In fact, only a very small percentage of people who successfully lose weight are able to keep it off in the long run. Being overweight can have a negative emotional impact on a person, in addition to causing a number of health issues. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and a variety of other serious health issues, such as depression, are more prevalent among obese people.
Losing weight, as well as maintaining weight loss, doesn’t have to be as hard as you might think. A few simple changes to your lifestyle can increase ability to shed that weight and also keep it gone for good.
Below are 7 secrets to losing weight easily and effectively, and best of all, getting to keep it off
1. Do Not Calorie Count
Counting calories and limiting daily calorie intake may seem like a usual part of losing weight, but note that calories have 2 different kinds: bad calories and good calories. Our bodies process these 2 different types of calories very differently. Cutting back on calories will not help you to lose weight. Eating the right calories will.
2. It’s Okay to Eat Fat, and You Should
Many misconceptions about fat once appeared, specifically during the 90’s when the low-fat craze started. Many people then tried to avoid fat as much as possible, thinking they could lose more weight. But the truth is fat is not the actual enemy. Eating fat doesn’t make you fat. In fact, the opposite is true – low-fat diets are more likely to cause weight gain.
Eating healthy fats, such as olive oil, coconut oil, butter from grass-fed cows and ghee from grass-fed cows, can assist you in losing weight. Our bodies also need fat for proper nutrient absorption and also for energy and hormone synthesis.
Note: There are fats you should avoid and those are highly processed fats such as trans fats (hydrogenated oils) and industrial seed oils (canola, safflower, sunflower, corn and vegetable oils)
3. Eliminate Food Intolerances
Nutritionist to the stars, JJ Virgin, wrote an entire book about how your hidden food intolerances may be causing you to gain weight.
Eating food that your body is not able to process well or “tolerate” causes bloating, fluid retention and most importantly, inflammation. In turn, causing you to gain weight. Eliminate foods such as gluten, soy, corn, dairy, peanuts, sugar and artificial sweeteners.
4. Ditch The Sugar
One reason why many people nowadays are overweight is their excessive intake of sugar. Sugar may taste great but it contains no nutrition and is burdensome on the body. Sugar creates inflammation within the body which causes a host of problems from conditions such as autoimmune disease to depression and anxiety to weight gain. The blood sugar spikes also lead to more craving more sugar.
Likewise, sugars, especially refined white sugar and high fructose corn syrup, convert into store fat within the body. Studies reveal that people who have very high sugar intake are most likely to become obese or overweight, so cutting down on your sugar intake is a significant key to effectively losing weight and keeping it off.
5. Get Rid of Grains
Many people find their weight melts away when they eliminate grains from their diet. After consumption, many grains immediately convert into sugar and this causes the body to store excess fat. Additionally, similar to sugar, grains create excess inflammation within the body which in turn causes many other undesirable symptoms including digestive issues and weight gain.
If you’re serious about effectively losing weight and maintaining it, try to eliminate your grain consumption.
6. Move the Right Way
Many runners wonder why they don’t lose more weight considering how much exercise they are getting. Ditto for people who spend 30-60 minutes on the elliptical or stationery bike. The problem with moderate intensity exercise is not the best for weight loss.
If your goal is to lose weight, one of the best forms of exercise is to do High Intensity Interval Training (“HIIT”). It is also called Burst Training. You can do it almost anywhere – even right in the comfort your own home. It is a method where you alternate periods of short high-intensity exercise (30 – 60 seconds) with lower-intensity exercise (1 – 4 minutes) for only a few cycles (3 – 5 cycles). It is the most effective way to burn fat off your body and only takes 10 – 20 minutes.
See this video for more information about how to do HIIT or Burst Training:
7. You Must Get Adequate Sleep
Lack of sleep completely wrecks all your weight loss efforts. Do not
disregard its great importance. In addition to many other detrimental
health effects, when you don’t get enough sleep your cortisol levels
increase. When cortisol levels are too high, it causes fat accumulation
around your belly and mid-section. Be sure to get at least 7 to 9 hours
of sleep each night.