To lose weight you don’t have to make impossible sacrifices, but incorporate good habits little by little.
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5 basic and healthy ways to lose weight
Losing weight should not be associated with suffering . When this is the case, it is generally because the best information is not available to face the challenge of losing weight, the process being more tortuous than normal.
Below are the most essential ideas when it comes to ensuring weight loss. They are healthy ways to lose weight that go beyond exercise, although physical activity is essential.
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1. Avoid processed products
Today it is difficult for many people to understand what to eat and what not to eat . The food industry is the main culprit for this, which through marketing tries to get people to buy their food products that contain ingredients that are not healthy.
2. Eat real food
Eating real food is one of the most important measures to lose weight . Contrary to what the food industry wants, it is much better to consume lentils that do not enjoy great propaganda campaigns than the “crackers” that appear on television.
3. Maintain a balanced diet
Another key to lose weight is that the diet is balanced . The idea is that you have to eat everything, as long as it is real food. It is very important to eat vegetables, fruit, legumes, cereals, nuts and seeds, as well as sources of protein such as dairy products, meat and fish (there are alternatives for vegans).
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4. Practice some physical activity
If you want to lose weight and be healthy, exercise is unavoidable . This may discourage some people, but the truth is that it is scientifically proven that exercise is essential as a way to lose weight healthy.
Any activity is welcome no matter how little it is, and it is relevant to comment that a sedentary lifestyle causes more fatigue than exercising.
5. Develop the culture of habit
Something very important that must be internalized is the culture of habit . This is perhaps the most key point as a way to lose weight in a healthy way. Beyond exercising or eating something for a certain period of time, the important thing is to be consistent over time.
New habits must be understood as a way of life, not as a sacrifice that must be made very intensely for a while and then forgotten.
10 extra tips to achieve a healthy way to lose weight
The above are the fundamental ideas, but there is much more that can be done . Once this series of precepts has been internalized, they must be complemented with different measures that are shown below.
They are in tricks and tips that represents a great help as ways to lose weight healthily. They go beyond intense exercise or harsh food restrictions, bringing a little common sense to achieve the goal that is set.
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6. Avoid stress
Many people will be surprised to learn that stress and anxiety are strongly linked to anxiety. However, the release of cortisol affects the metabolism and there are people who itch more between meals because of their anxiety.
7. Rest
Rest is one of the most undervalued factors to take care of the body . To ensure that the body is in a good balance and that it does not suffer from stress, it must rest. There is evidence that there is a direct relationship between lack of sleep and obesity.
8. Eliminate sugar from the diet
Sugar is the worst thing you can eat if you want to lose weight . During the last decades, the food industry has spoken very badly about fats. However, the truth is that there is much more relationship between the consumption of sugar and obesity than between the consumption of fats and obesity.
9. Do not drink alcohol
Alcohol is a substance that should be avoided if you want to lose weight . This substance contains the so-called “empty calories”, and it is that it provides calories but lacks micronutrients of interest such as vitamins and minerals. This upsets the balance of the body, which demands these trace elements.
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10. No smoking
Scientific studies link tobacco with obesity . Smoking makes people much less inclined to exercise, and also affects the condition of the body. There are those who believe that smoking loses weight, but the idea that smoking is a way of preventing obesity must be eliminated from the collective imagination.
11. Do not snack between meals
Snacking between meals is one of the worst things you can do if you want to lose weight . The key to not gaining weight is to eat three to five meals a day, but more is an indication that you are not leaving enough hours to digest. This causes blood sugar levels to rise too frequently, leading to overweight.
12. Eat what’s on the plate
Human beings are very visual, and this is why portions are important . There are people who put a little of this first and a little of that later, which leads to a lack of control of the quantities. Sometimes, if they put everything together what they have eaten, they would realize that they have eaten too much.
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13. Light cooking
It’s a simple idea, but light cooking helps you lose weight . For starters, there are people who rarely cook and tend to buy food products that contain a lot of refined ingredients. Cooking avoids this, and also the important thing is not to abuse stews or copious meals, but preferably to boil and steam and grill.
14. Eat slowly
Some people have a tendency to eat very fast . This has different drawbacks that are contrary to good ways to lose weight. For starters, when you eat too fast, the satiety signal doesn’t get to the brain fast enough. The stomach may be full and yet the person continues to eat. In addition, the food may not be chewed well and swallow air, which is problematic at the digestive level.
15. Drink enough water
Something as simple as drinking water can be a good way to lose weight . Drinking enough water allows you to eliminate toxins that the body needs to get rid of, as well as helping to combat fluid retention. Additionally, beverages like tea can help speed up your metabolism, which can help you lose weight.
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Bibliographic references
- De Araujo, IE, Gutierrez, R., Oliveira-Maia, AJ, Pereira, AJ, Nicolelis, MA and Simon, SA (2006). Neural ensemble coding of satiety states. Neuron, 51(4), 483-494 .
- Harrison. Principles of Internal Medicine. (17th edition) (2008). Chapter 36: Weight loss. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical Publishing Division.
- Pinel, J.P.J., Assanand, S. y Lehman, D.R. (2000). Hunger, eating, and ill health. American Psychologist. 55, 1105–1116.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.