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Having trouble losing weight? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many people struggle to lose weight simply because they don’t know where to start or what to do, and that’s okay. Most of the time, the reason why you’re not seeing any weight loss is due to bad habits such as your diet, not working out, sleep schedule, etc. There are plenty of things you can do to get started and get on the right track. This article will break everything down for you and give you tips on what you should be doing to help you lose weight.
Table of Contents
Your diet and what you should be eating.
Let’s start with the most important factor, your diet. It’s important to start your day with a healthy, high protein breakfast. One of the best meals you can have for breakfast is eggs and coffee, simply because eggs are rich with high quality protein including healthy fats.
Also, caffeine has been shown to increase your resting metabolic rate by 3-11% based on the amount your intake. But, that is without all the sugars and artificial creamers that get added to some drinks, so plain black coffee is recommended for weight loss. The worst foods you could be eating when trying to lose weight are processed junk foods, simply because they are filled with added sugars and fats. Stay away from French fries, potato chips, foods/drinks with high sugar, white bread, cookies, cakes, beer, etc. The easiest way to stay on track with eating right is meal prepping, this will allow you to already have healthy meals made for the week. It will also save you some time during the week that you could use for getting your exercise in. Your meal prep should consist of high protein foods, such as:
- Chicken Breast
- Salmon
- Lean Beef
- Ground Turkey
- Tuna
- Shrimp
These are all good options to use when planning a meal prep, and don’t forget your greens. It’s also very important to drink lots of water and be in a calorie deficit, meaning you’re consuming less calories than you’re using and burning throughout your day. 1 pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories, with that being said, a daily 500 calorie deficit can result in losing 1 pound a week.
Physical Activity and Exercise
Along with a healthy diet, an exercise program is recommended for weight loss. To be in a calorie deficit, you must burn more calories than you take in, exercising allows you to burn calories which might make this process a little easier. But you don’t need to have a crazy intense workout program. Start off with steady cardio such as walking or jogging, cardio is great for elevating your heart rate and burning calories. There are also other everyday alternatives to doing exercise as well, these include:
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
- Dancing
- Walking your dog
- Gardening
- Playing outdoor games
These are fun activities that don’t feel like exercising but can have the same effect. So, if you don’t feel comfortable with working out yet then try starting off with these to get your body moving.
One of the most effective forms of exercise is HIIT, which is high interval training. These workouts combine short bursts of intense exercise while having periods of rest or lower intense workouts. For example, you will do about 4 workouts at high intensity for a couple seconds to a minute, you will do these 4 workouts right after each other and then rest for a couple seconds to a minute, you will repeat this routine 4-5 times depending on how many you want to do. The reason why HIIT workouts are so effective is because they produce excess post-oxygen consumption which raises your resting metabolic rate for 24 hours, sometimes more, after your workout session.
Another great form of exercise is strength training, this can be done by lifting weights or using your own body weight. Resistance training is good for your metabolism because it helps you lose fat while building muscle at the same time. There are plenty of resistance workouts you can do to target certain spots where you want to lose weight. Cardio alone will more than likely decrease your muscle size which will lead to weaker muscles, but with strength training, you will reduce your body fat while increasing muscle size at the same time. It’s important to implement a healthy and consistent workout program that you’re comfortable with, because any exercise is better than no exercise.
Your Daily Routine
Your lifestyle can also have an affect on your weight loss making it easier or harder to lose weight. There are factors that come into play when trying to lose weight that you might not think about, such as getting enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep might lead to skipping exercise because you’re too tired and ordering takeout instead of cooking. It’s important that you get enough sleep so you have the energy to do what needs to be done in order to lose weight. Age is another factor that can affect your weight loss, it’s much easier for someone younger to lose weight than someone older. As you get older, your body doesn’t respond the same way to weight loss efforts. As you age, you tend to gain weight of 1 to 2 pounds per year and you start looking fat in workout shirt.
Most of the time someone younger has more energy than someone older, which allows them to be more active and makes it easier to lose weight. Not only does your age have an effect on weight loss, so does the time in your life and what you’re going through. For example, one of the biggest changes comes when you start a family, the time you would spend at the gym now goes to spending time at home with your toddler. There are experiences that anyone can go through at any time in their life, some make it harder to lose weight and some make it easier, it just depends on the situation.
Diet, exercise, age, and lifestyle, these are all factors that can have an affect on your journey to losing weight, but nothing makes it impossible. It’s important to have a balance in your life that makes it possible for you to accomplish what needs to be done. Everyone is different and so is everyone’s situation, at the end of the day all that matters is what you’re willing to do and how dedicated you are.