People can lose weight and maintain this loss by taking a number of achievable steps. This includes the following:
1. Eat a varied, colorful, and nutrient-dense diet
Eat a varied and nutritious diet.
Healthy food and snacks should form the basis of the human diet. A simple way to create a meal plan is to make sure that each meal is made up of 50 percent fruits and vegetables, 25 percent whole grains, and 25 percent protein. Consume 25-30 grams (g) of fiber daily.
Eliminate trans fats from food, and minimize intake of saturated fats, which have strong links with coronary heart disease incidence.
The following foods are healthy and often nutrient-rich:
• fresh fruit and vegetables
• fish
• nuts
• nuts
• seeds
• brown rice and oatmeal as whole grains
Foods to avoid eating include:
• foods with added oil, butter, and sugar
• Fatty or processed red meat
• baked goods
• bagels
• white bread
• processed foods
In some cases, eliminating certain foods from the diet can cause a person to become deficient in some of the necessary vitamins and minerals. A nutritionist, dietitian, or other health care professional can tell a person how to get enough nutrition when they are on a weight loss program.
2. Keep food and weight diary
Self-monitoring is crucial to weight loss success. People can use paper diaries, mobile apps, or specialized websites to record every food they consume on a daily basis. They can also measure their progress by recording their weight each week.
Those who can track their success incrementally and identify physical changes are more likely to stick to a weight loss regimen.
People can use a Body Mass Index calculator to track their BMI.
3. Engage in physical activity and exercise regularly
Regular exercise helps a person lose weight.
Exercise is vital for physical and mental health. Increasing the frequency of physical activity in a disciplined and targeted manner is often essential for successful weight loss.
One hour of moderate-intensity exercise per day, such as brisk walking, is ideal. If one hour per day isn't possible, the Mayo Clinic advises one to aim for a minimum of 150 minutes each week.
People who are usually physically inactive should slowly increase the amount of exercise they do and gradually increase its intensity. This approach is the most sustainable way to ensure that regular exercise is a part of their lifestyle.
If the thought of complete exercise seems daunting to someone who is new to exercising, they can start by doing the following activities to increase their level of exercise:
• climbing up the stairs
• sweeping the leaves
• walking the dog
• gardening
• dance
• play outdoor games
• park further from the building entrance
People who have a low risk of coronary heart disease may not need a medical assessment before starting an exercise regimen.
4. Eliminate liquid calories
You can consume hundreds of calories a day by drinking soda sweetened with sugar, tea, juice, or alcohol.
Unless someone is consuming smoothies in place of food, they should still consume water or unsweetened tea and coffee. Adding a little fresh lemon or orange to the water can add flavor.
Avoid mistaking dehydration for hunger. A person can often satisfy feelings of hunger between scheduled meals and drinking water.
5. Measure portions and control portions
Even eating low-calorie vegetables in too much can cause weight gain.
Therefore, people should avoid estimating portion sizes or eating food straight from the packaging. Use measuring cups and serving size guides. Guessing leads to overestimation and the possibility of eating larger than necessary portions.
The following measure comparisons can be useful for monitoring food intake when eating out:
• one and a half cups are tennis balls
• 1 cup is a baseball
• 1 ounce (ounce) of nuts is a loose handful
• 1 teaspoon is 1 dice toy
• One tablespoon equals the tip of the thumb.
• One ounce of meat is one deck of cards.
• 1 slice is DVD
This measure is imprecise but can help a person regulate food intake when the right tools are not available.
6. Eat mindfully
Many people benefit from mindful eating, which includes full awareness of the why, how, when, where and what they eat.
Making healthier food choices is a direct result of becoming more in tune with the body.
People who practice mindful eating also try to eat more slowly and enjoy their food, concentrating on the taste. Making food last for 20 minutes allows the body to record all signals of fullness.
People could also consider the following questions about their food choices:
• Is this a good “value” for the calorie cost?
• Will it makes you feel full?
• Are the ingredients healthy?
• Does the label say how much sodium and fat the food has?
7. Control stimuli and cues
Many social and environmental cues may encourage unnecessary eating. For example, some people tend to overeat while watching television. Others have a hard time giving someone else a bowl of candy without picking up a slice.
By realizing what triggers the desire to snack on empty calories, people can think of ways to adapt their routine to limit these triggers.
8. Plan ahead
Filling your kitchen with diet-friendly foods and creating a structured meal plan will result in more significant weight loss.
People looking to lose weight or keep it off should clean the kitchen of processed or junk food and make sure they have the ingredients available to make a simple, healthy meal. Doing this can prevent fast, unplanned, and careless eating.
9. Stay positive
Weight loss is a gradual process, and a person may feel discouraged if they are not losing weight at the pace they have predicted.
Some days will be more difficult than others when sticking to a weight loss or maintenance program. Successful weight loss programs require individuals to endure and not give up when self-change seems too difficult.
It is important to maintain a positive outlook and be persistent in overcoming obstacles to successful weight loss.
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