Friends, in this article we will tell you how to lose those extra pounds using "healthy" methods without mindless radical diets. Some of the tips in this article are unique and not found anywhere else. Consider both "traditional" methods of losing weight, and "non-traditional" - the psychology of weight loss.
If thinness is your goal, following our simple tips to direct your thoughts, feelings and actions in the right direction, you will surely achieve success!
Psychology: how to lose weight? Leave!
Obviously, since we don't know your weight and your other data, it is impossible to build a specific plan that will allow you to lose X kg in Y weeks.
But we will give you the best advice, the effect of which has been scientifically proven many times. We will not burden you with terms, numbers and other boring things. Let's briefly review nutrition and physical activity and dwell in more detail on the psychological aspects of weight loss.
How much weight can you lose in one week?
On the Internet you will find many articles and sites where you will be promised to get results in a short time. Unfortunately, much of the information they contain doesn't apply to real life. Don't believe in fairy tales. Check everything first.
There are many factors to consider in order to lose weight, there is no magic pill. These factors include age, height, body fat percentage, current diet, physical activity, etc.
However, there is a general rule of thumb about how much weight you can lose in a week. Nutritionists believe that you can lose up to 1. 5 kilograms without harm to health. Therefore, do not be fooled by the promises of the ignorant, check and meditate on their advice before applying.
Excess weight is fat! Sure, you always want to lose fat, but you can also lose water or glycogen (sugar in your body). The latter often occurs when starting a carbohydrate diet.
4 ways to lose weight
There are 4 types of weight loss. If you observe a diet, it will somehow refer to one of these four ways:
- Food;
- Movement;
- Stress management;
- Thinking.
In order not to overload you with information, we have divided the 16 tips given in the article into these 4 categories. Therefore, everyone will find something of their own.
But first let's compare weight loss with diet and exercise.
Diet or movement
If you look at the studies that lasted more than 15 weeks, you can see the following results (number of pounds lost after 15 weeks):
- Diet without exercise group: weight loss of 10. 7 kg.
- Movement without diet group: 2. 9 kg.
- Exercise diet group: 12. 0 kg.
It is easy to see that nutrition is more important than exercise.
1. Diet
8 out of 16 tips in this article are about diet. Almost all of them affect the quantity and quality of the food consumed. With the help of them, you can lose weight even without playing sports.
Tip 1:Eat slower. It may seem like a joke, but you will be surprised at the effectiveness of this trick.
People who eat fast are 115% more likely to be overweight than people who eat slowly.
Here are some explanations:
- On average, a person's meal lasts 10-15 minutes. If you eat slowly, during this time you eat less, consume fewer calories. This is logical.
- Chew hard, which also reduces calories.
- Blood sugar levels are less pronounced, making it easier to burn fat.
"A healthy lifestyle will rob you of ill health, lethargy and fat"
Jill Johnson
Tip 2:Start the day with protein like cottage cheese!
Many people start their day with carbohydrates. Here are the cons:
- Carbohydrates have a high "nutrient factor" that makes you eat more and more.
- Carbohydrates cause an increase in insulin, which leads to the accumulation of fat in the tissues.
Instead of carbohydrates, you should eat protein for breakfast. Research has shown that eating protein for breakfast leads to:
- People think about food 60% less;
- People have 50% less appetite for evening snacks;
- People eat 400 fewer calories per day.
This is a great way to cut calories and thus lose weight quickly.
Tip 3:Drink half a liter of water before each meal.
This will accelerate your weight loss by 40%! Studies in adults and the elderly have shown that drinking half a liter of water 15-30 minutes before meals accelerates weight loss by 44% over a 12-week period compared to people who don't drink before meals.
There is an explanation for this: by drinking half a liter of water before a meal, the feeling of hunger decreases, which ultimately leads to a decrease in the amount of food consumed.
Also, people often confuse feelings of thirst and hunger. Drink a glass of water to make sure you are really hungry.
