or exercise with a partner with similar goals.
Avoid Skipping Breakfast
You won’t lose weight by skipping any meal, especially breakfast. So start your day with a simple, filling, and balanced breakfast.
If you are at a loss for what to eat, check the Internet for breakfast ideas. For example, you can have scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with cherry tomatoes and avocado.
Also, sticking to a meal schedule is the healthiest thing you can do as it helps you to avoid snacking and burns calories faster.
Include High Fiber Food in Your Meal Plans
A list of food items rich in fiber includes wholegrain bread, oats, fruits and vegetables, pasta, brown rice, and pulses like lentils, peas, and beans. As high-fiber food is filling, you won’t feel like snacking throughout the day. The result is weight loss.
Use Smaller Plates
If your plate is anywhere between 10 inches and 14 inches, it is too big. Replace it with a smaller plate whenever you want to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner or a healthy mid-meal snack. You can easily fit filling food on a smaller plate. As nobody likes to take a trip to re-fill their plates, using a smaller plate prevents you from overeating.
Exclude Sugar from Your Diet
Whenever you eat a sugary snack, your body releases insulin, a hormone that converts the sugar in your blood into energy. The fat, therefore, remains untouched and causes weight gain.
If you have decided to cut sugar from your diet, you should also avoid sugar-rich foods like granola bars, breakfast cereals, fruit yogurts, and others. Also, stop adding sugar to your tea or coffee and replace it with sweeteners obtained from plants.
Conclusion – Just Get Started
Have you been thinking about kick-starting your weight loss journey for a long time? Now is the time to take action and just get started. Don’t wait for the right time because the right time is now.
Many people tell themselves that they will put their weight loss plans into action after completing a project or returning from a vacation. If you delay putting your weight loss plan into action, you will gain some more unwanted pounds.
So get into action right now. Create realistic weight loss goals, ask a like-minded friend or family member to join you and get started.