DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor yet and some of the advice I have to offer is NOT necessarily the healthy way to lose weight. Its simply the easiest tips and tricks I have to offer by no means should you drive yourself nutty with this advice. YOU DO NOT WANT TO DEVELOP AN EATING DISORDER!
Okay, with that said, allow me to explain the reason for the'disclaimer'. Weight is something that most people struggle with at some point in their lives. My struggle has just been longer than most people's. In fact, I have struggled with weight issues for the past eleven years. From that point on, I have drifted in and out of various eating disorders and diet pill addictions. Today, I am happy to report that I am basically recovered and healthy, albeit still a bit of a quirky/picky eater, but in the process I have learned a few important tips and tricks about how to lose weight. So if you're determined to lose some weight, read on.
Lesson #1: What are you eating?
Take a look at what you eat everyday. I've heard some people who are overweight complain that, 'I don't even eat alot and I keep gaining weight!' Okay, trust me, our bodies do not work like that (unless you have hypothyroidism, in which case you should be consulting a doctor!). So the first step is admitting that you are eating too much or maybe eating the wrong foods.
Lesson #2: Write it down!
Start keeping a food journal. Carry it everywhere, and everytime you put something in your mouth, write it down. At the end of the day, estimate how many calories you have consumed. You can find calorie contents for most foods on https://caloriesperhour.com. Select the'Food Calories & Nutrition Calculator'. So at the end of the day, add it all up!
Lesson #3: Do the Math!
Weight loss is not something that just happens. It is a metabolic process that depends on various factors: your height, your weight, your muscle-to-fat ratio, your BMR(Basal Metabolic Rate), your BMI(Body Mass Index). and many many other factors.
One of the main tricks to start losing weight is to make these factors work for you. Start by checking out the'Calories Burned, BMI & BMR Calculator' at https://caloriesperhour.com. Fill in your age, sex, height and weight, and chose'sitting quietly' for'1 hour' as your activity. This will provide you with your BMI(a value that will be expressed as a number that should fall between 18.5 and 24.9. Anything below 18.5 means that you are UNDERWEIGHT, and shouldn't even be reading this. If your BMI is 25 or higher, you are OVERWEIGHT, and should try to decrease your weight to avoid health problems. These BMI guidelines may not apply to people who are muscular
This calculator will also give you your BMR. This is the amount of calories that you burn in a normal day simply by sitting around. In order to lose weight, you should be consuming less calories than than that.
Now, when you calculated how many calories burned in one hour of'sitting quietly', this should tell you how slowly your body is working when you are sitting around and watching TV! Now select a different activity. walking, running, swimming, dancing, etc., and note the difference.
Once the mathematics of weight loss have been established, you'll find that you will automatically make an effort to be more active and eat less.
Lesson #4: Good Foods vs. Bad Foods!
Many people assume that foods with less calories are better for you. That is not necessarily the case. A good example is white rice vs. brown rice. One serving of long grain white rice contains 150 calories while a single serving of brown rice has 160 calories. Both foods have high carbohydrate content, but the difference is that white rice is a simple carbohydrate while brown rice is a complex carbohydrate, and requires more energy to break down. Therefore, brown rice is the healthier option.
Other foods that are great for weight loss are those that are high in protien but low in fat content. This includes lean meats such as chicken and turkey, eggs(minus the yolk!), fish, tofu(soy paneer), reduced fat cheeses(especially cottage cheese) and lentils(cooked without butter and oil- NO dal makhani!) Vegetables are the most important part of any weight loss plan, preferably raw vegetables, since your body has to work hard to digest them. This is why cold salads are the best meal for dieters! If you must cook your vegetables, steam them or boil them and season with lemon, salt and pepper.
Sugar is a problem for many people that are overweight. Try substituting sugar with a substitute such as Equal or Splenda. this may be difficult initially but soon you wont be able to tell the difference.
Remember, you MUST avoid soft drinks such as Coke, Pepsi, etc. Each serving of these drinks is the same as consuming 5 teaspoons of sugar! Switch to the diet versions, which are calorie free. Another option that is a personal favorite of mine. try a flavored sparkling water beverage. Catch Clear is my favorite. Black Currant or Lemon Lime. These have no calories!
Lesson # 5: Get up and Get Moving!
You simply cannot look better without exercising! By making only diet modifications and reducing your calorie intake, you will lose pounds. But your end result will be a smaller version of your old body. If you want to tone up and improve your metabolism, you have to excercise.
So. get up and join a gym or take up some sort of exercise. and definitely use WEIGHTS! Weight Training is possibly the most important aspect of losing weight and improving your metabolism. Each pound of muscle in your body uses more calories per hour than each pound of fat. So by increasing your muscle mass, you improve your metabolism and accelerate weight loss.
Ladies, the type of excercise which is most beneficial for you depends upon your body type. You can discover your body type and the best exercises for you at https://quiz.ivillage.com/diet/tests/bodytype.html
Lesson #6: Weird Tricks Work!
If you are going to comment about how weird some of these ideas are, DON'T BOTHER! I've already been told. But the truth is, they work!(Just don't go over board!)
Drink COLD WATER! Iced preferably. and about 30 minutes before each meal. This is beneficial because first of all, you will eat less during the subsequent meal. Also, water helps flush away fat and toxins. And finally, every time you drink a glass of ice cold water, your body burns somewhere near 40 calories just trying to adjust the temperature of the water.
Eat CELERY! Celery is a negative calorie food. That means that because it is low in calories, and requires all that chewing and chomping, it will cause you to burn more calories than you are taking in!
Eat a bowl of RAW CABBAGE everyday! In addition to being a negative calorie food like celery, cabbage in its raw state contains a substance called tartaric acid which actually helps break down stored fats and speeds up fat metabolism.
But don't try to live on cabbage. Cabbage contains goitrogens that can lead to hypothyroidism!
Use CONDIMENTS to your advantage! Did you know that spicy foods and mustard actually improve your metabolism? While ketchup contains added sugars and salt makes you retain water weight. Well, the decision is yours! Season your foods sensibly and watch the pounds melt off.
Don't forget CAFFEINE! Whether your daily does is tea, coffee or soda, don't skip it! Caffeine is fabulous for improving your metabolic rate. Just make sure that whatever you are drinking is free of sugar.
Continued in comments.
