Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Proper Nutrition
• Method 2 of 4: Weight Loss Basics
• Method 3 of 4: Exercise
• Method 4 of 4: Motivation
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

There are many reasons to lose weight. If you are overweight or obese for a long time, it can negatively affect your health.Obesity increases the risk of many diseases, including diabetes, liver and gallbladder disease, and even certain types of cancer. If you have only gained a couple of kilograms lately, then perhaps you want to get rid of them in order to fit into your favorite old jeans again. Whatever your reason to lose weight, you should familiarize yourself with basic weight loss strategies.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Proper Nutrition

1. 1 Replace fatty protein with lean protein. Protein is important for internal organ function and muscle building (if you plan on exercising). Buy lean beef tenderloin if you eat red meat. If you buy chicken, cut the skin off.
   • Avoid fatty cooked meats, including smoked sausage. Better buy turkey or roast beef.
   • Vegetarians can get the protein they need from soy, nuts, beans, and seeds. Lentils, legumes, and peas provide a source of fiber and protein.
   • Eat low-fat dairy products, including low-fat cheese and low-fat yogurt.
2. 2 Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits will satisfy your cravings for sweets, because they contain natural sugar, and fresh vegetables will fill your stomach faster. Fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which helps you feel full quickly. Below are tips to help you eat more fruits and vegetables.
   • Eat seasonal vegetables and fruits for dessert or as a snack. An apple in the fall or a cherry in late summer can make a good dessert. Chop up celery, carrots, peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower and dip them in a light sauce or hummus.
   • Eat vegetables as your main meal. For example, fry them in a skillet, or make a hearty salad and add some fried chicken, red fish, or almonds.
3. 3 Eat more whole grains and fewer simple carbs. Whole wheat bread and pasta, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and brown rice are excellent sources of nutrients and energy. When combined with the right amount of protein and vegetables, these grains can form a complete diet.
   • Simple carbohydrates are white bread, flour, and white sugar. They give energy quickly, but it ends just as quickly. These carbohydrates are instantly stored as fat.
   • Add whole grain or oat flour to pancakes and baked goods. You may need to add baking powder or yeast. Use barley instead of rice in the soup, or try making pilaf from barley and wild or brown rice.
   • Eat only naturally occurring carbohydrates and avoid refined ones. Don't eat white wheat bread, semolina, regular cookies, or sweets (such as candy).
4. 4 Start eating on some system. If you like the idea of ​​dieting or don't want to plan your own diet, try the new diet and exercise.
   • If you choose the Paleo diet, you will need to eat grass-fed meat, fish, seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, seeds, and nuts. This is how people ate in the Paleolithic era. Avoid prepared foods and convenience foods.
   • Try a raw food diet. On a raw food diet, 75% of all food should be raw (uncooked). Usually, people eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and peas.
   • Buy a ready-made meal plan. If you prefer to eat whatever you like and connect with people who, like you, have decided to lose weight, try joining Weight Watchers. There are other similar services.
5. 5 Eliminate salt from your diet. The more salt a person consumes, the more fluid is retained in the body, which can cause swelling and weight gain. Fortunately, this weight can be quickly shed from sweat, so eating less salt is enough to lose some weight.
   • Instead of salt, add peppers, salsa, and seasonings to your food.
   • Many people find that food tastes better if you don't eat salt for a while and allow your taste buds to rebuild.
6. 6 Don't skip meals. Many people think that if they skip lunch or dinner, they will lose weight faster, but scientists say that people who eat three times a day lose weight faster than those who do not. If you skip a meal, your body stops using fat and starts breaking down muscles. Muscle tissue burns more calories than others, so this only makes yourself worse.
   • To avoid hunger, eat small meals and often. Eat something 150 calories between large meals to keep your metabolism in good working order and not starve. Do not eat anything greasy (candy, chips). If a person is hungry, the body begins to slow down the metabolism and save calories.
7. 7 Don't drink sugary drinks. Drinks that contain added sugar or naturally contain sugar are low in nutritional value and will add a lot of empty calories to you. Don't drink fruit juices or other sweetened drinks. Even natural sugar contains calories that make it difficult for you to lose weight. If you do drink juice, drink no more than 120 ml per day. Instead of any sweetened drinks, drink unsweetened, calorie-free drinks. Here are some examples of drinks to avoid:
   • carbonated drinks;
   • the juice;
   • sweet tea;
   • fruit compote;
   • sports drinks;
   • coffee with sugar and sweet coffee drinks;
   • alcoholic drinks.

