5 Tips To Lose Weight

In this day and age, more people are more aware and conscious of their health. And this is a great thing. We ought to be more self-aware with what we eat and how we exercise. Because our physical endurance and capabilities are an important part of living a better, cleaner and more fulfilling life. And it seems that every single magazine, blog, video or newspaper has released a column on how to lose weight. And most of these tips, you seem to hear or read about them all the time. However, here are some “repeated” but very sure ways of losing weight effectively and efficiently.

1. Stock on on breakfast

Ever heard of the phrase : “Eat breakfast like a king but eat dinner like a peasant”? Well, it has some backbone to it. What this basically means is to eat and consume most of your calories during breakfast. The reason why this helps with weight loss is that when you consume most of your calories in the morning, you have more time to burn it off. The morning is the start of the day, for the majority of us, and therefore your body is consistently burning off calories throughout the day, via your basal metabolic rate. So take your carbohydrates and sugars (in moderation) in the morning and allow your body to do the heavy lifting for the rest of the day. But during the night, limit your caloric intake. Try to stick to proteins and fibers for the nighttime. This way, no extra calories will get converted to reserved sugars and fats which contribute to weight gain.

2. Smaller meals, more often

Instead of going for 3 meals a day, opt to 6 meals a day. This is extremely effective for weight loss. And the science behind is more logical than you think. When you take smaller meals, more frequently, you are essentially giving your body the exact amount of energy that it needs for a certain amount of time. Remember extra calories, that do not get used up as energy, is stored in fat and sugar reserves in your body. This is what ultimately leads to weight gain. However, as you are eating small meals, let’s say 200-300 calorie meals, in 2-3 hour increments : you are limiting the amount of excess unused calories.

3. Last meal 3 hours before sleep

Similar to the first point made, “eat dinner like a peasant”. Keep the dinner meals to a bare minimum. Keep it to easily digestible food groups : protein and fibre. And what’s even more important is make sure there is an appropriate amount of time between the time you have your last meal to the time you sleep. If you eat and go straight to bed, not only will you have problems initiating your sleep but you are also making it easy for your body to store those calories into fat. When we are asleep, our metabolic rate decreases because we are in a relaxed state. And thats the exact opposite of what you would want (if you want to lose weight). Therefore, make sure there is about 3 hours between dinner and sleeptime.

4. Lift those weights

Diet makes up 80% of weight loss. But the other 20%, exercise, is just as important. Because although you will be losing weight, you will want to gain strength and endurance. You want to build a strong stature. Lean and mean. With exercise, most people opt to hit the treadmill hard. Most people assume that cardio is the only way to go. Although cardio is a great form of exercise, it is not the only one that you need to focus on. Weights and strengthening exercises are great forms of weight loss. You are demanding your body to utilise large amounts of energy in a short amount of time. This results in increased metabolic rate leading to weight loss.

5. Water, water, water.

Water is the liquid of life. It truly is. We are made of water, water is all around us. Water is magical and miraculous. It may seem boring and dull but it is the best thing to help you shed those extra kilograms. Water is basically the key ingredient to breaking down fat and sugar molecules. The chemicals, oxygen and hydrogen, which is found in water is responsible for breaking big fat globules and sugar globules into small particles that can be excreted out of the body readily. Therefore, if you ever want to lose weight, a good start is to drink water. And even when you think you have had enough water, drink more.