How can it be easy to lose weight at home where the temptation to overeat and be inert is greatest? The good news is, it can be. And the better news is, there are science-based ways to do it, so you can be sure that it will be safe and effective.
Be a Picky Eater
This doesn’t mean that you have to follow a specially-designed regimen that limits the kinds of foods you can eat. A well-balanced diet should satisfy your body’s requirements for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It is a scientific fact that going back to basics and providing your body with what it naturally craves is one of the keys to effectively lose weight at home, or even when you eat out.
Carbohydrates. What your body naturally needs are complex carbohydrates. These include whole grains, breads, cereals, and even fruits. Complex carbs provide fuel for your body, and their high fiber content helps keep you feeling full so that you don’t eat as much. These translate to a high and steady rate of metabolism, less fat storage, and more efficient burning of stored fat. On the other hand, simple carbs or sugars should be avoided as these provide little to no nutritional value and their empty calories will only end up in your fat stores.
Proteins. Proteins serve the purpose of maintaining your body’s cellular structures and providing the building blocks you need to develop lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle development is a major element of any successful endeavor to effectively lose weight, even while at home.
Where you get your proteins is important. While animal-based proteins, from lean meats, fish, and poultry, are also essential, too much of these can increase the risk for many chronic diseases. You also have to balance out your overall protein intake with plant-based proteins, such as those that are provided by soy, beans, legumes, and other vegetables. In addition to being rich in protein, these vegetables are also high in fiber which, again, translates to a longer feeling of fullness.
Fats. When it comes to fats, knowing which ones are good and bad for you is the key. Fats are also needed by the body to maintain certain functions like the regeneration of the hair, nails, and skin, as well as to help absorb certain nutrients. Studies have shown that healthy fats can actually aid in weight loss. Healthy fats include avocados, whole eggs, fatty fish, cheese, dark chocolate, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil. But how much fat intake is healthy? The trick is to load your plate with bigger portions of proteins and vegetables – more than 50% of your plate would be a healthy bet. The rest should be made up of complex carbs and healthy fats.
Be a Tricky Eater
Starting a healthy diet is the easy part; sticking to it is where most people fail. This is the most common reason why most diet fads don’t work. Not only are the weight-loss goals often unrealistic; the required changes to one’s eating habits are also usually drastic. Instead of following a diet fad that you won’t be able to commit to, you can trick yourself into eating more healthily, instead. Here are a few eating cheats you can try:
- Stock up your fridge with nothing but healthy food choices. If you don’t have unhealthy food around, you won’t be tempted to eat them when the craving comes.
- Drink water before every meal to help you feel fuller. This is an old and tested trick. Opt for water instead of sodas and juices, too, to replace the unwanted calories that these liquids offer.
- Use a small plate to create the illusion that you’re eating “a lot.”
- Eat slowly, and enjoy the flavor and texture of your food. Most times, we eat too fast that we don’t give our body time to register that we’re already full, so we end up overeating without intending to.
A Body in Motion and a Body at Rest
Start with simple cardio and resistance exercises for 10 minutes a day, at least five days a week for two or three weeks. When you start with something manageable, it’ll be easier for you to keep doing it and for your body to warm up to it.
A 10-minute walk outside or up and down the stairs, interspersed with two or three weight-lifting routines using dumbbells are a great way to begin increasing your physical activity and conditioning your body and mind for more. Increase the time by 5- to 10-minute increments every couple of weeks. This will help keep your rate of metabolism up, and you’ll continue burning more calories and losing weight; you will also become stronger and fitter each week.
It’s just as important to get plenty of rest, especially sleep. Studies have shown that lack of sleep disrupts the normal daily fluctuations of the body’s appetite hormones, which makes regulating your appetite more difficult. Being sleep-deprived also increases stress levels, and the latter has been linked to overeating.
Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Food, especially unhealthy food, is a weakness for most people; and exercising is too much of an effort. Wanting to lose weight and committing to a weight-loss plan are two different things; having the right mindset is what tips the scales toward achieving weight-loss goals and being fit for life, pun intended.
Modern Fit can help you lose that weight at home and keep it off. They offer tailored nutrition plans along with a tailored fitness plan. The fitness plan comes with at-home workouts as well as gym-workouts so you can get the best of both worlds!