Method 2 of 4: Weight Loss Basics

1. 1 Keep track of your portions. One of the reasons for weight gain may be too large portions of food. To start losing weight, you need to reduce them. Eating small meals may help reduce some of your favorite foods to lose weight.
   • For example, when reheating frozen pizza, do not put half on your plate: read on the package how much is one serving and cut off that amount.
   • If you eat cereal or cereal, look at the package to see how much is one serving and measure exactly as much.
2. 2 Write down everything you eat during the week. It has been shown that people who keep a food diary lose 2.75 kilograms more weight on average than people who do not. Force yourself to write down all that is good and bad. Remember the following:
   • You need to write everything down. Include everything in your notes, including drinks, sauces, and a description of how the dish was prepared. Don't pretend that that second glass of wine was not at dinner. If something goes into your stomach, it should go into your diary as well.
   • Accuracy is important. Record serving sizes. Don't eat too much or too little - watch your portions. Also, read the packaging to know what serving size is.
   • Notes should be taken regularly. Take your journal with you wherever you go. You can also use a dedicated app on your phone or tablet.
3. 3 Determine how many calories per day you need to eat to lose weight. It's not just the weight of the portions that matter. The better you understand the nutritional value of foods, the easier it will be for you to eat the right amount of food and select workouts for weight loss. Take a food diary and analyze each item. Write the nutritional value next to each item and add up all calories for the day.
   • Then figure out how many calories a person should be eating per day for your age, height, weight, and physical activity level.
   • Add approximately 170 calories to your total calories. It was found that a person eats a little more calories than they fix.
4. 4 Make a meal plan and stick to it. Decide what you will eat this week so you don't have to stand by the open refrigerator and think about what to choose. Buy healthy foods to eat the way you want, and plan your meals around calories.
   • Be realistic about your expectations. If you eat a lot, don't try to give up all food at once. Instead, promise yourself to eat at home 6 days a week.
   • Cut back on snacks or replace unhealthy foods with healthy ones. Fresh vegetables with guacamole, unsalted almonds, fruits will be an excellent snack for a losing weight person.
   • Pamper yourself from time to time. Promise yourself that if you can last 6 weeks and exercise (if your plan), you will allow yourself to eat at the cafe once a week.
5. 5 Consume fewer calories than you expend. The only surefire way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you can burn during the day. Sounds simple, but it takes consistency and work. It also requires physical exertion. If you want to lose weight and improve your health, you need to start exercising. Try to start exercising for half an hour 3-5 times a week.
   • Try to count your energy consumption daily. You can use a pedometer or other weight loss apps for this. This will be discussed in more detail below.
   • Set small goals. Instead of thinking that you need to lose 10 kilograms, think that this week you need to lose 0.5-1 kilograms. Goals may not be weight-related - for example, make a commitment to cut out after lunchtime snacks this week or drink alcohol only on weekends.
6. 6 Drink at least two liters of water daily. Water has a double effect: it saturates the body with fluid and fills the stomach without calories. On average, men should drink 3 liters of drinks a day and women 2.2 liters.
   • If you drink water half an hour before a meal, a person will eat less, especially if he is an elderly person.
   • Studies have found that people who drank a liter of water before meals during the day lost 44% more weight in 12 weeks than those who did not.

Method 3 of 4: Exercise

1. 1 Start doing some light aerobic exercise. Cardio exercise can help you lose weight. Start exercising for 30 minutes, three times a week, if there is no physical activity in your life right now. Here are some tips to help you get active:
   • Buy a pedometer. Attach the pedometer to your belt and start with 5,000 steps daily. Gradually move on to ten and fifteen thousand as your stamina improves.
   • Just start walking. Walking around the area doesn't cost you money and is a great way to get more moving. You can also do something less intense, such as swimming, cycling, or jogging at a relaxed pace.
2. 2 Try gym equipment. You can use a treadmill, ellipsoid, bicycle, rowing machine, or stepper. Start with short workouts and gradually increase the duration. Add stress with the machine settings as your body grows more resilient.
   • Try different machines to see which one you like. Check with your personal trainer for proper exercise technique to avoid injury. The coach's job is to help you, not scare you.
3. 3 Sign up for an aerobic activity. You can go to classical aerobics or try any other group activity. They will help you not to lose motivation, since you will not be exercising alone, move more and lose weight. Consider the following sports:
   • kickboxing;
   • dance classes;
   • zumba;
   • Pilates;
   • yoga;
   • martial arts;
   • cross-fit or bootcamp.
4. 4 Do some strength training. Start small: One to two fifteen-minute workouts a week will be enough until you feel like you love it. Don't focus on individual muscles - exercise for large muscle groups to burn more calories and lose weight. Here are some examples of these exercises:
   • Start overhead dumbbell squats to strengthen your lower and upper body at the same time.
   • Do resistance exercises while sitting or leaning against the fitball. You will be able to stretch your core muscles while working on other muscle groups.
   • Work with machines and free weights. These tools will focus on specific muscle groups: arms, shoulders, thighs, buttocks, and lower back. Move on to these exercises by working on different muscle groups in different ways.
   • Rest at least a full day between two strength training sessions to allow your muscles to recover. This will avoid pain and injury.
5. 5 Start doing some active sports. If you don't like just doing the exercises, find an activity that you like and that will get you more moving. Assemble a soccer or basketball team and play with your friends from time to time.
   • If you don't like competitive sports, do something you can do alone. Swim, play golf, go hiking.
   • If you want movement and entertainment at the same time, buy a bike. Don't drive a car when you can ride a bike and burn calories.
   • Alternatively, take 40-minute-hour walks after dinner. During this time, the body is actively burning fat until you eat again in the morning. Take a walk after dinner; If you eat anything other than protein during this period, the process of burning fat in your body will be suspended. That being said, be sure to eat something nutritious and satisfying for breakfast.

