Are you frustrated about gaining weight but not knowing the reason behind it? You are certainly not alone. While overindulging is often the most crucial element leading to weight gain, other variables, such as stress, life stages, job, and even gender, all play a role.
A sedentary lifestyle is no doubt a leading cause of weight gain and chronic illnesses. In addition, obesity is home to many health problems. But the reason as to why you gain weight can vary immensely.
And having key weight loss tips and insights about weight gain in your 30s will assist you in getting back on track.
Easy Weight Loss Tips
1. Eat Slowly
Oh! The stressful days have made it difficult for us to enjoy our food. It seems like you have dedicated your life to your laptop, chair, desk, and files.
Do you know eating quickly without understanding your food does not help your body?
You might have heard your elders say eat slowly and if you are eating, think about your food. When your mind is somewhere else, tense, you will tend to eat faster.
Your brain takes 20 minutes to understand this, and then it sends signals to you to stop eating right away. Still, if you eat faster, your brain might get confused, and you might not get the signs of being full, and end up overeating.
2. Avoid Stressful Eating
As mentioned in the above point, you might not come to know that you are overeating. Learn to manage your stress, especially when you are a working person.
The workload is unavoidable when you have a task to complete with a deadline. The same is the situation with stress. Mental health and physical health are correlated, and you need to take care of both.
You cannot ignore your mental health while focusing on your physical health and vice versa.
3. Avoid Drinking Your Calories
Are you the one who likes to drink cola or a milkshake during lunch break? You are doing wrong with yourself.
Do you know liquids tend to increase your appetite? Yes, they boost your hunger, and you eat more. However, we generally forget that store-bought shakes contain empty calories.
Instead, go for coconut water, nimbu-pani or chaas.
4. Go Natural
Do you consciously choose fruit over chocolate to satiate your sweet craving or dahi with seasoning over a brownie and ice cream on a hot summer day? Then you have won half the battle.
Being aware of the natural options, including fruits, salads, whole grains, seeds, nuts and avoiding desserts, ice cream, and snacks, can go a long way to staying healthy and happy.
5. Check the Label on Packaged Food
If your work is such that you need to rely on packaged food, read the label. People who generally rely on packaged foods should develop a habit of checking the labels on the packet and avoid food having high sugar or sodium content.
Therefore, look for organic, low salt, low preservative options. They may be more expensive, but our primary responsibility is towards ourselves. So cut down on that additional pair of shoes, invest the same amount in making yourself healthy.
6. Exercise Regularly
So, you need to understand that just counting your calories or tracking your calories would not do everything.
It would help if you exercised too. Make a routine and exercise regularly. It seems uneasy for at least 15 days, but once you develop the habit, you will feel an urge to exercise daily.
You can do any form of exercise. Be it yoga, Pilates, HIIT workouts or weight training. Nobody can deny the benefits of walking. Anyone can get time to at least walk. Short spans of walking between work are also beneficial.
7. Get Adequate Sleep
Many studies prove that getting adequate sleep helps your weight loss process. Sleep deficit is the worst thing you give to yourself.
You work for the whole day and then again sit at night to complete your pending work or extra work that you cannot do in the daytime.
Despite knowing that you have to get up early in the morning, you sleep late at night. Sleeping late at night increases your sugar cravings, and you end up eating a lot of sweets. So, do not stay awake late at night.
8. Go Colourful
If every meal has three to five different coloured vegetables in raw or cooked form, a protein source and some healthy carbs, you have served yourself a healthy meal.
Ensure you start by filling up 50% of the plate with vegetables, about 25 to 30% with protein and the rest with carbs. If you can stick to this simple thumb rule, you will successfully start your weight-loss journey.
Also, it would help if you ate your salad first. It fills you up, and when you move on to carbs and protein, you may not require a second helping.
9. Drink Water
Stay hydrated. Sometimes we confuse our bodily signals.
For example, extreme thirst can mimic a feeling of extreme hunger. So remind yourself to have hydrating fruits, vegetables, green tea and water periodically.
Also, drink a glass of water 10-15 minutes before a primary meal. Similarly, drink water 45 minutes after a meal. It improves digestion.
10. Be Like a Child
A child never condemns themselves. Even when they fall, they get up and continue with the game. So go ahead.
Binge and be unhealthy for a day. However, do not criticise yourself the following day and get into any extreme diets. Just go back to your regulated, usual diet, and you will be back on track.
Certain Weight Loss Tricks
- Keep visualising yourself in your new shape.
- Understand that it’s a long-term commitment. Quick weight loss is a myth that results in unhealthy weight loss.
- Do not cut down too many calories suddenly
- Eat healthy and clean
- Eat what you like but always watch the portion
- Include 3 hours of exercise in a week; if you break it down, it’s less than 30 mins a day.
- Make yourself the priority. Do not forget to look after yourself
- You cannot equate food with emotion. If you are lonely or bored, find a hobby or a cause or clean your cupboard. Go for a quick walk. Do not fill up any emotional vacuum with food
- Eat a small meal before you go to a party. A few pieces of deep-fried paneer or cocktail samosas are bad enough to ruin your healthy schedule. Look for the compliments and eat a dainty salad instead
- Do not look for cheat days. Every day you need to treat your body equally. For example, the thin one never goes hungry but is a smart-eater
Healthy Weight Loss Guidelines
Do your proper research or consult a nutritionist. Then commit yourself to a goal. It could be weight loss to wear the dream dress, or being able to have the perfect beach body or running around with your toddler. Next, get a support system at home and work.
Finally, celebrate your wins by checking your weight periodically and treating yourself by booking a massage or buying an outfit that flatters the new you.