When we finally decide to go on a diet but miserably fail, our self-esteem tends to decrease. It’s not like you’re not putting in enough effort, but let’s face it, there’s too much food out there to consume, and it makes going on a diet hard to accomplish. Food tastes too good. Despite the many trips to the gym, the countless healthy meals you prepare, sometimes you can still end up gaining even more than you aimed to lose.
Losing weight fast is possible, but it can seem unconventional and unhealthy. Some people opt to go on a hunger strike, skip meals, or shed a couple of pounds quickly before their next party. If you have a goal to lose weight by the end of next week, listen up: This is just going to set you up for failure. Why? Because you are going to end up binge eating, which defeats the purpose, right?
It’s also understandable that for most people, losing even just a pound of body fat is stressful enough. But is there a healthier alternative that is long-lasting? Of course! So, here’s the thing, even if you do meet your goal by Monday, it’s close to impossible to keep all the weight off. So, what do you do? If you are determined to set a goal for yourself and see progress, you have come to the right place.
There are many ways to healthily shed a few pounds – all without having to starve yourself to death, without wasting money, or punishing yourself with countless exercises. Instead, try a few of these tips that are proven to help you get the best out of your weight loss journey.
Meal Preparation
Meal prep does not have to be confusing. Instead of making your trips to the grocery at the last minute, decide what to prepare in advance. The trick is to lay out a meal plan ahead of time by developing a list of ingredients essential to your weight loss goal.
It’s better to set a time frame each day, so you don’t have to be in such a hurry. The best time to prepare your food is in the morning because it gives you enough time to cook or plan your meals. You can also try to make your meals for the next 3 to 5 days in advance and stock it in the fridge and reheat only on time you will eat it; this will simplify your life and save a lot of your precious time.
You’ll see after a few habit adjustments, all of your meal preparations will pay off, and you’ll start losing weight sooner than you think. Take note; successful meal preparation revolves around a concrete plan, so make sure to follow your schedule strictly.
Choose Quality Over Quantity
If you use up more calories than you take in, you will lose weight quickly. The trick is to focus on quality food rich in protein, fiber, calcium, healthy fats, etc. If you focus on healthy food more and match with a good exercise plan, you will lose weight fast. Focus on whole or unprocessed foods because they naturally have fewer calories but pack with nutrients.
Practice how to eat slowly
Here is a fun fact: our brain receives the signal from our body that we are already full only after 20 minutes. When you eat fast, you will not notice that you already consume more than expected because your mind hasn’t received the message that you already eat enough.
Do you remember when you eat in the restaurant, you eat very fast because the food served is so good that you quickly finish your whole meal, and decided to order another meal because you think what you eat is not enough? For some reason, the food that you order took so long to arrive, and when it came, you don’t want to eat it anymore because suddenly, you already feel full. I don’t know if this already happened to you, but this happened to me all the time.
By taking your time, you give your brain the chance to process that your stomach is already full. Try experimenting with this, and you’ll see that even without eating that much, you’ll feel that your stomach is so full up that you can’t also take another bite at your food.
Eat six times a day
Believe it or not, this technique works. Sometimes people skip meals, maybe because of work or other errands they need to fulfill. You can eat anything you want as long as you segregate your meals in small portions; this will help you get full faster.
You can set your meals to breakfast, then a light snack, lunch, a light snack, dinner, and a light snack. If you are going to work out during the day, you can also plan your meals around your workout schedule, so you do not feel weak while working out. Food is essential, so make sure not to skip a meal.
Take note of your diet
First of all, remember that no food is bad or good. If writing down everything you ate for the day makes you feel guilty, you can skip this step entirely.
People who take note of what they eat in a day, have more success at losing weight because it keeps them aware of what they eat. The most important thing is to track how many calories you intake per day. There are useful mobile applications that you can download that will give you the estimated calories of the food you eat. You have to enter each type of food you eat and portion size that you consume in the app, and it will automatically sum up your calorie intake the whole day. I use Samsung Health because it is built-in on my android phone; my friend’s favorite is MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter. Try it by yourself; it will help the counting of calories fun.
It’s okay to eat junk food, provided that you eat it at a minimum. You don’t have to deprive yourself, but knowing how much to eat is also a personal achievement. Make sure to develop discipline first before anything else.
The Takeaway
In conclusion, developing healthy habits and learning how to build discipline will help you reach great lengths throughout your weight loss journey. Remember, small accomplishments are not to be taken lightly, so if you managed to lose a pound or two within the first few weeks of your diet, celebrate! There’s nothing wrong with being proud of your accomplishments. With consistency and effort, you will go a long way!