There is no ‘best’ way to lose weight. The best weight-loss plan is the one that works for you in the long term and is something you will be able to maintain. Different people respond better to different methods of losing weight, so it’s worth experimenting to find out what works for you. The amount of weight you should aim to lose depends on your circumstances and risk of developing future health problems. Generally speaking, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) recommend that overweight adults with diabetes lose about 10% of their current body weight. Those who are obese should aim to lose 15-20% of their body weight. Let’s take a look at some common ways that people have found helpful when trying to lose weight.
Fitness routine
For many people, the most challenging part of their weight-loss journey is starting and sticking to a regular exercise routine. It can be difficult to find the motivation to get started and to continue with the routine when the going gets tough. Try to think of exercise as a long-term investment in your health and not just a short-term fix.
Exercising regularly will help you lose weight and also improve your overall health. You’ll feel fitter and stronger, and you’ll be less likely to suffer from long-term health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Health and fitness apps are a great way to stay motivated and to track your progress. If you have a smartwatch or fitness tracker, try using one of the many fitness apps available for these devices.
Food restriction
A common strategy for weight-loss is to severely restrict the amount of food you are eating. This may involve eating very small, low-calorie meals, or going on a liquid diet to completely cleanse your system. While this can help you to lose weight quickly, it is nearly always unsustainable for the long term. You’ll be much more likely to regain the weight once you start eating normally again. Typical diets that involve severe restriction are likely to be low in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.
You’ll need to rely on supplements to make up for these nutritional deficiencies. Another problem with many diets is that they focus too much on short-term weight loss, which may be achieved by consuming too few calories. This can put you at risk of malnutrition.
Intermittent Fasting
IF has become increasingly popular as a weight-loss strategy. It involves restricting your food intake for certain periods of time. Again, this is not sustainable for the long term, but it can help you to lose weight quickly. IF is most effective for those who are already relatively healthy. People who have existing health problems or take medication should not try this method of losing weight without consulting their doctor. IF can help people to lose weight, but it is unlikely to improve their overall health. You’ll need to make sure that you’re eating a balanced diet that includes all the essential vitamins and minerals.
Weight-loss medications
There are several different types of medications that can be used to help people lose weight. It’s important to note that these are not suitable for everyone and they should only be used alongside a healthy diet and exercise routine. Some of the most common types of medication include:
– Orlistat: This blocks the enzyme responsible for breaking down fat.
– Saxagliptin: This lowers blood sugar levels by reducing the amount of glucose your body absorbs from food.
– Liraglutide: This helps to reduce hunger cravings by increasing the amount of a chemical that tells you when you’re full.
– Sibutramine: Also known as a ‘craving suppressant’. This works by boosting the amount of serotonin in your brain.
Eat more vegetables and fruit
If you are trying to lose weight, you’ll need to eat fewer calories to create a calorie deficit. However, you don’t have to completely deprive yourself of food to create this deficit. A great way to reduce the amount of calories you eat is to eat more fruit and vegetables.
If you replace some of the foods you normally eat with fruit and vegetables, you’ll likely end up consuming fewer calories. Try chopping up vegetables and keeping them in the fridge to add to salads or sandwiches. Getting into the habit of eating more fruit and vegetables will benefit your health and help to support your weight-loss goals.
Increase your protein intake
One of the best ways to create a calorie deficit is to eat protein-rich foods. Protein is one of the most satiating macronutrients, meaning that it makes you feel fuller for longer. Eating more protein-rich foods is a simple way to reduce the amount of calories you eat for each meal.
You can increase your protein intake by eating more protein-rich foods, such as fish, eggs, and beans. Alternatively, you can take protein supplements. If you regularly consume protein supplements, it’s important to ensure that they are safe to take with your other medications.
Simple Diet Changes
There are many simple diet changes you can make to help you lose weight. Here are some ideas:
– Drink more water. This can be helpful in two ways. Not only will you likely drink fewer calories, but you will also be less hungry.
– Limit your intake of sugary drinks. There is no nutritional benefit to these drinks, and they contain a lot of sugar.
– Eat more slowly. Eating slowly takes time and gives your stomach time to process the food. As a result, you’re less likely to overeat and you’ll be more satisfied with the amount of food you eat.
– Start eating more slowly and gradually increase the amount of food you’re eating. This will allow your body more time to register fullness so you’ll be less likely to overeat.