Tip 4:Avoid sugary sodas and fruit juices.
The problem for many people is that they don't read the composition. You need to know that soda and fruit juices are your biggest enemy because they are loaded with sugar.
But there is a nuance here. This does not apply to freshly squeezed natural juices, as they contain fruit fiber. This slows down the absorption of sugar. If these fibers are removed from fruit juice, it will be poorly absorbed by the body.
Replacing high-calorie drinks with water can help you lose weight.
Here are some facts about soda:
- The likelihood of developing diabetes greatly increases with the use of carbonated drinks (compared to water and even juices).
- The risk of diabetes is increased by 33% with a glass of soda per day.
- Daily soda consumption is associated with a 67% increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Artificial sweeteners are addictive, so it's hard to give up soda.
- In a study of rats that consumed artificial sweeteners, the following happened: They ate more and their metabolism slowed. The same thing happens with a person.
Tip 5: Avoid "hidden" sugar.
About 80% of everything sold in the supermarket contains sugar. Even if it's not written directly on it. The fact is, manufacturers often "code" sugar using words that customers don't understand. Most of these aliases end with "ose" or contain terms like "syrup" or "molasses".
"If you don't give your body your best, you are simply robbing yourself"
Jilius Irving
So let's go crazy. In fact, if we do not recognize the code word, we will assume that the product does not contain sugar.
There is also another trick. Often, manufacturers of sugar-containing substances indicate at the end of the composition. Many people simply don't read the composition to the end, allowing themselves to be misled.
Important! Always read the list of ingredients and look for hidden sugars with codenames.
Tip 6:Eat fewer carbohydrates.
People eat too many carbohydrates. If we compare our current eating habits with those of people living in nature, then we can understand that we citizens have deviated a lot from the right path.
In a 2000 study, scientists determined how many carbohydrates are consumed by people living in harmony with nature. If we compare this with the average diet of a modern person, we come to the following conclusion:
- Man of nature: Proteins 19-35% Fats: 28-47% Carbohydrates: 22-40%;
- Urban Man: Proteins: 15% Fat: 30% Carbohydrates: 55%.
Therefore, it is necessary to remove some carbohydrates and replace them with healthy fats and proteins.
Tip 7:Eat more fiber.
Adding fiber to the diet reduces insulin in the blood. Fiber is found in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, grains, and legumes.
Dietary fiber also provides a quicker feeling of satiety, which means you automatically eat less. The reason for this is that fiber takes a long time to digest.
Therefore, it is recommended that you add one of these foods to every meal.
Tip 8:Consume carbohydrates and proteins after exercise.
If you eat carbohydrates immediately after exercise, your body will continue to burn fat.
Carbohydrates also help regenerate muscles by activating the growth hormone HGH. Protein is needed to build muscles.
2. Movement
The following 2 tips are related to exercise.
Tip 9:Short but intense workouts.
When it comes to sports, people usually start with cardio. But cardio has some drawbacks.
So, with short, intense workouts, you can burn 7x more fat than cardio. Because in them you train in short sections, alternating them with breaks. For example, 30 seconds of very intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest.
5 sets of high intensity exercises for 20 minutes will be much more useful than the same 20 minutes of cardio.
Tip 10: Exercise before meals.
This is a unique tip.
Weight loss is due to less insulin being released, because it simply becomes useless. Excessive insulin release is your enemy as it causes fat to build up and accumulate, especially around the belly.
Exercising right before a meal will provide energy to the muscle cells.
"A man who can eat everything without gaining weight should not do it in the presence of a woman"
Rita Radner
Of course you won't be able to train hard before every meal, but you can only do some short exercises like squatting, beating an imaginary punching bag, etc.
3. Stress management
Stress is an underrated topic when it comes to weight loss. If you've been under a lot of stress recently, you will lose weight more slowly as you lose weight.
Let's continue with our line of suggestions.
