What if you feel like you have an overwhelming amount of weight to lose and don’t know where to start? You might be quite good at losing weight, but the problem is you can’t seem to keep it off. If that’s the case, keep reading our article to discover all the tips for losing weight healthily and sustainably.
Monitor your diet and measure your calories
Research shows that people who monitor their food intake are most successful at losing weight and keeping it off. Tracking doesn’t have to be permanent, but it can be helpful until new habits are formed. A habit is an automated behavior. The more habits you create, the fewer decisions you have to make and the more mental space you have to think about other things. You certainly don’t have to do this forever, but it can give you a better sense of what a serving of oatmeal looks like in your bowl, or how many handfuls of chips you randomly snack on while trying to decide what to make for dinner. You can track your food intake through a written journal, photos, a calorie-counting app, or a combination of these methods. To complement this food tracking, you can use your BMI (Body Mass Index).
Make a long-term commitment
If you want to lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off, set realistic goals. A safe and sustainable amount of weight to lose is about 1.5 to 2 kilos per week. In reality, however, it might look more like losing 2 to 3 kilos per week at first, then half a kilo the following week, then gaining a kilo the week after that, then holding steady for a few weeks before losing another kilo. Your weight loss graph will look more like a staircase or a winding line than a perfectly linear trend. If it fluctuates in all directions, but the overall trend is downward, you’re on the right track. There are 52 weeks in a year, so be prepared to commit to changing your habits for at least a year. In the longer term, try to adopt only habits that you think you can maintain over time.
Eat protein at every meal
In addition to fiber, include protein at every meal, especially breakfast. Studies show that when people eat a protein-rich breakfast, they experience fewer cravings and eat less later in the day. Protein suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin and is digested slowly, helping you feel full longer. When protein is eaten with carbohydrates, it slows the rise in blood sugar levels, preventing the energy crash that makes you crave carbs an hour after eating. Include protein, fiber, and healthy fats at every meal. Protein needs depend on weight, but about 20 grams per meal is a good starting point. A serving of Greek yogurt, for example, contains 15 grams of protein, and you can pair it with berries for fiber.
If you feel overwhelmed by the amount of weight you need to lose, start small. Don’t try to do everything at once. To lose weight and keep it off, you need to adopt a long-term mindset and focus on small changes to your habits!
