Do you want to lose weight but you don’t know how or what to do? As an overweight person, the best weight loss program is to make a few dietary adjustments and do some exercises rather than depriving yourself unnecessarily.
This seems obvious, and yet it needs to be pointed out. Exercise is essential for fat elimination and weight loss. When you’re obese, it’s important to gradually return to physical activity to get back into shape and lose weight little by little. Of course, diet plays a significant role here.
There is no point in expecting to lose fat if your eating habit is unbalanced. But without sport, diet alone won’t get you back into shape. Nutrition and sport are inextricably linked for an effective weight loss, especially if you are obese!
Three fundamentals for a successful weight loss diet
1- Motivation
The first prerequisite for weight loss is to be motivated. Whether it’s your diet or sport, you’ll always want to give up. At these times, remember why you are doing all this and what your motivations are. The first week can sometimes be stressful, but you’ll undoubtedly appreciate losing the first kilo!
2- Realistic objectives
Set goals and stick to them; it’s the best way to stay motivated. The target of losing 1 kilo per week is already fabulous! And you don’t need to get on the scale twice a day looking for a change.
Once a week is already enough, on a fixed day, for example, every Sunday. And if the weight loss is less than you expected, don’t worry, it happens!
3- A gradual progression
Take it one step at a time. The human body is sensitive and needs time to adapt; it doesn’t like drastic changes. This advice applies to both physical exercise and nutrition. If you don’t do much sport, don’t force yourself to exercise for 1 hour a day every day.
The best diet for weight loss: Change your eating habits
The diet industry is full of miracle recipes that rarely work and myths. The best-case scenario is to lose those extra pounds… only to regain them after a while.
What should be done is to reduce moderately your calorie intake, which means lowering fats and fast sugars first, in addition to respecting good dietary practices by adding a few simple rules.
1. Re-learn to eat
The best way for a sustainable weight loss is by changing your eating habits. So it will depend on where you start and what you are eating now. If you regularly drink sodas and eat fast food, you can imagine that these are the first things to be banned to lose weight.
Generally speaking, the first thing to do will be to reduce your intake of sugars and fats and eat more fruits and vegetables. You should be able to choose the least energetic foods; you will need to learn how to read the labels and thus know the approximate nutritional value of common foods.
If you find it challenging to choose the right food, you can scan all your products and get a quality index based on their nutritional properties, thanks to some food applications.
2. Choice of food, cooking methods, and seasonings
Foods to be preferred
- Favour fish, which is very good for your health. It is a good source of protein and is generally low in fat. It’s a great addition to your diet, so try to eat fish 2-3 times a week whenever possible. However, avoid breaded fish.
- For meats, opt for lean meats and poultry. Remember that you should not eat meat (or fish) at every meal, you can replace them with other sources of protein such as eggs, soy, lentils, quinoa, etc.
- Vegetables: as much as you like! They are recommended for every meal. Fruits are also highly recommended but limited because of their sugar content. Prefer fruits low in sugar.
Recommended cooking methods
Meats: grilled or roasted ;
Fish: grilled, baked, microwaved, or wrapped in foil;
Vegetables: steamed, microwaved
Seasoning and sauces
Add flavour to your meals, but use the least fat possible seasonings and sauces: you can use extra lemon, soy sauce, herbs, and spices. Of course, avoid everything that is ketchup/mayonnaise, and use a minimum of butter.
3. Consume unprocessed products
A simple tip for healthy eating is to avoid processed foods. This technique used, for example, in the Paleo diet consists of favouring fresh products and abandoning the “ready-made” meals you find in the supermarket: packets of cakes, cans, ready-made dishes, etc.
In addition to being very healthy for your body, you will find many benefits other than weight loss: reduced risk of illness, better quality sleep a feeling of well-being, increased energy, etc.
You can also opt for organic farming, which is more abundant in nutrients and more nourishing than processed and impoverished products from the food industry.
4. Eat your fill
Unlike what we have always been told, dieting should not be synonymous with not eating enough. Even if some methods such as fasting recommend skipping a meal during the day, as long as you only eat healthy food, then there is no reason to deprive yourself and not eat enough. You are not going to fatten up by eating green vegetables!
Reducing quantities too drastically and not meeting your daily calorie requirements present a real risk of dietary deficiencies. Your body needs nutrients (protein, carbohydrate-fat, fibre, vitamins, and minerals)—that’ s why it is essential to eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day.
A quick reminder: 80% of diets result in failure and regaining lost weight. Why is that? Because they are ephemeral and do not match a change in eating habits. A restrictive diet will never last a lifetime, and as soon as you return to “normal” food, you will gain back the lost pounds.
5. Allow yourself a treat once in a while
Remember to enjoy yourself from time to time, as this is essential to your well-being. Therefore, allow yourself to eat a good meal once in a while.
In weight training, there is a well-known concept called “cheat meal,” which consists of allowing yourself one fatty meal per week. This is a way of not unaccustomed your body to receiving fatty foods.
The risks of a fast diet
While we are always eager to see results, the sustainable regime is, therefore, the most effective. If you still feel like trying a magic diet for quick weight loss, here are a few things you shouldn’t feel like doing:
- Guaranteed yo-yo effect: A diet that is too deprived conditions your metabolism for the next “attack.” As it is no longer used to receiving fat, at the first deviation or return to normal, it will store more fat than before to cope with possible future periods of dieting. Result: you get fatter. When you notice that you have gained weight again, you go back on a diet, and so on. You never get out of it.