Tip 11: Avoid chronic stress.
Stress releases cortisol, the anti-stress hormone.
If the cortisol level is high, it leads to belly fat deposits. Additionally, blood sugar levels rise, making weight loss very difficult.
If you follow a radical diet, you may be subject to high levels of stress. It will also lead to an increase in the amount of cortisol.
By the way! Cortisol is not your enemy. It is a hormone designed to reduce the harmful effects of stress. Cortisol itself is not bad, it shows you how stressed you are. In this respect it is similar to cholesterol.
Here are some ways to significantly reduce your stress levels:
- Meditate;
- Move more at home or at work;
- Listen to your favorite music;
- Don't follow a radical diet;
- Be in nature more often.
Tip 12:Get enough sleep.
Sleep has a big impact on weight loss. Here are some facts:
- Lack of sleep increases the likelihood of obesity by up to 50%;
- Lack of sleep leads to fluctuations in the hormones leptin and ghrelin, resulting in poorly regulated appetite;
- People who lose 15 hours of sleep a week from their normal cortisol levels increase by 50-80%.
A person needs at least 6-7 hours of sleep. For some, more, but no more than 9 hours. Here are some tips for sleeping better:
- Don't use your gadgets after 20: 00. And don't watch TV. Better, of course, not to watch at all, but at least after 20: 00;
- Do not drink caffeinated drinks in the evening, such as coffee, cola, tea;
- Go to bed at the same time;
- Don't look at the clock while you are in bed.
"The only way to lose weight is to reconsider your goals in life"
Cyril Connolly
4. Thinking
Thinking is also an underrated topic when it comes to losing weight. In the meantime, this is extremely important. It's not about losing weight thanks to the power of thought, but about the inner core and motivation.
With the wrong mindset, you can obviously lose weight. But the effect will be short-lived. Recovery in this case is a matter of time.
Internal or external motivation? How to find the motivation to lose weight?
People often say, "I MUST lose weight". The word "must" implies that the desire comes from outside. These people do not want to lose weight for themselves, their desires are imposed, they want to do it for others.
There are two reasons for this:
- Losing weight for a partner or loved ones.
- Losing weight to meet certain social norms.
But to lose weight, there has to be an intrinsic motivation, it should keep you going. The only person you want to lose weight for is yourself!
Therefore, you need to convert "I need to lose weight" to "I WANT to lose weight" and honestly admit to yourself why you want to. It's best to write these motifs on paper, so you're more likely to see the big picture.
Note! You should always think: "I want to lose weight" (internal, the best motivation to lose weight), instead of - "I have to lose weight" (external motivation).
Separately, it should be noted that women need more motivation to lose weight than men. Women are more susceptible, so they are more likely to get lost and therefore need more motivation.
Tip 13:Food should not be seen as a filler for the stomach.
Many people consider food to simply fill their stomach. It's a shame, because we need food for something more.
There are two main purposes:
- Gaining energy to maintain the psyche;
- Get nutrients to support the body.
If you focus your mind on these two goals, you will automatically eat healthier foods. Hunger will no longer be a signal to quickly fill the stomach. You will choose cleaner, more natural and fresher foods.
In addition to the result in the form of weight loss, health and joy will come to you as a bonus. All right, not bad?
Tip 14:Get help.
Seeking support is a good idea to increase your chances of losing weight. You don't have to go through all the steps yourself.
There are several possibilities:
- Look for a boy or a girl to play sports together;
- Share your weight loss program with family and friends who can help or simply support you;
- Join a group of people who are losing weight just like you.
All of this can give you the extra motivation you need. Losing weight is a difficult and slow process, the support of other people is very important here, because situations will inevitably arise that will bring you back. To overcome them, a friend's shoulder will come in handy.
Tip 15:Set realistic goals.
People overestimate what they can achieve in the short term and underestimate what they can achieve in the long term.
