6 Simple tips to lose weight and lose belly fat
Aug 16, 2022By Sophia McDermott, Lifestyle Coach & Fitness Expert.
To lose weight and lose the belly, changing habits and lifestyle is the most important thing. WIth these changes you can drop up to 1 -2 kg per week depending on the initial weight. However, for this to happen, it is important that the strategies adopted are followed daily.
In addition, if you are in the process of losing weight, it is advisable not to step on the scale every day to check because this can build on anxiety and can interfere with the process. Remember this is a lifestyle overhaul.
- Eat slowly and respect the body's satiety
The first tip I am going to share with you is to eat slowly.
Eating slowly allows the satiated stomach to let the brain know that it has had enough food. This signal occurs before the stomach is completely full as a signal that it no longer needs food at the moment. However, those who have the habit of eating fast do not notice this sign of satiety, so they keep eating. This is one of the biggest way to overeat. Enjoy your food. Chew slowly. Be grateful for your meal and the experience.
Eating slowly is one of the main points to lose weight and avoid weight gain. Satisfying the stomach with food rich in nutrients and fiber, such as vegetables, fruits, meats in general, and good fats, makes the metabolism work better and keeps hunger away for longer.
- Drink more water during the day
You should drink plenty of fluids between meals, as this will help reduce hunger and fluid retention because the more water you drink, the more urine your body produces, and with its elimination, also leaves all the toxins that harm weight loss.
What you can drink: water, coconut water, natural juices with no added sugar (packaged juices are not used), unsweetened teas;
What you can't drink: soft drinks, boxed or powdered juices, chocolate and alcoholic beverages.
The recommended amount of water needed varies between 1.5 and 3 liters per day. BUt if you are active and you are wanting to lose weight, I would suggest drinking 4 liters a day/1 gallon.
- Get some physical exercise
Although the type of exercise is important, regular exercise and consistency is the most important. Ideally you should be working out at least 3 times a week as the bare minimum. Also, incorporating more movement into your daily lifestyle makes a difference also including:
Climb stairs instead of using the elevator;
Get off one stop before work or school and walk the rest of the way;
Go for a 10 min walk after lunch;
Take the dog for a walk at night.
Contrary to what most people believe, all types of physical exercise help you lose weight, not just aerobic ones like walking, cycling and running. Weight training also helps you lose weight and also has the advantage of increasing muscle mass, which improves metabolism and accelerates the weight loss process.
If you’re looking for a workout membership, that you can do in the comfort of your own home we have you covered. These workouts have a variety and work on all aspects of fitness such as the HIT, the toning and sculpting and the stretching.
- Avoid the fat diets.
Fad diets have no place in my world. If you do a fad diet then trust me, the weight will come back on. So totally eliminating a food group or a macro is senseless. A balance of healthy macros is essential while avioding processed foods and chemicals. So, the best tips are:
Avoid the consumption of simple sugars in the daily routine. Try drinking coffee, milk, yogurts, teas, and juices without sugar;
Avoid processed refined white flour.
Avoid deep fried foods.
Its ok to eat carbs in your meals, just make sure they are from natural sources such as; fruits, sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, beans, lentils, corn, and peas;
It's also ok to eat fats, as long as they are natural fats. Add some olive oil and avocado on your salads.
Eat raw salad before lunch and dinner; This will aid in your digestion and fill you up.
Drink plenty of water.
For more in depth guidance on your nutrition , take a look at my nutrition ebook with 20% OFF;
- Avoid getting too hungry
Going too long without eating can cause you to choose unhealthy, high-calorie foods over preparing a good meal. So, to avoid or hold back hunger until you have a nutritious meal, some tips are:
Always have half a handful of nuts, peanuts, in natura fruits, coconut flakes or dried fruits in your bag;
At work, leave 1 whole natural (sugar free) yogurt in the fridge;
Use vegetable-based snacks when you get home while preparing dinner: carrot sticks, cucumber with mashed avocado and seasoned with salt and pepper, large diced tomato with a pinch of salt and olive oil, coconut flakes or 1 hard-boiled egg.
If it's not possible to eat a meal throughout the day, simply focus on maintaining the quality of the next meal and be sure not to splurge and overeat. Use these small snacks in case hunger strikes to avoid splurging.
- Write down everything you eat. Start a food log.
(add a photo of book)
Writing down everything you eat throughout the day is also a good strategy to lose weight, as this way the person can be more aware of what they eat and, in this way, can identify mistakes and where to improve, being able to change their eating habits to hit their weight loss goals and to have a healthier life.
It is best to record everything daily, preferably after each meal so that you don't forget what you ate that day. I work with many clients who log their food. It is so helpful. Here is what I suggest: Write down the type of meal, whether lunch, breakfast, snack or dinner, the time of the meal, the foods consumed and quantity. This record should be done for 3 to 7 days so that we can have a better idea of what the eating habits are.
I hope you enjoyed these tips. It's all about being aware and making good choices to create a balanced, healthy lifestyle.
Sources
https://www.today.com/health/how-lose-weight-doctor-shares-6-essential-tips-make-it-t218996
