Congratulations!! After much perseverance and hard work, you have reached your desired target weight. Losing weight is one part of the journey but the real test lies in keeping the pounds away.
Here are some simple tips to help you in this journey of Weight loss and Maintenance.
- Break the Fast
Breakfast means ‘breaking the fast`. Our bodies crave energy after an overnight fast. Skipping breakfast leads to low energy levels throughout the day.
This sets you up to hastily nibble in the morning – regularly on high-fat snacks – or eat additional servings or greater parts at lunch or dinner.
Repeated studies show that individuals who skip breakfast repay later in the day with lower glucose levels. This leads to a craving for carbohydrates and fats.
Breakfast makes your body feel supported and fulfilled, making you less inclined to eat through the day.
- Eat when hungry
Try to eat small frequent meals in the day. Listen to your body. Provide good nutrition when your body is signalling hunger and do not indulge when not required. Many times we eat due to stress or simply in a social situation.
Be mindful to eat only 70 to 80 per cent of your capacity.
- Replace simple carbs with complex carbs
Complex carbohydrates are rich in fiber and are not highly processed like refined carbohydrates. They take longer to digest and hence provide a sustained source of energy for a longer duration
When you include more complex carbs in your diet, you will feel satiated faster and that too with a lesser quantity of food. Also, you will not have the urge to snack unhealthily between meals.
This pattern would lead to a reduced intake of calories, and hence, weight loss.
Carbs which help in weight loss include:
- Bran
- Wheat germ
- Maize
- Buckwheat
- Cornmeal
- Oatmeal
- Whole grain bread
- Whole grain pasta
- Brown rice
- Barley
- Wild rice
- Eat good fats
A little fat is good for you. Good fats are the ones we get from fish, certain plants, and unrefined animal fats
Some of the benefits of Omega-3 fats are better bone health, as well as better cholesterol ratio. Good fats also help you limit your carbohydrate intake. This helps in maintaining a proper balance in your body.
So go and stock up on fish, avocados and add a little ghee to your meal. Sprinkle it on top, instead of frying food in it.
- Exercise (low intensity-low impact)
You should burn a higher number of calories than you devour to shed pounds. Exercise helps you do this. Low-intensity exercise done consistently over a period of at least 35-40 minutes, five times a week, is more than enough to keep your body in shape.
Over-exercising at a high intensity comes with its own problems, like joint issues, lower protein mass in the body, as well as muscle fatigue especially when you are overweight.
Once you drop some of the pounds, you can begin introducing strength, flexibility and endurance training. Make sure you do it with a trained and certified coach.
Adopt a healthier lifestyle as opposed to going on diets or starving your body. Consciously adopt fresh fruits and vegetables as a part of your diet, add more fiber into it, and do schedule in meaningful exercise. Small lifestyle choices go a long way in controlling weight and maintaining your health in the long term.
While these are just some tips to keep the weight off, don’t forget the smartest thing you can do is by making the right choices. Health and Wellness Coaching helps you to make the right choices for yourself. Here you will discover tools, skills and resources that you require to succeed in this journey. It will help you get a 360degree whole person perspective of yourself.
Everyone’s journey to weight loss is different, and Health and Wellness Coaching will help you understand your unique challenges and what works for you, so that any changes you make are sustainable and lifelong.
Goodbye yo – yo Weight, Welcome Health!
