Many weight loss diets designed to help you lose weight leave you hungry, unsatisfied, or eliminate major food groups, causing you to gain more weight than you lost by the end of the diet.
Many will tell you that the foundation of successful weight loss comes from a healthy diet, reduced calorie intake, combined with increased exercise.
The reality is, there's no one-size-fits-all solution for weight loss. Every body reacts differently to food, depending on genetics and many other factors. One person might lose three kilos in a month, while it might take you five months to achieve the same result.
Finding the right method for weight loss can take time and require patience, commitment, and experimentation.
For successful, long-term weight loss, you need to make permanent changes to your lifestyle, health habits, and nutrition that are tailored to your body and metabolism.
To help you lose weight, here are our tips and tricks.
What should you eat to lose weight?
While some people respond well to calorie counting or similar restrictive weight loss methods, others prefer to have more freedom in planning their weight loss programs in order to eliminate excess accumulated pounds.
Adopting a new eating style that promotes weight loss must include reducing your total calorie intake. Reducing your calorie intake doesn't mean giving up taste, satisfaction, or ease of meal preparation.
1. Cut down on refined carbohydrates
One way to help you lose weight more quickly and easily is to cut down on sugars and starches, or carbohydrates. This could be through a low-carb diet or by reducing refined carbohydrates and replacing them with whole grains. Your hunger levels will decrease, and you'll end up eating less.
With a low-carb diet, you'll use stored fat for energy instead of carbohydrates, which promotes weight loss.
Note that it can be difficult to adhere to a low-carb diet, which can lead to yo-yo dieting and less success in maintaining a healthy weight.
Low-calorie diets can lead to weight loss that is easier to maintain for longer periods of time.
A 2019 study correlated a high intake of whole grains with a lower body mass index (BMI). If you choose a diet focused on whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates, there's a good chance you'll shed excess weight and start losing weight.
Tips and tricks
- Forget all your bad habits.
- Replace white bread with whole-wheat bread, and pasta with whole-wheat pasta.
- Avoid processed pastries and cakes. If you feel a sweet tooth during the day, have one of our healthy snacks .
- Making your own recipes is the best possible way to eat better and lose weight faster.
- Forget sugary drinks and opt for iced coffee or iced tea with no added sugar.
2. Eat a balanced diet
Trying to include a variety of foods at each meal can be the key to weight loss. To balance your plate and help you lose weight, your meals should include:
- a source of protein
- a source of fat
- vegetables
- a small portion of complex carbohydrates , such as whole grains.
Don't be afraid to fill your plate with vegetables . They're packed with nutrients, and you can eat large amounts of them without significantly increasing calories and carbohydrates.
All vegetables are healthy, nutrient-dense foods to add to your diet, but some, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and winter squash, are higher in carbohydrates.
When it comes to lipids, not all fats are bad. Good fats can even help you control your weight and be a slimming asset. You need to make the right fat choices: avocado, olive oil, oily fish, nuts.
Advice
- Eat one “cheat meal” per week to avoid frustration.
- Eat colorful foods to make your meal more enjoyable.
- Drink a glass of water before your meal to feel full faster.
- Be careful with fruit; it's a source of fiber and vitamins, but also loaded with sugar. Limit your consumption or choose less sugary fruits like raspberries and strawberries.
- The same goes for fruit drinks; they contain a lot of sugar and the nutrients are degraded. Avoid them!
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CHOOSE MY TREATMENT
Should you control your calorie intake and portions to lose weight?
No need to count calories as long as you keep your carbohydrate intake small and eat mostly low-carb protein, fat, and vegetables.
Eating too little can be dangerous and less effective for weight loss. Try to reduce your intake to a sustainable and healthy amount based on your doctor's recommendations.
Losing weight isn't always linear. When you cut back, you may lose weight in the first few weeks, for example, then eat the same amount but still stay there. That's because when you lose weight, you lose water, lean tissue, and finally fat.
So, to continue losing weight, you need to continue reducing your calorie intake to dislodge the hardest-to-reach fats. You should therefore be careful not to continue reducing your calorie intake indefinitely. Increasing your metabolism is an effective way to continue losing weight without reducing your calorie intake too much. Exercising is a very good way to do this.
Tips and tricks
If food, dieting, and your weight become an obsession, if you feel guilty about your food choices, or if you regularly follow restrictive diets, consider seeking help.
Talk to a healthcare professional or dietitian if you are having difficulty.
Should you exercise to lose weight?
Exercise can help you lose weight, but the benefits go far beyond burning calories. Exercise increases your metabolism and improves your physical condition. Taking a walk, stretching, and moving around can give you more energy and motivation to tackle the other steps of your weight-loss program.
In addition to allowing you to achieve your goals more quickly, sport is an ally for your health, you will be in better shape.
Tips and tricks
- It is important to drink plenty of water during and outside of your sports sessions (2 liters of water per day are recommended), your health and your skin will thank you.
- If you exercise with weights, increase the weight to build muscle mass and thus use more energy at rest to fuel your muscles.
- Remember to alternate rest days and exercise days, as overtraining can lead to injuries.
- Practice a sport that you enjoy, sport can also be a moment of pleasure.
Should you trust the scale when losing weight?
When losing weight, it's not recommended to check your weight on a scale every day of the week. This tendency to fixate on the number on the scale has been around for a very long time.
It's recommended that you weigh yourself once a week, in the morning on an empty stomach after using the bathroom. And follow the same guidelines for each weighing. There's no point in checking your weight on the scale too often, as this can cause frustration when the weight displayed on the scale isn't lower than the previous one.
Tips and tricks
The mirror is your best ally for tracking your weight loss progress. You'll be able to see which parts of your body you're losing the most weight from: your stomach, hips, arms, thighs, and face. It's motivating when you see physical results, and you'll be even more determined to lose weight.
Take stock once a month in front of your mirror and on your scale to see your progress.
In summary
While there's no magic bullet for weight loss, there are many steps you can take to develop a healthier relationship with food and achieve a healthy weight. All of these weight loss tips should be tried on your own. No matter how many pounds you need to lose, determination, perseverance, and motivation are key. Adopting a healthier diet, a healthy lifestyle in a healthy body, and establishing good daily habits are the first steps to losing weight.
