Excess weight can be a headache for any one. It not only gives you an unfit and unhealthy look but also work as a major reason inviting a number of serious health conditions and illnesses. If you are overweight, you are certainly going to miss out all the fun of trying out the latest fashionable clothing. Not being able to look your best is also sure to affect you emotionally which can propel you to stay more indoors and interacting less with others. The point we are trying to make here is that, being overweight does not only affect your physical health but also erodes your mental health, hence getting rid of the excess body fat is necessary.
How to know if you need to reduce weight?
The best scientific way to know if you need to reduce weight and how much weight you exactly need to reduce is to calculate your BMI. There are many free BMI calculators available on the web and you can use any of them to find out if you are overweight and how much exactly you need to reduce. To calculate your BMI all you will need is your height and present weight and the calculator will give you an exact figure giving you a clear idea if you are towards being overweight, already overweight or obese.
Once you know how much weight you need to shed now comes the difficult part. Proper diet, exercise and lifestyle these three things has the maximum impact on your body weight. Modulating and adjusting these three aspects is sure to give you best weight reduction effects. Read on to know more,
The right diet for weight loss
It is rightly said that “what you eat is what you look”. So, if you eat right, it is sure to show effects on you. To lose weight you need not to go on a crash dieting, you only have to plan your diet carefully depending on how much weight you need to reduce.
Opt for a low calorie meal
When you are trying to lose weight, it is important to change your meal for a low calorie one. When there is a gap between the calorie you spend daily and the calorie you take in, you are sure to lose weight as the body will burn out the stored fats to produce the energy it needs. The process is not simple, but is most effective of all.
However, opting for a calorie deficit diet does not mean starving yourself. When you are trying to lose weight you need to take a diet that is high in nutrients and dietary fibers but less in calorie. Dietary fibers keep you satiated for long for adding nothing to the total calorie consumption. The best foods that can give you dietary fibers for less calorie are the green leafy vegetables and fruits.
Instead of opting for processed foods, pick whole grain foods that are high in fiber content. Stay away from meat, particularly the red meat which is a big source of fat to the body. Cheese, butter and oil are the other things that you need to quit to lose weight. Also start using olive oil in your diet instead of any other oil, and keep an eye for how much oil you use to prepare your daily dishes.
Sugars are high in calorie and they are easily stored in the body. So take care of how much sugar you consume daily. Get rid of your sweet tooth and say bye to your favorite colas, chocolates, ice creams and pastries at least for the time being. Restricting the amount of sugar intake is sure to give you quick benefits in weight loss.
When you are trying to lose weight, the other thing that you need to measure cautiously in your daily diet is the amount of carbohydrate. Carbs are easily stored in the body and hence keeping their amount low in your daily diet is best suggested for losing weight.
Some lifestyle changes for losing weight
While having the right diet is essential for losing weight, having it in the right way and at the right time is also vital to ensure that your body burns out the extra fat already stored in the body instead of storing more fat. Follow the next tips to ensure that you experience weight loss quickly,
Take small meals at short intervals
When you are trying to lose weight this is one of the first changes that you need to introduce in your daily eating habit. Instead of having 3 big meals in a day, start taking small meals 5-6 times a day. It will not only help you to stay full and feel less hungry but will also make it much easier for your body to burn out the food instead of storing it.
Do not go to bed quickly after having a meal
Never go to sleep just after you have taken your meal. The sleeping position is not suitable for digestion and it works as one of the main reasons for more storage in the body. It is best to do light activities, like going out on a pleasure walk after having your meal.
Stop taking late night dinner
Our body has its own biological clock and the metabolism process of the body slows down after sun set. So, when you are trying to lose weight make sure to have your dinner at least by 8pm and never opt for a heavy meal after 4 in the evening.
Cut down your visit to the restaurant
Even if you feel that you are ordering only healthy foods in the restaurant, in reality they always come loaded with extra fat and oils that can easily add to your body weight. So, when you are trying to lose weight it is best to skip restaurant visits all together.
Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day might seem like a really easy thing, but it is in reality has a direct impact on the metabolism rate of the body and hence on losing weight. So, make sure that you drink sufficient water at regular intervals.
Burn out the excess weight
While the right diet and the lifestyle changes mentioned above can give you great weight loss benefits, exercising is also important to get effective results. The type of exercises that you need to do most to lose weight has been detailed below,
Cardio exercises
When it comes to losing weight, all you need to do is to perform lots of cardio exercises. The best thing about cardio is that, these exercises are simple and you need not to join a gym or buy some expensive equipment to do cardio. Running, jogging, skipping, dancing, rope skipping, climbing the stairs quickly, anything that makes your heart beat faster and your blood rush through your veins can give you the best benefits of cardio exercises. You need to do at least 60 minutes of cardio at least 6 days a week to get the best weight loss benefits.
Strength training
Strength training that is working out with the weights can also be highly effective to lose extra weight and to tone up the muscles. There can be different types of strength trainings and you can always pick the particular type that suits you most. Performing pushups, pull ups, squats, dips, plank, crunches and all their variations with weight can give you the best effects of strength training.
Active sports
Another interesting and effective way of getting the right amount of exercise that your body needs is to take up an active sport. Swimming, Volleyball, Tennis, Football or any other active sport of the like can give you effective weight loss benefits.
Tips to make your exercise regimen most effective
The most important tip to make your exercise regimen most effective is to come up with an exercise plan that has ample of variations. Instead of doing strength training everyday you can do it on alternate days, and on those days opt for an active sport or simply run, jog or do stretching.
Yogasana for losing weight
Yogasanas can also be highly effective to lose weight, but to get the full benefit, it is really important that you learn it from the right place.
Drinks for burning weight
There are some particular drinks that you can easily prepare at home and can be helpful to burn fat. Actually these drinks boost the natural metabolism process of the body, which naturally gives some weight loss benefits when combined with proper diet and exercises. Some of the most common fat burning drinks include,
Water with lemon juice and honey
A glass of warm water added with a spoon of pure honey and the juice of a whole lemon can boost the metabolism and might be helpful to lose weight.
Tamarind and water drink
A drink made from ripe tamarind extract and water might be effective to burn the fat. However, this drink is not suitable for consumption in empty stomach
Ginger and pepper tea for burning fat
Ginger is known for having fat burning abilities and the piperine present in pepper is a proven fat buster. So, having a cup of tea with ginger extract and pepper can be effective to burn fat.
Apple cider vinegar
Prepare a mixture of ACV by adding 2 spoons of ACV in 1 cup of warm water and 1 spoon of honey. Drink it 2-3 times a day to get weight loss benefits.