Tips for Quick Weight Loss
In my personal experience with weight loss, the results have always been most drastic when I start working out again after some time off, or when I add something new to my routine. As with any change in weight, exercise and diet play equally significant roles. Therefore to shed pounds at a healthy rate—and keep them off—we need to focus on both factors.
Tips for Quick Weight Loss: Diet
For anyone who may have forgotten, we’ll start with a quick recap of what we should be taking in under normal circumstances:
-Carbohydrates should make up about 60% of our daily caloric intake. The more complex carbs you eat, the better. (Think brown and whole grain foods, rather than white ones.)
-Protein should account for 10-20% of our daily intake. (On the higher end if we’re looking to build muscle mass.)
-Fats should be 20-30% of our daily intake. However, it’s important to remember that the kind of fats our bodies need are not processed, saturated fats, but those that occur naturally in foods like nuts, fish, or vegetable oils.
Though many labels on packaged foods compare calories and other nutritional information to a 2,000 calorie per day diet, this daily allowance is on the high end of what most Americans need. Talk to your doctor or a nutritionist to create a personal plan that will work for you.
Tips for Quick Weight Loss: Exercise
If you’re not exercising at all, start. It’s as simple as that. And don’t be afraid to challenge yourself: it will get easier. When I first began a cardio workout regimen, I could only last 5 minutes at a time on the Stairmaster. Then I had to take a break.
General health and fitness guidelines state that we should all be physically active for at least 30 minutes, 5 days per week. If you already do this and you’re looking to lose weight, try adding a little time to your cardio routine or working in regular resistance training. (Resistance training will actually increase your metabolism, meaning that your body will burn more calories all the time; not only when you’re working out.
If you can’t afford more at the gym, try upping the intensity of your exercises. Running faster or power walking, even for short intervals of your regular workout will have positive effects on heart and lung health, as well as burning more calories than a slower-paced workout for the same amount of time.
If it’s tips for quick weight loss you’re looking for, here’s my advice:
1) Drink lots of water (always). Often our bodies mistake thirst for hunger, and we take in unnecessary calories as a result. Herbal tea can help you feel full and cut the desire to eat at night.
2) Decrease your calorie intake a little. Remember: cutting too many calories will actually slow down your metabolism. Something as simple as skipping desert or second helpings can work wonders.
3) Exercise. Then exercise more. Increase time, intensity, or both to burn more calories, and watch those extra pounds go away and stay away.
Tags: carbohydrates, health and fitness, lung health, protein, quick weight loss, weight loss