Did you know that around 45% of the world’s population is currently trying to lose weight? Alas, trying to lose weight and actually doing it are two different things. Even people who set out on their journey towards losing weight full of motivation can find that success — if there is any — is difficult to come by, and even more difficult to maintain.
The reason? In many cases, people struggle to reach their fitness goals because they put too much faith in a single weight loss strategy and overlook the importance of others. For example, they may spend plenty of time at the gym, but fail to eat healthy meals, or vice versa.
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at some of the weight loss strategies that have a proven track record of achieving results, especially when combined.
Eating Well
It’s easy to be enticed by the possibilities on offer from a fad diet. Alas, there are a couple of issues with fad diets. One is that, since they’re new and trending, there’s rarely any long-term evidence of their effectiveness. Second, following them can often require a major overhaul of the person’s existing diet. Once the initial burst of motivation has gone, people tend to revert to their usual way of eating.
Happily, you don’t need to follow a fad diet to lose weight. You just need to eat well. That means varied, healthy meals made using fresh ingredients. That, along with keeping your portion sizes down, will go a long way towards supporting your weight loss journey.
Getting Exercise
Working up a sweat won’t just help you lose weight. It’ll also boost your longevity, improve your immune system, and support your mental health. In fact, it’s the impact that exercise has on mood that many gym-goers cite as the primary benefit. Happily, weight loss also usually follows as a result.
There’s a direct correlation between the amount of effort you put in at the gym and the amount of weight you’ll lose. For that reason, it’s recommended to find a way to enjoy working out. Maybe you use it as an opportunity to listen to podcasts, or just classify it as “you” time. You’ll find it’s much easier to get to the gym when it’s something you actually want to do.
Help and Support
It’s no secret that losing weight can be difficult. But in this day and age, you don’t need to undertake the journey alone. There are plenty of different support options available. For example, maybe you’ll work with a personal trainer or work with an online weight loss clinic to find the right medication for your goals. Even leaning on non-professionals, such as friends and family, can be a powerful source of motivation and inspiration.
Improving Your Sleep
Finally, look at improving the quality of your sleep. Research suggests that sleep has a bigger impact on weight loss than previously thought, with poor sleep making it more difficult to burn calories. Good sleep can also lower stress levels, which can contribute to weight gain.