- With an extreme diet, you will not provide your body with its daily needs in vitamins and minerals, which will result in increased fatigue and a decrease in your immune system (you will get sick more often, etc.).
- Deficiencies weaken your nails and hair.
- Loss of muscle mass: Even if the goal is to burn fat quickly, your body will often burn muscle mass first. Result: you lose your shape (= flat buttocks). To avoid this, you should adopt a balanced diet, rich in proteins, and do sports to build up muscle mass.
- You are more prone to stress and psychological disorders.
Your eight commandments for an effective weight loss
The following is a summary of the fundamental rules to adopt for an effective weight loss without forcing yourself into a special diet:
- Prefer lean meats and favour poultry, fish, and shellfish;
- Eat vegetables at will and in all their forms: raw, cooked, in soup;
- Drink plenty of water. Above all, forget sodas and other sweetened soft drinks, if you drink fruit juice for breakfast, buy 100% pure juice and have no more than one glass;
- Eat starchy foods at almost every meal: pasta, rice, potatoes, or bread. They give you a feeling of satiety and provide the energy and fibre you need;
- Focus on fat-burning foods: green tea, lemon, pineapple, etc. They have real power to eliminate excess kilos;
- Do not skip meals, so as not to create a deficiency. If you want to fast, prefer to have a light meal in the evening rather than skipping breakfast, which will provide you with the nutrients you need to start the day on the right foot;
- No snacking between meals. If you’re hungry, drinking a large glass of water, coffee, or tea should help you get through the next meal. If you still have an appetite, focus on appetite suppressant foods;
- Avoid eating away from home. With the money, you save on restaurants, buy quality food.
When in doubt, ask a doctor
If you have an illness, a lot of weight to lose, or any doubt about your health, you need to ask a doctor or a nutritionist so that he or she can give you an adapted diet and help you avoid some mistakes.
Best exercises for overweight people
When you are obese, training is essential to regain good health. Adding this to a balanced diet will gradually help you melt away your excess weight. Remember above all that this is not about preparing for the next Olympic Games, but rather about getting your body used to moving more. Besides, you must be aware that this process will take time.
1. Which exercise is best for overweight people?
Walking
Walking is one of the most efficient physical activities for human beings. It is also one of the gentlest and is perfect to start losing weight if you are obese. Knowing that you are walking at about 5 km/h, you burn about your weight in calories per kilometre walked.
For example, a person who weighs 90 kilos will burn 90 calories by walking one kilometre. Besides, walking allows you to increase or decrease the pace depending on how you feel and your endurance.
Elliptical biking
Elliptical biking is also an excellent sport that you can practice at your own pace and which is not necessarily intensive. Practising 30 minutes of elliptical biking per day will speed up your weight loss, all while staying at home.
You will be able to manage the speed and intensity of the machine so as not to injure yourself in addition to adapting the session to your needs. With the elliptical bike, you will strengthen your thighs and your abdominal muscles in particular.
Yoga
Yoga can be very intensive, as well as very relaxing. Thus, integrating yoga sessions into your slimming program, especially when taking up sport again, is a perfect solution when you are obese.
If you start taking classes, you will quickly feel that you are building up deep muscles.
But that’s not all; yoga also allows you to relax and stretch, which will prevent aches and pains if you start another activity at the same time. Finally, yoga will help you to relax, to feel better in your head and your skin
Little weight training exercises
Once you’ve started moving again, you can start doing small weight-training exercises such as squats, sit-ups, and push-ups. In addition to burning fat, you will gradually strengthen your muscles, and this will significantly help to improve your condition.
In addition to burning calories, exercising will allow you to reshape and gain your figure as part of your diet and stabilize your weight over the long term. If you don’t want to have a limp body, do some sport!
And at the end of the sessions, it is a good idea to get into the habit of stretching and massaging to facilitate lymphatic circulation and reduce chronic pain such as the back.
2. How many hours of sport per week for weight loss?
It is recommended to exercise at least 2 to 3 times a week and with sessions of about 30 to 40 minutes. For a beginner, this recommendation may seem excessive. Rather than telling yourself that you’ll never get there, think of this as a target to reach.
When you start, especially after a long break, it doesn’t matter if your workouts are concise and don’t contribute significantly to burning calories. Know that three 10-minute workouts a day are the same calorie expenditure as a 30-minute workout in a row.
In the beginning, all that matters is to do exercises that your body can handle. This will prepare your body for future longer, more intense workouts. Even if you only do 5, 10, or 15-minute sessions, 2 or 3 times a day, you will still benefit from exercising.
Final thoughts
There is nothing better than exercise and a healthy eating plan to prevent the harmful effects of obesity. Now, it is up to you to be determined and not give in to all temptations.
The first week is often challenging, but the first kilo lost is encouraging! It is up to you to find a balance without falling into an obsession with food and frustration.
Otherwise, you risk cracking up and starting to nibble impulsively, then feeling guilty and going back to depriving yourself, and thus falling into a totally unproductive cycle in terms of reaching your goal of weight loss!