To lose weight and lower your belly, changes in habits and lifestyle can be quite effective, and can help you lose up to 2 kg per week, depending on the initial weight. However, for this to be achieved, it is important to follow the recommended strategies every day.
In addition, if the person is in a process of weight loss, it is advisable not to weigh themselves every day to check if they have lost or gained weight, as this causes anxiety and can interfere with the process. The ideal is to weigh yourself only once a week, always at the same time and it should be taken into account if it is during the menstrual period, because during this week it is normal to be a little more bloated, which is reflected on the scale.
The tips below are listed in order of importance, starting with:
Contents
1. Eat slowly and savor your food
Eating slowly allows that when the stomach is almost full, it sends a signal to the brain indicating that you have already received enough food and that you no longer need to continue eating. However, people who have the habit of eating fast, their brain does not perceive this signal of satiety, causing the person to eat in greater quantities, in addition to this, it also reduces the time of contact with food and the pleasure of making better use of it . See in more detail the consequences of eating fast .
Respecting satiety is one of the main points to lose weight and avoid weight gain. Satisfying the stomach with foods rich in nutrients and fibers such as vegetables, fruits, white meat and good fats, makes the metabolism work better and prevents the feeling of hunger for longer.
2. Drink more water throughout the day
You should drink plenty of fluids between meals, as this will help reduce hunger and fluid retention, because the more water you drink, the more urine the body produces, and with its elimination toxins are also released that impair the process of loss of fluid. weight. Know the foods that contain water.
- What you can drink: water, coconut water, unsweetened natural juices, unsweetened teas;
- What not to drink : soft drinks, industrialized juices, chocolate drinks and alcoholic beverages.
The amount of water to be ingested per day varies between 1.5 to 3 L per day. If you have any difficulty drinking water, learn what you can do to drink 2 liters of water a day.
3. Do physical activity
The type of exercise is not the most important thing, but if you take advantage of all the opportunities to burn calories whenever possible, it is of the utmost importance that you practice an activity at least 3 times a week. Doing some daily activities can make a difference, try the following activities:
- Climbing stairs instead of the elevator;
- Get off one stop before work or school and walk the rest of the way;
- Go out for a 10 minute walk after lunch. See a walking weight loss workout routine ;
- Take the dog for a walk at night.
To increase your energy expenditure, try walking for at least 30 minutes, 3 times a week, as this is one of the best physical exercises for losing weight, but also do some resistance exercises to complement your training. Get to know some exercises that are easy to do in a few minutes and that help to make your abdomen flat.
4. Eat everything but in moderation
The body needs all the nutrients, so on diets in which carbohydrates are forbidden, the weight increases again shortly afterwards. The best tips are:
- Prefer skim milk and its derivatives;
- Add 1 tablespoon of seeds to juices and yogurts such as flaxseed and chia;
- Eat a handful of nuts, such as peanuts or peanuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts per day;
- Choose only one carbohydrate source per meal, giving preference to natural foods;
- Eat a raw salad before lunch and dinner;
- Eat at least 3 fruits per day;
- Avoid the consumption of simple sugars, avoiding drinking coffee, milk, yogurt, teas and juices with sugar;
- Avoid eating after you are full.
The consumption of fruits and vegetables several times a day, provide many fibers and vitamins, in addition to containing few calories, favoring the weight loss process.
5. Do not stay hungry
Eating small meals every 3 hours may seem exaggerated, but it is true that hunger does not appear. In this way dividing the portions of food help to reduce weight. Follow the tips below:
- Put reminders on the cell phone or in the agenda advising that it is time to eat;
- Always keep nuts in your wallet or backpack, natural fruits that are easy snacks to make on the street;
- The best snacks are: fruits, yogurts, carrot sticks, cucumber with avocado crushed and seasoned with salt and pepper, tomato in large cubes with a pinch of salt and olive oil, a boiled egg and nuts.
If a meal is not possible throughout the day, simply focus on maintaining the quality of the next meal and use these little snacks if you are hungry. Little by little it is possible to understand that most of the time it is not about hunger but anxiety.
6. Write down everything you eat
Writing down everything you eat throughout the day is also a good strategy to lose weight, since in this way the person becomes more aware of what they eat and, in this way, they can identify mistakes and where to improve, being able to alter their habits food to lose weight, in case this is the purpose, and have a healthier life.
It is recommended that the registration be done every day and after each meal, as it is easier to remember what was consumed. In the food diary it is important to indicate if it is breakfast, lunch, lunch, lunch or dinner, the time of the meal, the food consumed and the amount, the place where you ate and what you were doing at the time. In addition, it must be recorded if he had company and how he felt at that time. This record should be done for 3 to 7 days, since in this way it will be possible to have a better idea of what the eating habits are.
After registration, it is important to discuss all food choices together with the nutritionist, since this way it is possible to identify errors and establish strategies to achieve the desired goal. In addition, the nutritionist will indicate the best foods so that the person does not have nutritional deficiencies and can lose weight in a healthy way.
What to do if you can’t lose weight
If you have tried several times to lose weight and have not succeeded, the ideal is to consult a general doctor to analyze if the thyroid gland is working correctly, for example, since diseases such as hypothyroidism or polycystic ovaries can cause increased weight.
In addition to this, a nutritionist should also be consulted to carry out an evaluation of eating habits and other parameters, developing an individualized nutritional plan to achieve the proposed objective.
In cases where there is a health problem such as gastritis, asthma, osteoporosis or even a limitation of mobility, the guidance and advice of doctors is essential to reconcile the diet with the use of medications and with the proper adaptation to the disease. so that in this way it is possible to lose weight by improving the quality of life and not the other way around.
