Many people start the latest fad diet this time of year, but you might be reluctant to join the crowd. The truth is, these diets can actually harm your wellbeing so you are right to be wary, and even though they produce fast weight loss results, much of this will be a loss of water and you’ll quickly regain, or even exceed your original weight.
So how should you do it? Slow steady weight loss is far better for your wellness than crash dieting, so you should be tackling your weight in an attainable and medically sound way. You should be aiming to lose a pound of body fat a week, by eating 3500 calories less than normal. Regardless of the way you do it, there are a few things that everyone should be doing the same.
You need to be consuming fewer calories than you burn, and controlling your appetite. The latter is important because many people say that feeling hungry is one of their main reasons for abandoning a diet. To combat this, aim for foods that are low in fat, low in energy density, high in fibre and with high water content. Focus on lower-fat dairy products, leaner meats, wholegrain breads and cereals and plenty of fruit and vegetables. You should also stick to drinking water and diet drinks, as opposed to sugary or alcoholic beverages, and eat regularly, remembering to never skip breakfast.
Also, don’t forget the part that physical activity has to play in safe and effective weight loss. This means making two big lifestyle changes, which can be a lot to take on, but the two go hand-in-hand and are very effective together. Exercise raises your resting heart rate, meaning you carry on burning calories even after you’ve stopped exercising. Unfortunately, this means vigorous exercise that increases your body temperature, and makes you sweat, for the optimal levels of weight loss, which is a goal you should work up to, rather than starting with it straight away. Also, exercises with weights will help maintain your muscle mass, which expends even more calories. You can find online calculators to roughly determine how many calories you’re losing, but first and foremost you should consult a doctor before starting any rigorous exercise programme.
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