Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Rapid weight loss regimen with the promise of quick and impressive results is very attractive, but it is not good for health. Diets that make you feel hungry or forced to cut down on certain foods will help you lose weight, but your body loses its vital muscle mass and water weight without burning a lot of fat. In addition, your health is also affected due to lack of essential vitamins and minerals. Instead of continuing to go on an unhealthy, rapid weight loss regimen, there are a few ways you can burn excess fat to avoid losing muscle mass and affecting your health.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Changing eating habits

1. 

   Reduce calorie intake. Weight is reduced as the body burns more calories than is loaded. So, the first step in losing weight is cutting back on calories. Keep track of the calories you consumed during the day by recording (or filling in the app) all the calorie information of foods and beverages you eat. For foods without nutrition labels, you can look up information online.
   • Determine how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight using an online calculator based on your activity level. Try www.bmrcalculator.org/.
   • Each 500 grams of fat contains 3,500 calories. To lose 500 grams of fat per week, every day you should cut 500 calories out of the total calories that your body needs to maintain current weight.
   • Keeping food information is an important part of helping you know how much food you eat. Apps and websites like MyFitnessPal.com are valuable sources of information to help you calculate your food intake.

2. 

   
   
   Take control of your portion sizes. Restaurant or even home meals are often more than necessary. Read the food labels for the right serving sizes. If the food you are eating has no label, check serving information online.
   • In many countries, food nutrition labels often include serving sizes.
   • Use a measuring cup or kitchen scale to make sure your serving sizes match the recommended serving sizes.
   • Measure foods with a balance for more accurate results. Scales are often used in grams instead of cups or milliliters.
   • It can be difficult to control portion sizes while eating out. Usually outside foods have large servings and sometimes the serving size is not fixed. Restaurants often focus on taste instead of health, so the food will be high in fat, sugar, etc.
     • Some restaurants (especially restaurant chains) post their nutritional information online.
     • If you can't measure your portion sizes, there are some rules you can follow, like choosing healthy, palm-sized portions of meat.
     • Restaurant salads can be high in calories because of the amount of fat you don't see - a serving of Caesar salad can contain more fat and calories than a pizza. Salad is not always a better choice, although this is a dish with lots of green vegetables. A regular salad with a clear (instead of white) sauce is a good choice for weight loss, but salads with a lot of sauces, cheese, breadcrumbs, etc. are usually high in fat.
   • You do not have to eat an entire plate of food. Eat half of your food to meet your calorie intake and spend the rest with your next meal. You can also request that half of the food go in a take-out box before serving on the table.
   • Some restaurants offer small or half of their large serving. Order small portions when possible.

3. 

   
   
   Add good fats and reduce unhealthy fats. The type of fat you consume may affect whether your body chooses to burn or preserve excess fat. Good fats like unsaturated oils should be the main source of fats in your diet. Cook with olive or canola oil instead of butter or lard. Other good sources of fats include nuts, seeds, avocados, fish, and natural peanut butter. Avoid trans fats or foods that say “partially hydrogenated” on the ingredients list. Minimize the amount of saturated fat so that this ingredient is only 10% lower than the total calories.
   • To get the total calories from saturated fat, you would multiply the number of grams of fat by 9. For example, 5 grams of saturated fat in a certain food equals 45 calories.
   • Divide these calories by the total calories for the day, then multiply by 100. The results you should get should be less than 10.
   • For example, if you consume 210 calories of saturated fat and 2,300 calories in a day, that means you have eaten 9% saturated fat.

4. 

   
   
   Reduce or eliminate processed foods. This is a food that has gone through many stages of processing in the factory and is often sold in boxes, cans, bags or other packaging. Usually (but not always), this food group is high in fat, sugar, and salt, making it difficult for you to lose weight. In addition, the nutrient content is also lower than whole foods. Gradually eliminate processed foods by cutting out 2-3 of these foods a day and replacing them with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
   • Foods that have gone through many stages of processing are said to be low in nutrients.
   • However, not all processed foods are unhealthy. There are plenty of pre-packaged foods that are suitable for a healthy diet like frozen vegetables, frozen fish fillets, or popcorn.
   • Unpackaged, canned, or similar foods can also be unhealthy. Chocolate brownie, even if made with organic ingredients, is still a kind of cake.
   • When you go to the supermarket, you should avoid processed food stalls by focusing only on agricultural products, dairy products, meat, seafood and baked goods. You can choose from a number of items with a low level of processing such as food preparation ingredients.
   • Prepare meals and freeze portions for easy eating throughout the week. Homemade soups with plenty of vegetables are great for freezing.
   • Choose foods with 3 or less ingredients from your ingredient list to avoid items that have gone through multiple processes.

5. 

   Add more fiber. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest. This is a substance that has many health benefits, such as keeping your digestive system healthy and helping you feel full for longer so you don't overeat. Fiber is found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. Add 25-30 grams of fiber per day with plenty of water.
   • Fruits rich in fiber include red raspberries, blackberries, mango, and guava.
   • High-fiber vegetables include split peas, lentils, chocolate, and broccoli.

6. 

   Drink a lot of water. Water plays an important role in weight control. Water assists in the elimination of waste products in the body, helps the metabolism work strongly so excess fat is burned faster. In addition, when you drink a lot of water, you also feel full and not overeat. Every day, men need about 3 liters of water (equivalent to 13 cups) and women need 2.2 liters (about 9 cups).
   • If you do vigorous exercise or cardio during the day or live in a hot climate, add more water.

