Lose Weight
Edited by aianne b., Maria Quinney, Charmed, Ephraim and 6 others
5 Parts:
It is alarming to realize that today, a large number of people are overweight. This issue will continue to rise if we do not take steps to control it. The major contributor to this problem is the kind of lifestyle many people have. Being sedentary and poor eating generally lead to obesity. You can prevent yourself from becoming obese by getting an adequate amount of exercise and eating a balanced diet.
Contents
Basic Tips for Losing Weight:
- 1Discipline and mind set. This is an important factor for you to begin with. You must be determined to change for the better. You must set your goals before losing weight. Without goals, it is impossible for you to pursue what you really want to do for yourself. You may not be able to achieve your weight goals without self-discipline and perseverance.Advertisement
- 2Have a balanced diet. You may want to consult a dietitian to help you create a daily meal plan, or you may want to read magazines about healthy diets or surf the web for menu diet plans. Replace fats and meats with more fruits and vegetables. Drink plenty of water every day. Do not starve yourself, because this will just lead you to eat more than you should. Eat frequent smaller meals daily.Advertisement
- 3Do regular exercise. Exercising for only a day does not work to help you lose weight. This is not a one night miracle. You will not see changes, even if you exercise the whole day. Regular exercise is required, which means you have to do exercise daily, even if only for 30 minutes. You can gradually increase the time up to an hour or so, if you are able.
- 4Change your lifestyle. Avoid being stressed out as much as possible. Adequate rest and sleep are important to regain energy. Avoid cigarette smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.
- 5Make these all work. A good, balanced diet and regular exercise should go hand in hand. You should make all these work simultaneously to lose weight in no time.
Six Pieces of Exercise Equipment that Can Help You Lose Weight
There are many workout tools that you can choose, but it does not mean you have to pick out any tool just to lose the extra pounds. Some workout tools are not appropriate for your health, or they are not suitable for your goal. What is your goal? What exactly do you want - to lose a lot of pounds or just get rid of fat? No matter what your goal is, you should read the information below about workout tools. This will help you pick out the best options for your goal.
- 1Treadmill.One of the best workout tools that many women love is the treadmill. It is just like you are running outside, but the difference is that you can track your own daily steps, heart rate, and calories burned by using the machine's program. This workout tool not only helps you burn calories for your overall health, but also helps lose a lot of belly fat. So, if you want to lose weight holistically, then a treadmill is the perfect tool for you.
Advertisement - 2Free weights (kettle bells, barbells, and dumbbells).Each free weight has different pounds or kilograms, so you should choose the right one for you. Let's take the dumbbells as examples: If you lift light dumbbells, it may likely give you a little result. On the other hand, if you lift heavy-weight dumbbells, it may strain your muscles. In this case, you have to choose the right dumbbell for you. If you are a beginner, five-pound (two-kilogram) dumbbells are recommended. You should start with light dumbbells before lifting heavy dumbbells. Dumbbells and other free weights are typically good for building and firming muscles. If you want to build good and big muscles, then dumbbells are perfect workout tools for you.
- 3Trampoline.Jumping on a trampoline can help you burn calories. Did you know that every hour of trampoline exercise can help burn 300-350 calories? Not only can it help you lose weight, but it can also bring a lot of fun. Bouncing on a trampoline can also tone your overall muscles.
- 4Bicycles. There are different types of bikes to use for losing weight: Recumbent, upright, and the ordinary bike. These bikes all provide you good results in losing weight fast. The difference is that the comfort level of each type of bike may or may not suit you. Recumbent bikes are a lot better than upright bikes, as they can help relax your back. When you sit on an upright bike for a long time, it will just strain your back muscles. An ordinary bike requires you to pedal so that the bike can move forward continuously, which is a good activity for burning a lot of calories. It is no wonder that many cyclists love to use an ordinary bike. However, this can be tiring, and you need to bring plenty of water with you.
- 5Exercise balls.An exercise ball can help strengthen the abdominal and back muscles. It will prevent you from developing back strains in the future. Oftentimes, an exercise ball is used as a training aid for those who have severe back strains. If you want to have stronger muscles and avoid osteoporosis, then you may want to try an exercise ball. It will not just help you lose weight, but also strengthen your spinal cord. Before doing so, make sure you know how to use an exercise ball for your condition. Ask a health and fitness professional about how to use it properly.
- 6Rowing machines. These machines provide you with a full body workout. They can help your abdomen, legs, back, and arm muscles. Rowing machines can also help your cardio workout and, at its best, help in warding off cardiovascular diseases. The more you increase your heart rate when exercising, the more you burn calories as well. Take note that there are different kinds of rowing machines. Choose a type that suits your preference.
When choosing an exercise tool, make sure that it will suit your purpose. There are many workout machines and tools that you can use. Start with the easiest and lightest exercise equipment, so that your whole body and muscles will get used to exercising and will tolerate heavy-weight workout tools after several weeks.