- DASH Diet
The DASH diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It’s been used successfully to treat high blood pressure, but it’s also a great way to lose weight. DASH is a low-sugar, high-fibre diet that is naturally rich in vegetables, fruit, and fish. It’s also designed to make you reduce your salt intake, which means you’re less likely to crave high-salt foods like crisps and crackers. The DASH diet has been proven to reduce blood pressure, which can help you to avoid developing long-term health conditions like heart disease and stroke.
- Go gluten-free
Many people are trying to reduce their intake of carbohydrates as a way of achieving weight loss. However, you should be careful to avoid going ‘gluten-free’ as a fad diet. Going gluten-free is unlikely to reduce your calorie intake significantly, and it may also be nutritionally unbalanced. If you want to reduce your carbohydrate intake as part of a weight-loss diet, try replacing processed grains with fruits and vegetables instead.
Slowly increasing exercise
For many people, the best way to lose weight is to slowly increase the amount of exercise they are doing each week. Start by setting yourself a realistic target of how much exercise you want to do each week. You should aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, but no more than 3 hours per day. If you are new to exercising regularly, you should gradually increase the amount of exercise you are doing each week.
Let your doctor know if you have a health condition or are taking any medications that might impact on your ability to exercise. Depending on your circumstances, your doctor may advise you to consult a personal trainer or fitness instructor to help you stay motivated and to meet your goals.
Aerobic exercise or ‘cardio’ is the most effective way to lose weight. By increasing your heart rate over a sustained period, you will burn calories and fat. Exercising outdoors is a great way to stay motivated. Being in nature can also improve your mental health and reduce anxiety.
- Boxing and weight training
While most people turn to boxing as a way to boost their self-esteem and self-confidence, it also makes for a great workout. A study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine found that boxers lose an average of 10% of their body weight in 8 weeks of training. Another study found that regular weight training helped overweight men and women lose roughly 11% of their body weight over 12 months.
You don’t need to be training for a boxing match to get these benefits. You can work out at home with dumbbells and resistance bands to get an effective weight-loss workout. If you are training for a boxing match, remember to eat healthily and drink enough water. You will need more calories and fluids than usual to fuel your training. It’s also important to get enough sleep to avoid overtraining. Be careful that you don’t become dehydrated or seriously lose weight during your training.
- Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise is a type of exercise that gets your heart rate up. It’s typically performed at a low-moderate intensity for a prolonged period of time. It can be a very effective form of exercise for weight loss. When people engage in aerobic exercise, they burn more calories than they would be they were resting. As they burn more calories, they lose weight. This is because they are losing both fat and muscle.
When we eat, our bodies break down the food we eat and use it to produce energy. Fat is stored in case there is not enough food to burn for energy. Exercise helps to break down the fat and use it for energy. When people diet without exercising, they usually lose both fat and muscle. When people exercise without dieting, they lose fat and keep the muscle. This is why dieters who exercise lose less muscle than people who don’t exercise while dieting.
- Cardio exercise
Cardio exercises are aerobic exercises that raise your heart rate and make you sweat. Examples of cardio exercises include jogging, cycling, swimming, and aerobic dance. If you want to lose weight, it’s best to do a mix of aerobic exercise and resistance training. A study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that overweight and obese women who combined aerobic exercise and resistance training lost more weight than those who only did aerobic exercise.
Aerobic exercise burns more calories than resistance training. Combining the two exercises helps to burn more calories than either one alone, making it easier to lose weight. The best way to lose weight with cardio is to do at least 30 minutes of moderate cardio five times a week, preferably every day.
Weight Watchers
If you’re not sure where to start with your weight-loss journey, it might be worth checking out Weight Watchers. It’s a well-known weight-loss program that is proven to work for many people. Weight Watchers uses a points system that takes into account the calories, fat, and other nutrients in the food you eat. You eat within your daily points total, so you can still eat the foods you enjoy.
The Weight Watchers system helps you to lose weight in two ways. First, it helps you to become more aware of how many calories and other nutrients are in the food you eat. As you become more aware of what you eat, you may start to make healthier choices. Second, the points system helps you to lose weight by encouraging you to eat fewer calories than you need each day.
Bottom line
The bottom line is this – if you want to lose weight, you are going to have to eat less and exercise more. While there is no single best way to lose weight, there are definitely better options than others. The best way to lose weight is to find an exercise routine you enjoy enough to stick with it.