We search for weight loss supplements, weight loss diets, weight loss recipes, and weight loss exercises. We make a program to lose weight and follow it.
Some of us succeed while some do not.
What differentiates the two of us is the intensity of the motivation to lose weight and the willpower to adhere to the weight loss plan.
In this article, you will find effective weight loss tips without being too strict with yourself.
Sometimes in spite of a proper weight loss diet and an exercise plan to lose weight, you do not reduce your weight. This may confuse and bother you. To help you lose weight, you must understand two basic principles:
1) Certain health conditions and medications do not allow you to lose weight. You must rule them out.
2) You may be missing the basic principle, which is the calorie equation. Burn more calories than you consume every day (explained below).
Reasons why you do not lose weight
There are certain health conditions that do not allow the loss of weight. You should address those first. Once they are addressed, losing weight becomes that much easier. Those conditions are described below.
Certain medications
Medicines taken for a psychiatric problem can deter your weight loss goals. This may be because after recovering from a bout of depression, you feel better and this makes you eat more.
Certain medicines you take for diabetes and hypertension, prolonged use of steroids and oral contraceptives can cause you to gain weight. Therefore, if you are on any of these medications and are putting on weight, you should talk to your physician.
Cortisol, a natural stress hormone, is released when you’re under stress. Cortisol puts your fat and carbohydrate metabolism into overdrive, increasing your appetite.
Additionally, elevated cortisol levels can cause you to opt for sweet, fatty, and salty foods like french fries, biscuits, butter, and ice creams.
An excess of cortisol also can lead your body to produce less testosterone. leading to a slow down in how many calories your body burns.
Certain hormonal disorders
Hormonal disorders like hypothyroidism (reduced functioning of the thyroid) and Cushing’s syndrome (excessive secretion of cortisol) cause weight gain. This is due to the increased deposit of fats in certain parts of the body. Your physician will investigate, advise, and treat you for this.
Lack of sleep
Sleeplessness is another reason because it alters your metabolic activity. Take steps to get that proper sleep.
Research suggests that sleep deprivation has a negative effect on metabolism. According to the Mayo Clinic, sleeping deprivation in adults appears to increase hunger and appetite and you crave more for calorie-dense foods high in carbohydrates.
Menopause
During and after menopause, weight gain is due to hormonal changes taking place in the body. Estrogen levels decrease after menopause and this causes extra fats to get deposited especially around the midriff.
A weight-reducing plan comprising of a proper diet and an exercise regime can help you lose weight during and after menopause.
Why you should lose weight?
Two important reasons stand out for losing weight:
1. For that better appearance so that you can stand proudly amongst others and be able to wear the clothes you want.
2. To avoid certain health problems that come with excess weight or obesity, like heart diseases, diabetes, liver diseases, arthritis, and cancer.
The former reason is more likely amongst the young people while the second reason is more attributed to a little later age when you become more health conscious.
Weight loss strategy
Understand this essential principle of weight loss
One way to lose weight is to keep this principle in mind.
Your calorie intake has to be less than calories burnt, which means you eat less,
OR
The calories burnt should be more than your calorie intake, which means you exercise more to burn your calories.
Incorporate a little of both in your weight loss plan and always remember this calorie equation.
Use a calorie calculator and a BMR calculator to help you with the calorie equation as shown below:
Use a calorie intake calculator to calculate the calories consumed during the day. Know the calories in various foods and drinks.
Use a calorie calculator to calculate the calories burnt by the physical activity during the day.
Use a BMR calculator to calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate).
What is BMR?
BMR is the calories required to support your body’s essential activities like breathing, digestion, metabolism, etc, and shows the calories burnt for these essential functions by your body even at rest.
Therefore, now you have
calories consumed,
calories burnt and
calories required for BMR.
To lose weight, calories burnt through physical activity should be more than the BMR + the calories consumed.
For example,
if the BMR and calorie calculator show that you have burnt 2500 calories during the day and
your calorie intake calculator shows that you have consumed 2000 calories,
then you have burnt 500 calories more than you have consumed during the day.
Going by the thumb rule, you have to burn 3500 calories to lose one lb of body fat. Then at this rate, you will lose one lb of weight in one week. Weight loss has to be gradual to look and stay healthy.
Stay on this fundamental principle of losing weight and there is no normal reason why you should not lose weight in the required fashion.
How to lose weight quickly?
Eat just enough to maintain the BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and basic nutrition for the body.
Choose foods, which are low in fat and calorie content. Read the labels carefully before you buy anything to ensure you are not buying something, which has high calories. Know the calorie content in common foods. It will help you keep a watch on your calorie intake.
Avoid too much variety in your meals, because you then tend to eat more.
Incorporate the required physical activity in your daily routine. Physical exercise should be an everyday affair. There are no weekly offs, just as there are no weekly offs to eating food.
Have a strong determination and consistency and your weight loss is guaranteed. For this, the help of your family and friends can be useful to keep your motivation to lose weight high.
Be patient. Losing those extra pounds has to be gradual. Have a weight loss plan that will spread over a prolonged period. Plan a reduction of half-kilo weight in one week.
Action Plan
How to lose weight is not just about understanding the principle explained above. It is about implementing this principle in your daily routine as soon as possible.
Most people fail to do this because they keep on pushing it to tomorrow, which never comes.
Once implemented, follow what Sir Winston Churchill said: “Never, never, never give up”.
