When it comes to sustainable weight loss, slow and steady is inevitably the key to success, however unattractive it may sound. This translates into a slight calorie reduction, most days over long periods of time. For example, a 300-500 calorie reduction each day over three to four weeks is likely to result in ½ -1kg (2 pounds) of weight loss each week or 3-5kg (6 - 10 pounds) each month which is not insignificant.
There are two important factors in reducing calories through diet.
1. Exercise
1. Exercise
Participating in regular exercise is very important. It keeps you fit and will burn excess calories, reducing your overall calorie intake. It can also be just as beneficial to incorporate incidental exercise throughout your day.
- Change your everyday habits. This is a great way to offset some of the calories you take in through your diet:
Choose to 3-4 intense targeted workouts per week. Some good choices include swimming, circuit, cycling, running and weight training.
Another way to include high intensity, high calorie burning exercises into your week is to join a team sport which includes competition as well as training weekly.
Finally it’s important to stay motivated. Reducing your calorie intake is hard. Take some time to look at your motivation. By writing down your motivation and your goals, you are more likely to stick to your calories and lose weight. Losing weight is about cutting your overall calories. The fastest way to reduce calorie intake is to combine diet and exercise.
2. Change your diet
- Choose the stairs rather than the elevator.
- Get off the bus, tram or subway a stop earlier and walk to your destination.
- Park your car at the far end of the carpark when doing your weekly shopping.
- Walk to the corner store for milk and bread rather than driving.
- Walk to the next office to speak with colleagues in person rather than sending an email.
Choose to 3-4 intense targeted workouts per week. Some good choices include swimming, circuit, cycling, running and weight training.
Another way to include high intensity, high calorie burning exercises into your week is to join a team sport which includes competition as well as training weekly.
Finally it’s important to stay motivated. Reducing your calorie intake is hard. Take some time to look at your motivation. By writing down your motivation and your goals, you are more likely to stick to your calories and lose weight. Losing weight is about cutting your overall calories. The fastest way to reduce calorie intake is to combine diet and exercise.
2. Change your diet
Changing your diet is by far the most effective way to losing weight. Look at your current diet and make a change towards healthy and filling foods. Foods that are healthy and filling keep you fuller for longer, and mean that you reduce the amount of food and calories you are eating.
3. Reduce your portion sizes
Often our portion sizes are much larger than we need. You should serve meals using a smaller plate. If there is more food than needed, put it away for another meal. It’s much harder to have another serving if your leftovers have been portioned out for another meal.
- Your diet should include complex carbohydrates such as natural oatmeal, sweet potatoes and brown rice.
- Vegetables (broccoli, spinach, green beans, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, radishes, asparagus, etc) fruits and salads should make up a large proportion of your diet.
- Your source of lean protein should come from egg whites, chicken, turkey, lean red meat and fish (salmon, tuna, etc) and lentils, beans, tofu, nuts, non-fat dairy for vegetarians. Lean protein should be eaten with every meal.
- These options should keep you full and help you to avoid overeating leading to a high calorie intake and weight gain.
- Try to avoid fatty, deep fried, and foods full of sugar. These are high calorie foods without any nutritional value. They will increase your calorie intake without satisfying your hunger.
3. Reduce your portion sizes
Often our portion sizes are much larger than we need. You should serve meals using a smaller plate. If there is more food than needed, put it away for another meal. It’s much harder to have another serving if your leftovers have been portioned out for another meal.
- Eat slowly. It takes some time for your body to register that you are full. If you eat quickly, you will eat too much food, and end up eating more calories than you need.
- Don’t eat if you aren’t hungry and choose foods that keep you fuller for longer.
- By drinking up to a liter of water before a meal, you will feel fuller and less likely to overeat.
All such great tips! Thanks for sharing them, super helpful!
ReplyDeletexo, lydia
Really great tips! Thank you for the inspiration, summer is just around the corner!
ReplyDeleteExercise is a great way to go! I'm all about living a healthy and happy lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteThese are really great ways! I always try to take the stairs and walk places rather than phone or email in the office. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThese are excellent tips for a healthier lifestyle!
ReplyDeleteSuch great tips! Always looking for new ways and tips!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Sarah Lindner
www.thehouseofsequins.com
Such great tips in this post!
ReplyDeleteGirl, preach! Caloric reduction is basically what I've been doing. Of course, there are times when I fail. But usually I'm doing the whole cardio + weight training, and then reducing the amount of calories I eat. I switch out a couple of unhealthy meals for healthy ones, but I'm mainly trying to reduce caloric intake while still feeling full. I also do intermittent fasting, as in I have an 8-hour window to eat (typically between 11am and 7pm) and then there's no eating for the other 16 hours (of which 8 are spent sleeping anyway). Wonderful and beneficial tips!
ReplyDeletewww.ohtobeamuse.com
These are all really great ways to cut down on calories. When I focused on doing this, I lost so much weight and felt infinitely better with my body. :)
ReplyDeleteLove this, I'm all about reducing calories and living a healthier lifestyle! Great tips.
ReplyDeleteAmazing tips and very informative thanks for sharing bhabhi��
ReplyDeleteExcellent tips I know I need to start putting into practice, looking forward to your Instagram posts as well!
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips girl! I love exercising and changing up my diet! Helps a lot!
ReplyDeleteKileen
cute & little
These are all such great tips! Drinking lots of water is always a great tip also!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Kim
An article packed full of great advice here Tanvi. Your tips are sure going to help anyone looking to cut their calories down!
ReplyDeleteSuch a perfect suggestions at the right time , i have just started to workout and be more productive xo
ReplyDeletewww.theninebyivana.blogspot.com
One of the best ways to lose weight is to count your calories. I think these are helpful ways to reduce your calorie intake. There's nothing like sweating it out!
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips Tanvi. I lost two stone last year but the last bit has totally been the hardest, I got close to my goal weight and have sat there ever since! I think its time to up my exercise for sure!
ReplyDeleteEating slowly is own of my downfalls. My bf and I usually finish our meals within 15 minutes. It's awful. We are really working on it!
ReplyDeleteI was just discussing the same diet tips with a friend and we almost had nowhere to go to when it came to specifics. Thank you for detailing it as much as you could. Even the exercise part made more sense when I thought about proper time management and how possible it is to simply walk than drive.
ReplyDeleteI love to work out. I am really trying to live a better and healthier life too so i have been watching the things i eat and the portions.
ReplyDeleteThis is very useful for me Tanvi! I have never dieted in my life, but I have had stressful periods when I lost weight, and more sedentary periods when I've gained weight, and everything you just explained makes so much sense!
ReplyDeleteSimple, impactful tips! I’m a firm believer of doing- small incremental steps in exercise and diet will eventually add up!
ReplyDeleteThese are all great tips- I lost about 15 lbs. after college and don't think you need any fad diets or crazy exercise programs to do it. It' all about what you take in and what you burn off- I used the My Fitness Pal app and it was so helpful!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great post! I am all about eating smaller portion sizes and exercising. I sit most of the day so I don't need a ton of food to keep me going but at the end of the day I love to get moving by doing about a 45 minute exercise!
ReplyDeletexoxo, Hannah