No one wants to gain excess weight. Not only is it unhealthy, it also makes one unappealing. However, obesity or excess weight is one of the major problems faced by Americans. The reasons are many, and include the consumption of junk food and a sedentary lifestyle. In a word, the problem can be said to be related to the modern lifestyle. And since lifestyle is hard to change, excess weight is also hard to avoid. However, we bring you a number of tips that will help you in weight loss. These tips have been tried and tested, and been recommended by fitness experts.
Avoid Processed Foods and Prefer Whole Foods
Whole grain foods are much more nutritious and contain less calories per gram of weight when compared to processed foods. Processed foods contain a lot of sodium, which is also not good for health. They also contain lot of sugar, which is the culprit behind your weight gain. Processed foods, on the other hand, contain much less sugar for the same weight.
Skip Sugary Drinks
Studies have found that the average American consumes 245 calories everyday by consuming just sugary drinks. This is equivalent to 25 pounds of weight gain in a year. Drinks that contain sugar, such as tea, coffee, and soda drinks, should be replaced with water or with shakes. One of the problems with sugary drinks is that they do nothing to alleviate your hunger, but just add extra calories to your diet.
Write Down Your Weight Loss Journey
One of the first things you should write down is your diet. A food diary should be used to record what you eat every day. This should include details about your meal, as well as any snacks you eat between the meals. You should also record or write down if you exercise and for how long. This should encourage you and help you stay motivated.
Go for a Walk
A walk is good for your health because he helps your exercise your legs and other parts of your body. It also helps you burn calories. You can burn 200 calories for one hour of walking, which can help you whenever you want to burn your calories. Ideally, you should make walking or running a part of your daily routine.
Check the Food Labels
You should make it a habit to check the food labels, so that you can avoid foods that contain sugars and fructose, and other such ingredients. You can easily find alternatives to brands that contain too much sugar or fructose, or corn syrup. There are also varieties of ketchup, salad dressings etc that contain much less sugar.
Exercise Regularly
Exercise, including cardiovascular exercise and lifting weights, can help you lose excess calories. They are also good for your mood, because studies have shown that they help in uplifting your mood if you are feeling blue. Regular exercise can be used to burn thousands of calories every week, which can translate to tens of pounds of weight in a year.