The process of losing weight shouldn’t be complicated or make you feel like you’re being punished. Many people start their fat loss journey with unrealistic expectations of seeing life-changing results overnight. One of the main principles of fat loss is to stay patient, and consistent and keep it simple. It goes without saying that attempting to reduce weight can be demanding and difficult to maintain over time. It can be tempting to give up along the way as losing weight requires hard effort, punishing workouts, and calorie-counting diets. By taking a few realistic steps, people can, however, lose weight and keep it off. (Also read: Fitness tips: Common mistakes in weight loss journey )
Weight Loss Coach, Vatche Shakarian, shared some important things that you should focus on in your fat loss journey, in his Instagram post.
1. Be in a calorie deficit
Calories are ‘king’ when it comes to fat loss. Without a calorie deficit, you won’t lose fat although you should not fear calories. Your body needs calories to function and you don’t have to track your calories, but they can add up quickly. A calorie-deficit diet is needed to burn fat. Take your body weight in pounds and multiply it by 11. Eat in a range of those calories consistently and honestly.
2. Eating enough protein
Focus on eating protein with each meal. It is the most filling macronutrient and can help you stay full. It can also help you build and maintain your muscle mass. Aim to eat 0.7-1.0g of protein per lb of goal body weight. That should be more than enough. Planning out your protein for the week can make things easier.
3. Eating more fruits and veggies
Make sure to eat your fruits and veggies as they are loaded with nutrients, vitamins, and fibre. Aiming to have 20-25 grams of fibre per day can be helpful. Also, fruits and veggies are lower in calories, so you can eat more of them.
4. Stay active
Staying active throughout the week can help you on your fat loss journey. Whatever physical activity you enjoy, do more of it. This can be walking, swimming, biking, etc. find something you enjoy and do it. Not solely to burn calories, but for you to feel good and increase your activity and improve your heart health.
5. Strength training
Strength /resistance training is a game changer when it comes to fat loss. It’s not ‘necessary’, but it is important not only for your body composition but for your overall health. Lifting weights does not make you bulky it makes you stronger and can also improve your muscle mass and bone density. By eating more protein and lifting weights a few times per week, you will be able to build/maintain muscle.
6. Focus on getting quality sleep
People who focus on getting quality sleep see better results with fat loss. Aim to get 7-8 hours of sleep per night. If you can’t do that, that’s okay. Focus on just getting a little better each week. Your energy, hunger hormones, and workouts will suffer if your sleep is out of whack. Put the phone away and get to bed.
