Did you know that obesity was responsible for the death of 4.7 million people around the world in 2019? Or that 39 million children under the age of 5 were obese in 2020? These huge numbers are terrifying and represent the overall neglect of our own health. Obesity is considered one of the most dangerous conditions that can cause serious cardiovascular problems, some types of cancers, diabetes, osteoarthritis and much more.
But the good thing is that you can do something about it. By changing your eating habits, implementing more exercise in your life, trusting the process, working on yourself and being consistent, you can lose weight, improve your health and feel more confident.
Protein Shakes
As soon as you hear about protein and protein shakes, you probably imagine a bulky muscular person with a perfect body that visits the gym every day. But besides being good for building muscular mass, protein can also help you lose weight. You should buy high-quality weight-loss protein and see the difference in just a couple of months. Combining it with regular visits to the gym, the protein can help lose weight and get a nice, toned body.
It speeds up the weight-loss process in several ways. It reduces appetite, boosts your metabolism and changes the hormones that regulate your weight. There are hormones such as cholecystokinin, GLP-1 and peptide YY that are responsible for sending a signal to our brain that we’re full. Protein can boost these hormones, let your brain know you’re not hungry and give you a feeling of satiety.
Increased consumption enhances metabolism and ups daily calorie burn by 100. You eat fewer calories when you consume fat-burning protein or increase your overall intake. This results in weight loss because protein helps in controlling the calorie input and output. When you want to increase weight loss, just increase the protein dose you take.
Of course, weight loss means you’ll lose muscle tissue as well. But by combining it with some strength training, you’ll maintain your muscles and lose weight at the same time. How much protein you take depends on how physically active you are and how much weight you’re trying to lose. For men, the average dosage is 56g, and for women 46g.
Professionals advise that you consume protein 30 minutes before working out or right after you’re done. You can find many different types of protein powders, shakes, bars etc. They also come in different flavours. Some of the most popular types are whey, casein, pea, egg, hemp, mixed plant, brown rice etc. This is a supplement that’s easy to use. You can put it in shakes, pancakes, or muffins, consume it as bars or simply drink it with water.
Exercise
Being physically active is the most important part of the whole weight loss journey. You won’t make it by just consuming weight loss protein or eating salads. Exercise that is regulated and consistent will produce results faster than you think. Along with making you feel better and strengthening your bones and muscles, dropping weight also lowers your risk of developing chronic diseases. You can be physically active in many ways, including
Walking
Walking is one of the best options especially if you’re overweight or obese. You can start slow, take your time, and do several steps at a time. Once you feel safe and comfortable, you can increase the speed and length of your walks. There's no need for any special accessories or equipment. The only things you need are your strong will, dedication and open space to walk. You can do it at the park, on the street or at the gym. Start with 30 minutes a day for about 3-4 times a week.
Jogging & Running
These are activities that follow walking as an exercise. Once you get comfortable and strong enough, you can start jogging. This slow-paced exercise will boost your weight loss process and give you the ability to start implementing running as a form of exercise. Running is more intense and burns significantly more calories than jogging. Doing any of these activities 3-4 times a week, 20-30 minutes a day is a good start.
Cycling
Cycling is a form of exercise that is becoming more and more popular. A lot of gyms also have stationary bikes that simulate the same movements and intensity as conventional, outdoor cycling. It's suitable for both beginners and experienced gym enthusiasts. If you’ve never done it before, start with a stationary bike at the gym, add some protein powders for weight loss to your routine and see the fat melt away. This will give you the stamina to start riding a bike outside.
Interval Training & Swimming
Interval training is also known as high-intensity interval training. It consists of short intervals of intense exercises. This activity usually lasts around 10-30 minutes and will burn 20-25% more calories than with walking or normal exercise at the gym. Swimming is an intense workout that can burn between 300-400 calories in one session.
Healthy Meals
Adjusting and changing your food is key to losing weight. The healthy way of eating throughout the day is to have 3 meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus 1 or 2 snacks in between. Firstly, breakfast, which is the most valuable dish of the day. It gives you the nutrition you need to start the day, so don't skip it. Eating whole grains (bread, bagels, oats, muffins), lean protein (egg, poultry, nuts), low-fat dairy (milk, yoghurts, cheese), fruits, and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy breakfast.
Lunch should be well-balanced, and contain lean protein, plenty of fibre and complex carbohydrates, as well as veggies and good fats. Dinner should be a balance of veggies, protein, healthy fat, and grains. This way you get the most health benefits. By making your daily food intake look like this, you’ll have fewer cravings for late-night snacks and sweets.
Try to avoid canned food, processed meats, white bread, most cooking, food and drinks with high levels of sugar or salt, candy, pastries and cakes. All of these unhealthy meals have a healthy replacement that’s equally delicious and more nutritious. It's okay to eat ice cream or a burger once in a while, just don’t make it your everyday meal.
Cut Down Alcohol
Alcohol is widely consumed all over the world. You may think it doesn’t influence the weight-loss process, but you’re wrong. Alcohol has tons of empty calories that don’t do anything beneficial for our bodies. They just accumulate and just add to your weight. It also lowers your inhibitions which will make you reach for food or drinks you should avoid. It doesn’t give you any energy boost and you’ll end up feeling tired and burned out the next day. In other words, cut down on alcohol intake as much as you can.
