Losing weight is challenging, and keeping weight off can be just as tricky. Starting your healthy lifestyle journey isn’t always easy. To help you out, here are eight of the best ways to get back in shape.
1. Switch to a high-protein diet
Eating more protein may help suppress your hunger and appetite for hours after eating. A high protein intake can help build muscle, boost metabolic rate, protect against bone and muscle loss during ageing and improve wound healing. Making it effective for losing weight and improving body composition.
A good rule of thumb; aim for daily intake of 0.6–0.75 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight or 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram. Calculating your protein needs, tracking your intake in a food diary and planning well-balanced meals will help you get the best results on a high-protein diet.
2. Get enough sleep
Getting adequate, quality sleep is an essential part of a healthy weight loss plan. Most importantly, research has shown that losing sleep while dieting can reduce weight loss and encourage overeating.
3. Set simple, realistic goals
When you’re starting to work out again, setting short-term, realistic goals is key. Stick to something simple—say, working out twice a week for 30 minutes. Then you can build up to more challenging goals as you progress. Just make sure to break up your final goal into smaller, more achievable steps along the way.
4. Find a workout you love
Making it to a yoga class now and then isn’t that hard, but enjoying the workout and incorporating it into a regular fitness schedule is quite the challenge. That’s why it’s important to find the exercise that’s fun and internal motivation to develop the habit. There’s no better way to find workouts that you love than to experiment with a variety of different motions and techniques.
Switching things up can also help prevent you from falling into a fitness plateau. Doing different workouts allows you to build strength and start to see progress in your training.
5. Focus on consistency
Consistency is arguably the most important component when working to accomplish goals, in or out of the gym. Without consistency, the body has a more challenging time adapting, and forming habits may be difficult. One way to ensure consistency within the scope of your goals is to create habits. Changing your habits is about establishing a ‘new normal’ so that healthy living becomes your way of life rather than something you either do or don’t do.
Another obstacle to creating new habits is taking on too much at once. Keep it simple and take one at a time.
6. Learn to lift weights
First, you will not get BIG from lifting weights. Weight training promotes several metabolic advantages that burn fat both during and after working out. When you include strength training in a comprehensive program that includes a healthy, calorie-controlled diet, you’ll gain benefits that may help you boost weight loss. Also, weight training is typically more effective than cardio at increasing the number of calories you burn after a workout. Weight training can help you feel good about your body almost immediately. Don’t be afraid to step away from the cardio machines and venture into the weight room.
7. Change your minset
Weight loss is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. Wanting to lose weight and finding the motivation to lose weight are two completely different ideas. Although you may want to achieve a healthier weight, you might find it hard to change your mindset.
To get yourself moving and start a weight-loss program, you need to find personal motivation and discover why you genuinely want to slim down. Keep a positive mindset and do not compare your current self to your fittest self, other people, or worse, other people’s social media selves.
8. Celebrate your progress
Acknowledging how far you’ve come is a great way to stay on track with your goals and maintain your motivation. Carve out time every week to reflect on your workouts and celebrate the little victories.
Getting back in shape can take considerable time, but if you’re motivated and have the time and energy to devote to it, it’s certainly possible.
Track your workouts and reviewing them every three to four weeks. If you notice a plateau, you may need to reassess your exercise routine and make some adjustments. Don’t be afraid to mix up your routine. Not only it helps to strengthen your muscles, and it will also keep your workouts varied and interesting.
Focus less on sticking to a strict routine and allow flexibility in your day-to-day.
