The time has come once more to bid farewell to the past year and welcome the upcoming one with joy and merrymaking. With numerous family gatherings, coworker parties, and socializing with companions and significant others, declining any opportunities for indulging may seem nearly impossible. However, there is no reason why you should not indulge.
It has been a difficult year for everyone around the globe, so it’s understandable to want to unwind and relieve some stress. However, overindulging can often lead to feelings of remorse and anxiety about gaining weight or consuming excessive calories.
Maintaining a “Healthy Weight” Important
You may wonder why weight loss is still a topic of discussion in an age where body positivity and self-love are emphasized. However, even though the body positivity movement can provide a sense of confidence and positivity, it might not always address the health issues and negative impacts associated with being overweight.
While not all overweight individuals suffer from health problems, they are in the minority. Carrying excess weight significantly heightens the likelihood of developing numerous severe health issues, including Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart disease, stroke, and specific forms of cancer.
In addition to the aforementioned problems, carrying extra weight can heighten your susceptibility to fractures, weaken your immune system, and elevate the risk of developing eating disorders, as well as experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression.
Research has indicated that sustaining a desirable weight has a favorable impact on both your physical and mental well-being. Nevertheless, what constitutes an ideal weight? You can conveniently assess your suitable weight range by computing your BMI (body mass index) and striving to stay within the regular BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2. Nonetheless, your physician might establish a more exact target weight range for you, contingent upon your therapeutic account and health requirements.
The “Ideal” Pace for Weight Loss
Regarding weight loss, a fast solution is only a temporary response to a complicated issue. Generally, rapid remedies such as trendy diets and juice cleanses yield pleasing yet short-term outcomes. Once you return to your typical eating habits (as you eventually must), the effects of these hasty remedies quickly disappear.
The use of fad diets and juice cleanses can have detrimental effects on both your metabolism and overall health. This may lead to difficulties in achieving long-term weight loss goals. Diets that involve strict restrictions and rapid weight loss methods typically have various adverse effects. Examples of these side effects include, but are not limited to:
- Nutritional deficiencies, which can lead to other health issues
- Lowered metabolism
- Dehydration
- Muscle loss
- Bone loss and weakened bones
- Hair loss
- Menstrual irregularities in women
- Poor immunity
- Weakness and fatigue
- Poor mood
To achieve safe and sustainable weight loss, your target should be a moderate goal of shedding 1 to 2 pounds (about 0.5 to 1 kg) every week. Fast weight loss schemes are generally detrimental to your well-being. Consistent weight loss can be attained by introducing minor alterations to your daily habits and maintaining them in the long run.
Speeding Up Weight Loss in 2023
1. Get Moving
It’s obvious that maintaining an active lifestyle and avoiding being sedentary is crucial for staying healthy and managing your weight. To shed pounds, it’s necessary to maintain a calorie deficit, whereby you burn more calories than you consume.
- Aim for at least 30 minutes of mild to moderate-intensity exercises 5 days a week.
- If you’re new to exercising, start slow with three 10-minute workout sessions each day.
- As your body adapts, focus on increasing the timing of each session and aim for a single workout session that lasts 30 to 45 mins.
2. Eat Fresh
Consuming fruits and vegetables is an effective way to decrease calorie and fat consumption while also providing an abundant amount of fiber and nutrients. If a bowl of fruits and vegetables is substituted for a meal, it can help to manage hunger while reducing calorie intake.
3. Say No to Processed Food
Consuming processed foods frequently can lead to weight gain and negatively impact one’s health because they contain high amounts of saturated fats, sugar, salt, and non-nutritive calories.
- Try to cut out processed foods from your diet gradually; replace them with less processed versions of the same base ingredient.
- For example, instead of reaching for a bag of chips, try snacking on mashed potatoes, which has fewer calories and is more filling.
4. It’s All About Portion Control
You’ve probably heard this many times before, but it’s worth repeating: to achieve a calorie deficit through your diet, it isn’t necessary to eliminate entire food groups, such as carbs. It’s possible to lose weight without giving up your favorite foods; the key is to regulate your intake.
To establish an organized eating regimen and manage your calorie consumption, measuring the portions of food consumed during each meal can be helpful.
5. Stick to Meal Times
Establishing a consistent eating schedule each day can increase calorie burn and enable your body to adapt to a routine, ultimately curbing the desire to indulge in unhealthy snacks between meals.
6. Plan Ahead
Preparing your meals ahead of time can assist you in maintaining a nutritious and healthy diet. Additionally, it aids in monitoring your caloric consumption and avoiding indulging in detrimental fast food options.
7. Add More Fiber to Your Diet
Eating fiber-rich foods helps you stay satiated for extended periods, making it ideal for weight loss since it reduces your appetite. In addition, increasing fiber intake promotes better digestion and enhances overall metabolism.
There is a correlation between consuming sufficient amounts of fiber and having a lower body weight (1). This could be attributed to various reasons. Foods that are abundant in fiber require longer digestion time and provide a feeling of fullness, thereby preventing excessive consumption and leading to a reduction in food intake. Additionally, fiber in one’s diet may hinder fat absorption which results in a decrease in the intake of energy.
Over time, incorporating a diverse range of plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes into your diet can facilitate the maintenance of a healthy weight through increased fiber consumption.
8. Make Water your BFF
Keeping yourself hydrated by consuming 2 to 3 liters of water daily can not only quench your thirst but also diminish your desire to eat. Regular sips of water throughout the day can aid in controlling your cravings between meals and ultimately reducing your calorie consumption.
In addition to aiding metabolism, consumption of water assists in burning extra calories. If plain water is not to your liking, consider infusing it with slices of fruit of your choice to enhance its taste.
