7 Lifestyle Changes For Sustainable Weight Loss
1/10/2018
Written By: Ryan Chan |
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There are no short-cuts in losing weight, or rather, short-cuts will not be sustainable in the long run. Thus, the key to achieving a long-term sustainable result is to keep changes simple, manageable, and well integrated into your daily lives. Here are 7 simple lifestyle changes to kick-start your healthy weight loss journey!
1. Reduce Sugary Beverages
Whenever you feel lazy to exercise even though you want to, I want you to challenge yourself to do any exercise for just a single minute. It could be a minute of push-ups or sit-ups or jumping jacks. Whatever, just do it for a minute. If you feel that you are ready to do more, then go ahead with whatever workout that you have in planned. Else, stop, resume the activity you were doing before and try again in an hour or another day.
The 1 Minute Rule can also apply to tip 2, 3 and 4.
The 1 Minute Rule can also apply to tip 2, 3 and 4.
2. Consume More Protein
If there is one macro-nutrient that you should never cut during dieting, it is protein. High protein intake helps you to lose weight in many ways such as
If you are unable to prepare your food, you can increase protein intake by ordering more lean meat or adding an egg or two for your meals. The concern over having high protein being bad for the body is mainly false for a healthy individual. Unless your body isn’t well in processing this nutrient to begin with (eg. Gout, Liver/Kidney Damage), you can generally consume up to 5g of protein per bodyweight in kg safely.
- Keeping you full longer resulting lesser calories intake throughout the day.
- More calories burnt during digestion due to thermogenesis.
- Positive nitrogen balance to aid in fat loss and muscle growth.
- Helps maintain your muscle mass, slowing down the rate of muscle atrophy which is essential in maintaining a healthy metabolic rate as lean muscle mass is directly proportional to metabolic rate.
If you are unable to prepare your food, you can increase protein intake by ordering more lean meat or adding an egg or two for your meals. The concern over having high protein being bad for the body is mainly false for a healthy individual. Unless your body isn’t well in processing this nutrient to begin with (eg. Gout, Liver/Kidney Damage), you can generally consume up to 5g of protein per bodyweight in kg safely.
3. Consume More Fibre
Similar to protein, high-fibre food tend to be more filling so you’re likely to eat less and stay satisfied longer. They are also less energy-dense, which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food as compared to others. So start eating more fruits, berries and vegetables which are low in calories, high in fibre and contain lots of vitamins and minerals. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for dietary fibre intake is around 25-30g per day from food.
4. Reduce Carbohydrates Intake (to be use only if you are physically active)
Decrease carbs will aid in increase fat burning. This is due to the depletion of glucose in your glycogen storage resulting in your body recruiting the next best fuel source which is fats.
But why only if you are physically active you may ask? The basic principle of reducing carbs intake for fat loss is based on the depletion of your glycogen storage which can only be done through an increase in the intensity of your daily task, which includes being physically active. So if you are not active to begin with, chances of you depleting your glycogen storage is low thus the fat burning effect will not be triggered.
However, that being said, the common believe of cutting carbs to lose weight is wrong. Even if you cut your carbs intake but binge on protein and fats resulting in calorie surplus, you will still gain weight. The reason why there is such a huge marketing campaign going on about cutting carbs is because of all macronutrient you consume, carbs is the easiest to reduce in terms of portion size.
So while you reduce your portion size of rice, noodle, pasta etc, do take note to also incorporate exercising into your daily routine for better results. Also, to keep your cravings for carbs in check, you can introduce refeed days (days where you can go on a high carbs diet) every 3 to 5 days.
But why only if you are physically active you may ask? The basic principle of reducing carbs intake for fat loss is based on the depletion of your glycogen storage which can only be done through an increase in the intensity of your daily task, which includes being physically active. So if you are not active to begin with, chances of you depleting your glycogen storage is low thus the fat burning effect will not be triggered.
However, that being said, the common believe of cutting carbs to lose weight is wrong. Even if you cut your carbs intake but binge on protein and fats resulting in calorie surplus, you will still gain weight. The reason why there is such a huge marketing campaign going on about cutting carbs is because of all macronutrient you consume, carbs is the easiest to reduce in terms of portion size.
So while you reduce your portion size of rice, noodle, pasta etc, do take note to also incorporate exercising into your daily routine for better results. Also, to keep your cravings for carbs in check, you can introduce refeed days (days where you can go on a high carbs diet) every 3 to 5 days.
5. Stay Hydrated
Drinking water often helps to curb hunger and get rid of excessive sodium in your body through urination. A good gauge of water intake would be between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh. Many times, we are not as fat as we think. Chances are there are some form of water stuck in between our skin and muscle, resulting in the “fat-like” appearance. This slight retention of water can be cause be excessive sodium in your food, especially when you eat outside most of the time. Thus to solve this problem, drink more water, pee more to flush out the excessive sodium so that your body will not have the ability to retain more water than necessary and you might find yourself looking more define.
6. Don’t Skip Breakfast (optional for people who don’t have the habit of eating breakfast)
Breakfast helps to stimulate your metabolism, allowing your body to start burning more calories. Studies have shown that eating a meal in the morning boosts your metabolism more than eating the same meal in the evening. And at the same time, people who consume breakfast tend to consume lesser throughout the day, resulting in lesser calories intake. However, all that being said, it is worth noting that though having a meal in the morning does boost your metabolism, it is still important to watch what you eat. Remember to apply the above points when preparing or choosing what to eat for breakfast.
7. Start Exercising
The weight loss equation goes both ways – reduce your calories intake, increase your calories output. As much as eating right helps in reducing your calories output, the calories output component has to come from exercising. Dieting can only help you go to a certain level as you can’t be consuming too little calories without the risk of malnutrition, metabolic disorder etc. But exercising on the other hand, has greater tolerance to play with, not the mention the added benefit to your body. So start getting into the habit of exercising. If you are finding it difficult, lazy or unmotivated to exercise especially after a long day, here are 6 tips you can try!
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