Method 4 of 4: Motivation

1. 1 Find an original way to eat less. There are techniques to help you stay motivated, although they are unlikely to help you lose weight faster. Here are some tips:
   • Eat three small scoops of each dish.
   • After eating one spoon, place the cutlery on the table.
   • Eat from small plates and skip the supplement.
   • Don't eat out of boredom - only sit down at the table when you're hungry.
2. 2 Find a way to combat food cravings. If you are used to large snacks and generous portions, dieting and exercising are unlikely to be enjoyed by you. However, you can learn to control your desires and give up a pie or greasy hamburger if you get creative.
   • For a snack, sniff the fruit.
   • Don't go to the kitchen between meals.
   • Do not store sugary or greasy snacks at home.
   • According to some studies, blue suppresses appetite. Try covering the table with a blue tablecloth or buying blue tableware.
3. 3 Eat at home. If you eat in a cafe, it is very easy to eat too much. Food served in catering establishments is usually more fatty and salty, and this negates the diet. In addition, the portions are often much larger than at home. Instead of eating out, prepare your meal at home.
   • It is best to eat in small groups rather than large ones. People who eat at large tables may eat more than those who eat alone.
   • Do not eat in parallel with anything. If you eat and watch TV, read or work at the same time, you will eat much more than usual.
4. 4 Eat porridge for breakfast. Studies have found that people who eat porridge for breakfast find it much easier to lose weight than those who eat anything else. Start your day with cereal rich in fiber and nutrients (like oatmeal).
   • Substitute skim milk for regular milk. Every time you choose the fat-free version of the product, you consume 20% fewer calories. Replacing regular milk with skim milk will reduce your calorie intake without sacrificing nutrients.
5. 5 Try to lose weight for a bet. If you promise someone to lose a certain number of pounds by a specific date, you will have to pay if you don't keep your word. You can negotiate with friends or use any of the relevant sites.
6. 6 Give yourself some indulgences from time to time. If you are invited to a party or have a special event, allow yourself something harmful, but do not allow such situations to recur on a regular basis. Relaxation alone shouldn't ruin your diet and exercise regimen. Return to the regime, even if you stepped back from it for one or two days.
   • Try other ways to reward yourself. If you stick to your plan, treat yourself to something else. Go out with a friend, get a manicure, watch a movie in the theater when you reach any small goal.If you can lose the right amount of weight per week, buy the shirt you've been looking at for a long time.

Tips

• Drink water before and after meals.
• Whichever diet you choose, eat slowly. This will teach you to eat less food.
• If you notice that the weight has started to increase, do not worry - it could be muscle weight.
• Go for a long walk at the time of the day that you like the most.
• Avoid eating at least an hour before bed and drink plenty of water. You will have to go to the toilet more often, but it will help to rid your body of excess weight. Start doing simple exercises, and if you have a pedometer, walk at least 5 thousand steps a day.
• Eat homemade food. Eating outside of the home will make it difficult to control portion sizes and will eat more than you planned. Try taking half the restaurant portion home and finishing your meal the next day. It is important to set aside half before starting your meal so that you are not tempted to eat it all at once.
• Weigh yourself daily and then calculate your average weekly weight. Try to gradually reduce your weight every week. In some weeks, weight may increase, especially if you are a woman (this is due to water retention in the body due to the menstrual cycle), for reasons not related to your lifestyle.
• If you give up sugar, you can lose up to 3 kilograms per week.
• Eat only healthy fats. If you are cooking in oil, add a teaspoon of olive oil or canola oil. If you need oil to taste, replace it with spices and vinegar.
• If you are breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before starting to lose weight. Rapid weight loss can lead to a decrease in milk supply.
• Wellness is not only a consequence of losing weight. Losing weight people often want to get rid of not only excess weight, but also of bad habits and discomfort. Listen to yourself and start doing the things that make you feel good. You are not just the number on the scale.
• Have dinner no later than an hour before bed. The body loses less weight at night because it is resting and does not burn as many calories as it does when you move during the day.
• Try to walk at least 10,000 steps a day.

Warnings

• Don't starve. Eat at least three times a day.
• You do not need to lose weight if your weight is within the normal range. Accept the fact that your body can look like this and think about health, not ideal.
• You should not lose more than 0.5-1 kilograms per week. Losing weight quickly can lead to loss of muscle mass, not fat. It also makes it harder to maintain weight in the long term.

What do you need

• Healthy foods
• Pedometer
• MP3 player
• Nice sports shoes
• Personal trainer
• Food diary
• Sports equipment