Foods and Drinks for Dieters:
Regular exercise and a balanced diet are said to go hand in hand - a perfect combination to achieve weight goals faster. What is the purpose of working out, if you do not maintain a balanced diet? When planning to lose weight, you have to ingest foods and drinks equally - no more, no less. You can eat meat, sweet foods, and other sugary recipes, as long as you eat them moderately. If you only eat vegetables and fruits every day, your body will crave more sweet and fatty foods. People need balanced nutrients. Having a balanced diet can control your food cravings, too. Below is the list of foods and drinks that you may want to prepare, and thus help you control food cravings:
Foods:
- 1Calorie-controlled foods.Who says you should resist the temptation to eat sweet foods? You can still satisfy your sweet tooth by eating low-calorie foods. In doing so, you can limit calorie consumption. Say, for example, you only have to eat one chocolate biscuit during snack time, which may be enough to satisfy your food cravings. On the next day, you can make a low fat homemade cake. Take note that the recommended daily intake of calories for women is 2,000 calories a day, while for men it is 2,500. Staying close to this amount will help you keep a healthy body weight and have an energy boost. You can cut down on the recommended consumption, if you are overweight. Below is an example of a "Monday" dietary meal plan, and the other days should have different meal plans.
- Breakfast: A bowl of whole grain cereal and a glass of skimmed milk.
- Lunch: One fried egg with one slice of toasted wheat bread.
- Snack: Two chocolate biscuits and fruit juice.
- Dinner: A vegetable salad, a small pork chop, and a boiled potato.
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Fat-free and low-fat dairy products.
Whole milk and many dairy products can make you gain weight. Dairy is good for those who are ready to have a baby. However, if you are trying to lose weight, you should choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products over whole ones. Skimmed milk and low-fat cheeses are examples of these kinds of foods. If you are lactose-intolerant, do not eat or drink any of these.
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Vegan salad recipes. These are perfect foods for dieters, as these not only give them full health benefits, but also help them lose weight. Vegetable and fruit salads are healthy choices. These can help regulate bowel movements because of their rich fiber. Below is a delicious recipe for a special vegan salad that you may want to prepare:
- Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup diced potatoes
- 1/2 cup peeled and diced carrots
- 1/2 cup cored and chopped apples
- 1/4 cup of French beans, finely chopped
- 2 sliced pineapples, cut into small chunks
- 1/2 cup of halved grapes
- 1 1/2 cups of non-fat plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup of honey
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. of chopped almonds
- 10 raisins
- Procedure:
- Steam the carrots, potatoes and French beans for 15 minutes. While doing so, you can place a sieve on top of a pot to steam the vegetables. Let them cool afterwards.
- Combine the steamed veggies in a serving bowl and add the grapes, pineapples, and apples.
- For the salad dressing, whisk in the honey, salt, and yogurt into a new bowl until blended.
- Add the dressing to the serving bowl with the salad and toss them well to combine.
- Sprinkle the salad with raisins and almonds and serve.
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Lean meat and fish. When craving meat, go for lean meat and fish. Lean meat has little or no fat. Lean beef cuts are good substitutes for pork. Fish like tuna and salmon are healthy and do not add more weight.
Beverages:
"What is the best beverage?" Water is always the answer for this question. Nevertheless, there are several other drinks that are healthy and delicious. Below is a list of healthy drinks that you may want to prepare while losing weight:
- 1Green teas are among the healthiest beverages. Not only can they provide you with tremendous health benefits, but they can also help you lose weight fast. Green tea does not contain calories, so you can drink them anytime you want.
- 2Mint teas. These teas can help promote the movement of foods in the stomach, and thus ward off indigestion.
- 3One percent reduced-fat milk. This milk can help control food cravings, because it has carbohydrates, a little fat, and protein - the three major components of a healthy meal. Your digestive tract will absorb the milk slowly, keeping you full most of the time.
- 4Low-sodium tomato juice. As we all know, tomatoes have lycopenes that are believed to be effective in reducing the risk of any forms of cancer. Also, tomato juice can maintain your body weight because of its nutrients.
- 5Orange juice. Who can forget orange juice? This is a very delicious and refreshing drink. Orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that can ward off free radicals and other harmful substances that may result in serious diseases. When you exercise, you will secrete body fluids, as well as energy. You may want to drink orange juice every time you feel un-energized. The juice can boost your energy, as well as your well-being. It also contains fiber that can help eliminate unwanted toxins and fats in your body.
Making an Apple, Ginger, and Carrot Drink:
How about combining veggies and fruits to make a healthy, delicious refresher? Interested in learning a new recipe? If so, below is a step-by-step method on how to make an apple, ginger, and carrot drink:
- 1Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. of fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup of 100 percent chilled carrot juice
- 1/2 cup of sweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 cup of organic fat-free vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 tsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 5 ice cubes
- 1 frozen banana, sliced
- 2Procedure:
- In a blender, add all ingredients and blend them until smooth.
- Serve immediately to avoid spoilage.
Tips Tricks & Warnings:
- When planning to exercise, start with warm-up exercises to avoid muscle cramps and body pains.
- If you are overweight or obese, swimming is a good exercise for you, because it is less straining on your joints. Other exercises may result in joint pain.
- Before choosing any exercise equipment, ask your health care provider about the right exercise tool for you.
- Simple aerobics and brisk walking can be your start-up exercises before proceeding to compound exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups, lunges, squats, etc. Compound exercises and body-building are good for muscle toning and firming. Be sure you lose weight first, before doing the latter exercises. The same goes for using exercise equipment.
- Remember to practice a balanced diet when losing weight, so that you will get the right nutrients for your body. Avoid taking diet and slimming pills or teas.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