7. 

   Eat several small meals throughout the day. Instead of eating 3 big meals a day, you should eat 6 small meals. The body normally processes small amounts of food well, so less leftovers are converted to fat. This also stabilizes blood sugar and improves the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Make sure that these small meals include only healthy whole foods instead of processed foods. You can refer to the following eating plan:
   • Meal 1 (at 8:00): One medium-sized banana fits ½ cup of oats.
   • Meal 2 (at 10:00): A smoothie with 1 cup spinach, 4 medium-sized strawberries, ⅓ cup of red raspberries, 1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 240 ml of unsweetened almond milk.
   • Meal 3 (at 12:00): A slice of whole wheat toast with a hard-boiled egg and ¼ cup avocado.
   • Meal 4 (at 15:00): One cup of salad with ½ avocado, ¼ cup cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds and topped with balsamic vinegar.
   • Meal 5 (at 17:00): 120 grams of roast chicken, served with beans and và cup of brown rice.
   • Meal 6 (at 19:00): ½ cup of quinoa rice with sautéed mushrooms and bell peppers.
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Part 2 of 2: Lifestyle changes

1. 

   Exercise 3-4 times per week. Exercise is an important part of weight loss and helps in maximum fat burning. To burn more fat, you need to exercise for two and a half hours a week, then add 30 minutes every week. Combining high-intensity weightlifting and cardio is the best way to maximize fat loss. You can refer to the exercise schedule for 4 weeks as follows:
   • Sunday: Week 1 - 45 minutes of cardio; week 2 - cardio exercise 45 minutes; week 3 - 60-minute cardio exercise; week 4 - 60-minute cardio exercise
   • Monday: day off
   • Tuesday: week 1 - body training over 30 minutes; week 2 - body training more than 45 minutes; week 3 - body training more than 45 minutes; week 4 - body training over 60 minutes
   • Wednesday: day off
   • Thursday: week 1 - 45 minutes of cardio; week 2 - cardio exercise 45 minutes; week 3 - 60-minute cardio exercise; week 4 - 60-minute cardio exercise
   • Friday: day off
   • Saturday: week 1 - body training less than 30 minutes; week 2: body training less than 45 minutes; week 3: body training less than 45 minutes; week 4 - body training less than 60 minutes

2. 

   Add muscle exercises to your exercise plan. Muscle exercises increase muscle mass and help the body burn fat. This is a form of exercise using weights, resistance belts or body weight. You should combine several muscle exercises for different muscle parts of the body. Start with a fair amount of weight or resistance and do each move three times with 10 repetitions, or until you get too tired. When you can maintain a certain weight for three consecutive workouts (3 reps with 10 repetitions) without a break, increase the weight or resistance by one level.
   • Lower body exercises include squats, tiptoes, sagging, weightlifting, and thigh kicks.
   • Upper body exercises include push ups, abdominal crunches, chest push, head lift, double dumbbells, double beams, and cable pulling.

3. 

   Increase your cardio exercise. Cardio is another name for aerobic and resistance exercise. This form of exercise accelerates fat burning and offers many health benefits such as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
   • Run, jog, or walk: If you start with walking, you need to set a goal of switching to jogging and then jogging.
   • Enjoy outdoor activities like sports, swimming, hiking and biking.
   • If you enjoy exercising at the gym, use the treadmill, the full body exercise machine, the bike machine and the stair climb machine.
   • Try interval exercises like sprinting with small steps.
   • Alternate high-intensity cardio and endurance cardio exercises with slower intensity / longer duration to maximize fat burning.

4. 

   Get enough sleep. People over 17 years old should sleep 7-9 hours per night, children and teenagers 6 to 17 years old should sleep 10-11 hours. Recent studies show that people with sleep deprivation or sleep disorders are more likely to become obese than those who sleep 7 to 9 hours. The reason is that lack of sleep changes metabolism and burns excess fat. Here are a few tips to help you get a good night's sleep:
   • Make sure your bedroom is completely dark with dark curtains or blinds.
   • Don't eat for at least two hours before going to bed to avoid heartburn or increase your energy when you try to fall asleep.
   • The bed is only for sleep and "sex". You should not do other activities such as watching TV, reading a book, listening to music or working with the computer in bed.

5. 

   Make small, healthy lifestyle changes. Making small changes throughout the day will help you form new habits. Over time, you will make positive changes to a healthy lifestyle in the long run. A few small actions you can take during the day to build a healthy lifestyle include:
   • Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
   • Park the car at the furthest location of the parking lot.
   • Start a hobby that gets you active, like going hiking or cycling.
   • Regularly go to the market to buy fresh produce.
   • Design your own garden.
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Advice

• Don't skip meals. This will make you eat more at the next meal and make it easier to gain weight.
• Focus on energy balance; The calories you consume must be burned through the workout!
• If you find yourself overeating when you are stressed or unhappy, review these habits, or seek help from a psychotherapist. Understanding the causes of your bad eating habits can help you transition to a healthier lifestyle.
• Eliminate sugar and foods like bread or pasta. This is a group of foods that are not important to your diet and can cause you to gain weight. Instead, add more fruits and vegetables.

Warning

• When you exercise, don't force yourself too hard. Stop when you really feel like you can't carry on, take a deep breath, and drink lots of water.Reduce the speed and intensity of exercise when you feel a headache or dry throat during exercise; This is a sign that you are dehydrated and that you should drink water right away.
• Talk to your doctor before starting any health improvement plan or exercise regimen.