When it comes to losing weight, most of us look for the fastest and easiest strategies to get rid of excess weight. Unfortunately, these fast and easy strategies are not sustainable and are not healthy. Meaning, you may make your weight loss goals, but the pounds will come back as soon as your weight loss program is over (and the pounds will most likely come back in the form of fat). Losing weight takes patience and dedication. For sustainable weight loss, you will need to take your time. If you are pursuing healthy weight loss, try following some (or all!) of the tips below:
- Aim to Lose 1-2 Pounds per Week. This may seem frustratingly slow, but it is the best rate for sustained weight loss. If you start losing more than this, your body will rebel. Your metabolism will slow, making it harder to lose weight in the future. Plus, we want to lose weight associated with fat, not muscle! Rapid weight loss puts you at risk for degraded muscle mass, rather than fat loss.
- Skip the Pills. It can be so tempting to medicate our fat away – but this is not healthy or safe! Most weight loss pills contain Phentermine to help boost your metabolism – but this supplement leads to rapid heartbeat and eventually heart failure! Your life is not worth losing a few extra pounds! Plus, do you really want to be stuck taking a pill for the rest of your life, just to keep your weight a couple pounds lower? I don’t! So use the next tip for healthy, sustainable weight loss:
- Stick to Healthy Eating and Exercise. Your diet and your exercise regime are the keys to weight loss. I don’t believe in any “diet” (because diets don’t work!) but I do believe that you need to fuel your body properly in order to see a decrease in weight (and an increase in energy!). Try to feed your body with whole foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. Your internal organs AND your external features will improve rapidly. For exercise, it’s important to move your body and increase your heart rate daily. Choose something that YOU like to do! It doesn’t matter how celebrities workout – it matters what makes you feel good. For tips on having fun with exercise, check [HERE].
- Find Your Motivation. Dig deep and figure out why you feel the need to lose weight. Is it for your family? Is it so that you can live a longer, happier life? Losing weight can boost your confidence and health, but it’s not going to fix any problems with your relationships or job performance. You will have to address these problems using experience and hard work. So make sure that your motivation for weight loss is something truly meaningful. Sustainable weight loss takes time, so find your motivation in something that will be with you for the foreseeable future.
Weight loss is not easy and is not fast. If you have the patience and motivation to embark on this journey, go for it! If you believe in yourself, you become unstoppable!
If you’d like to share your own tips for healthy weight loss, feel free to comment below ☺
