Losing weight at home might seem a challenging task for most of the people but the process itself is not that complex as the hype. All it takes for naturally losing weight is the firm determination to actually make it happen, strategic planning and then staying consistent on those plans.
WHY SHOULD WE WORK ON LOSING WEIGHT:
An overweight or obese person faces many challenges in the society like social discrimination or isolation. These social stigmas ultimately end up making that obese person mentally unstable, anxious and depressed. Moreover, an overweight person is prone to many health issues and chronic diseases like obesity, type II diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
CAUSES OF WEIGHT GAIN:
The major reason for gaining weight in healthy individuals is that their total calorie intake is higher than the total calorie burn. It can be caused by several possible factors like unhealthy diet, lack of exercise or sedentary lifestyle. So, we need to focus on reversal of the changes caused due to the unhealthy habits and then staying persistent on those in the future. The weight gain is also possible due to genetics or surrounding environment of the person.
WEIGHT LOSS STRATEGIES:
In order to lose weight in a healthy manner so that the person does not fall prey to complications like dehydration or nutritional deficiency (malnutrition), we do not have to focus on losing weight too fast or rush the process. Instead, we need to keep it slow and make a realistic approach so that the person does not get further complications in the long run. Here are some realistic weight loss strategies which can help the person to lose weight at home:
- Intermittent fasting:
Intermittent fasting involves the strategic eating patterns in which individuals go through the extended periods of fasting (usually 16 hours fasting) and consuming food ad libitum during the remaining periods of time on a recurring basis. It mainly focuses on when to eat rather than what to eat.
The most popular strategies of intermittent fasting which help in weight loss are:
- 5:2 intermittent fasting (fasting two days with restricted calorie intake and maintaining normal healthy diet during the rest of 5 days)
- 16/8 method (fasting strictly during 16 hours of the day and eating food ad libitum in the remaining 8 hours)
- Alternate day fasting
Intermittent fasting alone can help a person lose weight significantly. In addition to weight loss, intermittent fasting also helps in improved insulin sensitivity which reduces the risk of type II diabetes in the person.
- Diet Pattern Change:
A person intending to lose weight naturally at home needs to regulate his/her diet in the first place. There are some dietary changes which the person needs to adopt in his daily lifestyle.
Yes Diet:
- Lean protein (helps the person to feel satisfied and less hungry for longer durations and uses more calories for digestion) e.g. egg, pork, chicken breast, tofu
- Fruits and vegetables (low in calories and promote fullness and satiety for longer periods. High in fiber) e.g. avocado, broccoli, berries, apples, leafy greens
- Healthy fats (helps in longer duration satiety and regulated the body to rely on fats for energy rather than carbohydrates. Thus, the body starts burning fats for energy) e.g. avocados, nuts, olive oil, fatty fish
- Fibers (slow the digestion process and helps the person feel satisfied on less food for longer durations) e.g. chia seeds, broccoli, beans, peas, lentils
- Green tea (contains antioxidant substances which help the breakdown of fat cells)
- Water (helps the metabolism process with reduced calorie intake)
No Diet:
- Processed foods (high caloric intake and high amounts of saturated fats and added sugars. Increased risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension) e.g. fried foods, processed meats, fast food, sugary drinks
- Refined Carbohydrates (easy to digest so high blood sugar spikes which lead to weight gain) e.g. white rice, candy, pasta, white bread
- Trans fats (raise bad cholesterol LDL in body and increases the risk of heart diseases and obesity) e.g. baked goods, fried foods, fast food
- Regular Exercise:
The most effective way to lose weight is enforcing the process by regular exercise along with the balanced diet. Exercise helps promote the metabolic process of body which leads to high calorie expenditure. Exercise helps maintain lean body mass and helps in burning fat content of body which plays a crucial role in weight loss.
How much time to spend on exercise:
The amount of exercise during the weight loss process depends on the person’s will to lose weight. If the person needs to lose weight really quick, he will increase the amount of time for daily workouts. However, a normal person who wants to lose healthy weight without getting prone to the risks of cramps or convulsions, the optimum duration for exercise is 30 minutes to 1 hour on a daily basis.
WHICH EXERCISES ARE MOST HELPFUL DURING WEIGHT LOSS:
A person can choose exercise which he/she feels the most convenient because the main purpose is to create a calorie deficit which can be achieved through most of the exercises. However, here are some lists of exercises which are known to help in weight loss quickly and effectively:
- Walking/Running
- Cycling
- Squats
- Yoga/Pilates
- Swimming
- Jumping jack
- Pushups
- Hiking
- Sleep and Stress Management:
Irregular sleep patterns and stress can hinder the weight loss process significantly. They cause hormonal imbalance in the person which can even lead to weight gain instead of losing weight.
If a person is not getting adequate sleep, it slows down the metabolic process which leads to low calorie burn than required. In addition, the hormones regulating the hunger cycle get disturbed due to irregular sleep patterns and the person ends up feeling hungrier and uptaking more calories.
If a person is stressing too much, it causes an increase in the amount of stress hormone called cortisol in the body. Higher levels of cortisol increase the natural appetite of person and increase the cravings for added sugars, refined carbohydrates and fats.
- Staying consistent:
If a person really wants to lose weight at home naturally then staying consistent on all of the above strategies is the key. After a successful healthy weight loss, the person needs to stick to these lifestyle changes to maintain the weight in the future. If the person goes back to previous unhealthy lifestyle after losing weight, he will no doubt gain weight again. So, in order to manage weight in the future after losing it successfully, staying consistent is the main key.
Consult a dietician:
If a person needs proper guidance to achieve the intended results or suffers from any complications during the weight loss journey, he/she needs to seek the help from a dietician. Consulting a dietician or physician will make the journey much more easy, predictable and applicable.
