You are comfortably seated on a restaurant bench, menu in hand. You’re hesitating between poutine or the new healthy wrap served with vegetables and natural yogurt. Looking up, your better half kindly informs you that she has already ordered you the wrap ! You drop off the menu…
The best strategy for losing weight
Mission possible!
Are you at your healthy weight? Do you feel like all eyes are on you when you walk into a room, or do you just not feel good about yourself anymore? Are you wondering what will be the trigger this time that will make you go from mission impossible to everything is possible to regain a happy weight?
Forget miracle recipes!
Human beings like to believe in miracles. Losing weight sustainably requires time, effort and, above all, a certain amount of questioning as well as a change in lifestyle habits.
Although they may seem attractive, draconian diets are not only restrictive and tedious, but also ineffective in many cases in the medium or long term. This is the case, for example, of protein diets, which can give, in the short term and at the cost of painful efforts, spectacular results. In their more extreme forms, such diets can lead to health problems, such as nutritional deficiencies, fatigue or digestive disorders. Furthermore, weight loss is often followed by weight regain, because the body reacts to the caloric deprivation it has undergone.
Very restrictive diets of this type are not focused on a deep and lasting change in eating habits. Additionally, they do not encourage attention to hunger and fullness signals.
So let’s change the concept of “miracle recipe” for that of “effective recipe”. So here it is, this recipe. To lose weight and maintain a healthy weight, you must change your eating habits in a sustainable way and increase your level of physical activity in the long term.
If you’re on a journey to lose weight, it can be helpful to set goals. If you are significantly overweight, it is best for you to lose an average of one to two kilos at the start. Eventually, you can aim for a weight loss of half to one kilo per week. The latter option may be reasonable if you are planning a more moderate weight loss.
Change your eating habits
To achieve the figure of your dreams, it’s important that you make a commitment to yourself to eat less and better – in the long term, not just over the next few weeks or months.
Here are some examples of changes that can be very beneficial:
Don’t skip meals. Eat healthy snacks when you’re hungry between meals.
As much as possible, eat when you are moderately hungry. Don’t wait until you’re extremely hungry to sit down at the table, because then you risk eating too much.
Eliminate drinks and foods that provide you with lots of calories but too few nutrients. This is the case, for example, with soft drinks, chips, chocolate, pastries, etc. Get in the habit of replacing them with drinks or foods that you like, but which are more interesting in terms of calories and nutrition. Blueberries, raspberries or a yogurt drink can be great choices.
Allow yourself to make small deviations, but only occasionally. But avoid temptations in your pantry or refrigerator.
Reduce your alcohol consumption.
Regular physical activity contributes to weight loss, promotes the maintenance of good health and provides a general feeling of well-being and better quality sleep. So, what are you waiting for to put on your espadrilles? Here are some ways to incorporate exercise back into your life:
Move as often as possible! Walk a little more every day.. Know that you only need 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity per day to lose weight and stay in shape.
Learn new sporting activities that put more strain on your muscles and your cardio-respiratory capacity: cycling, hiking, dancing, swimming, etc.