Weight-loss is something that many men and women dread. It is not always their fault that they gain weight. Many things contribute to weight gain and for many people losing that weight can take months and years of really hard work and discipline. Whatever your reasons for needing to lose weight, we believe that these five steps will bring you closer to your goals.
1. Avoid fad diets or quick-fixes. There is no such thing as a quick fix in weight loss. Sure, there are some very extreme (and extremely unhealthy) ways to lose weight very quickly, but have you thought about what you are actually doing to your body with these quick fixes? Apart from the fact that you will pick up that weight just as fast as you lost it, you are very likely causing damage to your organs. So, just avoid anything that promises quick weight loss.
2. Start in the kitchen. Experts say that losing weight is 80% about what you eat and 10% about exercise. So, to lose weight that will stay off, start in the kitchen. Eat the right and healthy foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a must and lots of it. Eat more fish and chicken than red meats. Reduce your carbohydrate and sugar intake. Unprocessed carbs are not so bad but eat them in moderation. Call in the help of a dietician if you are unsure about what exactly your body needs.
3. Do a little bit of exercise everyday. Exercise remains important even if the food plays a bigger part in weight loss. Even if you only go for a 30-minute walk everyday, you are doing exercise that will help you lose weight. Cardio exercises like running, walking, dancing, aerobics, etc. are very good for weight loss. You can hire a personal trainer if you can and want to who will help you target specific areas.
4. Don’t deprive yourself. The first thing people tend to do on diets is to take out everything they love to eat. Some may argue that this is the best way to do it, however, we disagree. The moment you tell yourself that you are not allowed to have something you will come to crave it sooner or later. Quitting certain thing cold turkey may cause more harm than good. If you keep thinking about eating a chocolate, but tell yourself you are not allowed, you will become obsessed with that chocolate. You will either get depressed about it or just lose it and binge eat five chocolates in one sitting. There are better ways to work with your habits than deprivation.
5. Do it for you. The most important step or tip is that you must lose weight for yourself. If you want to lose weight to impress or please someone else, you will find it a lot harder. Losing weight should be something you want to do for health reasons or because you just want to feel better about yourself. Don’t lose weight for anyone but yourself.
Losing weight should be done through changing your lifestyle and not by going on diet after diet and damaging your body while you just get more and more depressed. These steps are simple and doable. It will take time, but you will lose the weight and it will stay off.
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