We often focus on ways in which we can lose weight but don’t pay enough attention to the importance of keeping it off. A lack of focus on keeping the excess weight that is shed results in a fluctuation of not just weight but overall health and energy. Fitness and good health are a result of consistent lifestyle choices, it is not something you achieve through ad hoc diets and exercise programmes.
Regular exercise isn’t the most popular to lose weight and keep it off – regular exercise takes time, effort and commitment. Many look to (often restrictive) diets to achieve their weight loss goals. However, unless the diet adopted is part of a wider lifestyle choice, the weight that is shed in the short term is usually gained back in the medium term. This doesn’t mean your plans to lose weight and keep it off are doomed to fail, what is important is that you inculcate a healthy-weight lifestyle. Often, spending time at a programme such as weight loss retreat Sydney can arm you with some good routines and practices that you can maintain when you get back to your normal life outside the programme.
Here are three popular strategies to reevaluate.
Cut Down on Calories
This isn’t as simple as it is made out to be. One reason is that many don’t reach out to food to appease hunger or keep to a disciplined mealtime routine. Often, we reach out to food for emotional reasons – pass time, stress, and feeling low. Another reason why simply cutting down on calories doesn’t work is that all calories are not made equal. 100 calories from a doughnut are not equal to 100 calories from a whole-meal egg sandwich. Aim for calories that make you feel full and ditch the empty calories that don’t.
Cut Down on Fat
The thinking is that if you cut down on the amount of fat consumed, you will impact the amount of fat stored in your body. Not all fat is bad. Good fat like unsaturated fats in fatty fish, tofu and avocado can help you control your weight by making you feel full for longer, preventing you from wanting to snack on empty calories. Be mindful of what you are swapping your full-fat food with. Choosing a no-fat fruit yoghurt full of sugar is not a beneficial trade-off to full-fat Greek yoghurt.
Cut Down on Carbohydrates
Here’s another popular strategy that won’t work as well, if you don’t pay attention to balance. When you have something to eat, the carbohydrates in your meal convert to glucose. Every time glucose is released into your bloodstream, insulin is released. High insulin levels prevent burning fat and promote the storage of consumed food mostly as fat. However, low carb high protein and fat diets can cause health issues in the long term. Opt for lean meats low in saturated fat, including healthy whole carbs that won’t spike insulin along with vitamin-rich fruit and vegetables for balance.
