The best weight loss food program is one that fits your age, gender, physique, and lifestyle in the best way. It varies for every person. The main struggle is to understand what suits your body.
Following the correct pattern and practices can result in a healthy weight loss journey. It might take a bit more time than strict diet plans resulting in instant weight loss. But, it results in a healthy and consistent weight loss journey that can be maintained by following a simple healthy lifestyle.
Nutrition
Nutrition counts the most in a weight loss journey. It is the most important part to be focused on. Exercise and hard work with plenty of calories or sugary and oily foods consumed can give no good results. Moreover, a balance of all nutrients consumed is essential as, at times, deficiency of a certain nutrient may also be a hindrance to weight loss.
Consuming all nutrients required by your body makes you feel satisfied, active, and energetic and prevents cravings for sugary foods. Control of all nutrients consumed can be done by adopting a portion control lifestyle.
Portion Control Lifestyle
Portion control is a way of eating your meals in specific quantities as per a person’s age, gender, and medical conditions. It is the healthiest way of consuming food. A person can eat all their favorite meals with a focus on the nutrients present in each.
People on diets and weight loss usually go for special separate and customized meals. Portion control lifestyle allows a person to eat whatever is available keeping in mind their max nutrient intake and opting for the healthier alternative.
Best measures for Portion Control
The article on portion control sizes tells us about the correct portion sizes for females and males as per each specification. The chart should be followed and each meal should be complemented with lots of green salads which helps a lot in staying well on the portion control chart. Salad greens are portionless with minimal calories. So, we can consume them in huge amounts. Paired with main course meals, it adds more flavor and enriches the meal’s taste. A portion of dairies like yogurt or cheese can also be added. These different portions avoid more consumption of carbs, proteins, and fats. Therefore, it helps us control our food portions appropriately.
Intermittent Fasting
Consuming lots of drinks will keep you hydrated and full in the fasting window. All meals should be consumed during the eating interval.
There are three methods of Intermittent Fasting. The best one which can be continued for the long run is the 16:8 method. It’s a flexible way of eating that can easily become part of your lifestyle. The ratio of hours can be altered as per our body demands. When in low energy levels, we can shift the interval to 14:10 or 13:11 but should try to keep a fasting window of at least 12 hours to make the method effective.
Intermittent Fasting paired with Portion Control serves as a great nutrition balance for weight loss and maintenance. I have followed many diet plans and weight-loss regimes, be it Keto or Atkins Diet, or GM Diet. But the best one so far has been the blend of these most flexible diet plans which can easily become a way of life.
Managing Intermittent fasting can be tough if we don’t have adequate sleep. It lowers our energy and excites hunger levels.
Best measures for Intermittent Fasting
The last meal of the day should be consumed at least 4 hours before bed. 2 hours before the meal, we can have a cup of green tea. An optimal 8 hours of sleep is best when paired up with diet plans for weight loss. So, just after you get up.. 8+4 = 12 hours of fasting already done.
I prefer breakfast after dressing up and going to work, which balances the hour’s ratio. It takes two hours in the process and yes 14 hours already while I am at work. The next depends on your body’s endurance, if you can starve a bit more, grab a black coffee or tea without milk and sugar as a morning tea and consume a filled and nourished breakfast 1-2 hours after it. So, done with the 14 hours of fasting now? The fasting period can become easier if you always keep beside a bottle of water. It also keeps us hydrated and meets the mind’s demands to consume something.
Workout
Strength Training
Slow and relaxing exercise with some weights and stretches is the best exercise you can give to your body and muscles. It is much easier than cardio, cycling, or other fast exercises. They can be done slowly in a calm way which stretches your muscles and also gives you a relaxing feeling.
Strength Training exercises as described in the article on strength training, tones our body, boost our metabolism, and make us burn fat even while we rest. It tones and strengthens our muscles which makes them respire more and burn fat even while we are out of the gym or sitting. It is a very flexible way of workout that can be done at your home with a yoga mat, a few weights, and a resistance band.
Best measures for Strength Training
The exercises are similar to yoga and should be performed before meals. It is most preferable in the morning before breakfast or evening. When done with Intermittent Fasting, I prefer doing it in the evening before dinner to avoid low energy levels or more food cravings during the fasting period.
Evening time is best for me as just a couple of hours back it had been lunchtime or a snack or fruit can be consumed before the workout to prevent low energy levels. We can pick the exercises that suit us the most. My set consists of Lunges, Squats, Crunches, Leg Pull (rope), and back (check exercise). It covers almost all fat-filled body parts. The exercises greatly strengthen and tightens loose skin in these areas.
Strength Training can be performed on alternate days or 3-4 days a week. It works well with that. However, if your skin is getting very loose or you have enough time and energy, you can try it daily.
We should start with a minimal number of sets. 2 sets each of 8-10 times is a good start with a weight of 1-2 kgs. Weight can be increased to 2-3 kgs with 3 or 4 sets maximum if you are doing it just for weight loss and maintenance. Building up muscles requires more, which can be best guided by your fitness trainer.
Walk or Cardio
Walking or cardio on a treadmill or cycling machine keeps you active and has many benefits, but it is the least effective for weight loss. As per my view and experience, an active lifestyle with more than 8000 daily steps is preferable which avoids fat bulking and keeps you active and consumed, avoiding additional food consumption and weight put on.
I have been using the blend of the above for the past 6-8 months for weight loss. I started the journey exactly one year ago, but the initial four months were just a hit and try of different weight loss measures. Lots of exercise and altering diets every week made me lose just 1kg after almost 2 months. It was very slow and unreliable progress.
I kept on looking for other measures and started the progress when I started portion control paired with Intermittent Fasting. A few months later, I added strength training which helps shape my body. Everybody’s demand is different but we can all choose the healthiest ways discussed above and customize them as per our body needs. You don’t need a nutritionist for this, neither are you bound to consumption of just specific foods. These practices allow you to eat everything, by cutting off the unhealthy parts, like zero or minimal oil and sugar, whole wheat and low-fat products, and the same meals you like. A cheat meal in a week or two or your favorite ice cream once in a while won’t do anything bad, it is just about to balance all well!