Many people who lose weight like to believe in extremely rapid weight loss. They have very high short-term expectations, which obviously don't come true. Therefore, people lose motivation and confidence in success.
The long-term outlook is underestimated not only with weight loss. This often happens with aspiring entrepreneurs - they want to become millionaires right after starting a business and don't think about how big their company will become if they work for 5 or 10 years.
I have been on a diet for 14 days and have already lost. . . 14 days!
Tommy Cooper
Important! Set realistic weight loss goals. Divide each goal into small sub-goals and achieve them gradually. Every little win will give you confidence.
As a result, you will have the strength to solve your main task and the weight loss process will not be hell for you.
Tip 16: Don't force yourself on radical diets.
Diet is often not that good because it prevents a person from satisfying their needs. Yes, throwing cakes for the night is a so-so necessity, but you also need to work with it carefully and smoothly.
Quite often, a diet causes a person to think even more about the food he wants to eat. It has to suppress unwanted thoughts. As a result, a person is constantly in a state of tension, and in the meantime the desire only increases, this will not lead to anything good.
If you artificially repress your desires, sooner or later the mind will not resist the pressure and will explode. This principle applies to all areas of life, not just weight loss.
Therefore, one should not constantly think: "I want this, but I can't", on the contrary: "I can, but I don't want it".
Psychological tricks to lose weight
So, let's get to the fun part. How to make you lose weight?
Psychological tricks: read and memorize.
Tip n. 1. Use small plates.
A number of studies show that you automatically eat less when using small plates. People always fill their plates the same way, no matter how big they are.
If the plate is large and contains little food, you will have the impression that you have eaten very little. If the plate is small, but full, it will feel like you have eaten a lot. Check it out.
"My wife started seeing a nutritionist and lost three hundred dollars in two months"
Robert Order
Tip n. 2. Use tall, narrow glasses.
According to scientists, you can drink up to 50% less when using tall, narrow glasses. This is because it seems to you that the glass is large, even if in reality it is not. When you drink it, your psyche sends the same signals to the brain as if you were actually drinking from a large glass.
Therefore, use tall glasses when consuming alcoholic or high-calorie drinks.
Use low, wide glasses when drinking water and herbal tea.
Tip n. 3. Use red dishes for fatty foods.
Another trick: eating high-calorie foods from red plates will happen in much smaller quantities than everyone else.
We associate red with "stop", so we subconsciously shorten the meal time.
Everyone knows that there are times at the table when he seems to have had enough, but there is still food on his plate. We often finish eating on the machine, without realizing that the body is already full. So, red dishes will not allow you to do this, at the first signs of satiety we will stop, we will not eat too much.
Recommendation No. 4. Eat in company.
People eat almost 40% less when guests or strangers are at the table.
Their presence creates additional pressure and does not allow a person to forget and overeat. . .
Recommendation No. 5. Don't look at food ads.
People who regularly see food on TV eat 30% more than those who don't watch TV.
"The fewer substances, the better the exchange"
So be careful when watching TV.
Council No. 6. Hang a mirror in the kitchen.
Many studies show that a mirror in the kitchen can help you lose weight.
This is due to the fact that it is often unpleasant for a person to watch him eat. In addition, he can look at his inappropriate behavior in relation to food from the outside. This can be challenging.
Tip # 7. Make junk food harder to find.
The likelihood of getting more difficult to obtain snacks is significantly reduced.
For example, if you store candy in a transparent container, you will be more likely to open it and consume more calories per day than if the container is opaque.
It's best to keep all unsightly things out of the kitchen somewhere. This is the psychology of nutrition for weight loss.
Conclusion
It is impossible to grasp the immensity. This article also contains too much information to digest and start applying it all at once. Even if you try, nothing good will come of it.
It is better to move gradually, choose 2-3 methods for yourself, study them and gradually, day by day, introduce them into your life. This will help you get results much faster. This is the whole psychology of weight loss.