The sensations of thirst and hunger can be easily mistaken for one another as they share similar symptoms like fatigue, headache, and difficulty concentrating. Therefore, it is important to be aware of this confusion and choose to drink water instead of reaching for food whenever these sensations arise.
Repeatedly engaging in this behavior can hinder your progress towards achieving your desired weight loss. Conversely, you may mistake your need for proper nutrition with a desire for water. Additionally, the sensation can be triggered by factors such as sleep and stress, further complicating the situation.
Listed below are some suggestions that may assist in resolving any uncertainty:
- Make sure that you are getting quality sleep
- Incorporate effective ways to deal with stress
- Stay hydrated throughout the day. This can help eliminate dehydration as a cause of any sensations that arise
- If you’ve already eaten and you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water to see if that satisfies you
Although plain water is the ideal choice for staying hydrated, there are other beverages that can also help maintain hydration. Some unsweetened options are lemon or lime infused water, unsweetened iced tea, and sparkling water.
9. Rethink Your Drink
Calories abound in alcohol, with a solitary glass of beer or wine capable of doubling the calorie count of your meal. It has the potential to stimulate the synthesis of hunger hormones and impede your metabolic rate, which can culminate in augmented calorie consumption and reduced calorie burn. This can promote weight gain over time.
It is always a good idea to avoid alcohol or limit your intake.
10. Keep Calm and Quit Smoking
Research has established that individuals who smoke heavily and for extended periods are more prone to being overweight than non-smokers. The body’s ability to process fat can be adversely impacted by nicotine, which can result in weight gain. Stopping smoking is advisable if weight loss is a goal.
11. Keep Your Eating Clean
To maintain a healthy diet, consume whole and unprocessed foods. Refined grains and other harmful additives are usually present in processed foods. Extra calories without any nutritional value can be introduced to the diet by added sugars and fats.
12. Focus on Whole Foods
Whole foods are foods that have not been significantly processed and are kept as close as possible to their natural state, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, meat, chicken, eggs, and certain dairy products.
Eating these foods ensures that your body receives appropriate nourishment to uphold good health and regulate a healthy weight.
13. Add Protein to Each Meal and Snack
Protein in your diet plays a crucial role in managing your weight. By inducing a feeling of fullness, it has the ability to curb calorie consumption. Maintaining high-protein meals and snacks throughout the day can effectively control hunger and promote satiety for longer periods of time.
Foods that are rich in protein consist of:
- eggs
- cheese
- yogurt
- cottage cheese
- nut butters
- seeds
- beans
- meat
- chicken
- fish
14. Incorporate Mindfulness
To be mindful is to exist entirely in the present moment, free from any critiques. Mindful eating entails having complete consciousness while consuming each individual morsel.
Mindful eating does not have the goal of shedding pounds, however, shedding pounds is frequently an outcome. Mindless eating is the antithesis to mindful eating and pertains to being preoccupied and out of touch with consuming food and one’s bodily cues.
To savor your food, the following suggestions may assist you in taking your time:
- When you eat, make sure you are sitting down at a table. It’s difficult to be fully present and mindful if you’re standing or driving.
- Limit distractions — turn off the television and put your cell phone out of reach
- Pay attention to each bite of food — notice the textures and flavors.
- Put your fork down between bites and chew your food completely before swallowing.
- Learn to listen to hunger and fullness signals. If you find that you’re no longer hungry, it’s okay to save some of your food for later.
15. Manage Stress
There’s no denying that stress can have adverse effects on our well-being and impede weight management. One consequence of stress is the secretion of cortisol, which, when repeatedly released, can trigger overconsumption, sugar cravings, and ultimately weight increase.
Unhealthy behaviors such as emotional or mindless eating, skipping meals, poor eating habits, trouble sleeping, and decreased physical activity can also result from chronic stress. To combat stress, consider implementing the following effective strategies:
- healthy eating and lifestyle habits
- daily exercise
- quality sleep
- relaxation techniques
Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and visualization are among the potent relaxation techniques.
16. Consider Intermittent Fasting
The practice of intermittent fasting involves alternating between periods of eating and fasting. For some individuals, having a set schedule for meals can assist with weight management.
Merely finishing the fasting period does not give you permission to consume anything you desire. To achieve the best outcome, intermitted fasting necessitates coupling with a balanced, whole foods diet. It is important to note that IF is not applicable to everyone, and it is advisable to seek the medical advice of your doctor and verify its safety before starting an IF regime.
17. Get a Quality Night’s Sleep
Aside from its crucial function in preserving a desirable body weight, a good night’s rest delivers numerous health advantages. Obesity risk has been associated with sleep deprivation through various investigations (3). Several hormonal and metabolic operations in the body are closely associated with sleep.
These natural processes are negatively affected by insufficient sleep, which can upset the equilibrium of hunger and appetite-regulating hormones and increase the likelihood of late-night overeating. To achieve better sleep quality, it is important to ensure that your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet, and that you turn off all electronic devices.
Side notes
Having a certain amount of body fat is necessary to maintain good health. Nonetheless, excessive body fat can lead to health issues and increase the possibility of serious medical conditions. The most effective approach for sustained success in maintaining a healthy weight is gradual weight loss. Additionally, it’s crucial to regard healthy eating habits as a lifestyle rather than a short-term diet.
A complete approach is necessary to attain and sustain weight loss. This includes consuming a healthy diet, selecting whole and fiber-rich foods instead of processed foods, ensuring hydration, regular exercise, and proper rest. Achieving overall wellbeing is crucial for enduring triumph in your quest for weight loss.