It can be pretty frustrating when you’re carrying the weight that just won’t disappear. It’s understandably challenging to lose weight. It’s even more difficult as you get older. Due to the slowdown in your metabolism, aging and weight loss seem to disagree with each other immensely. Thankfully, there are some effective habits that can work as long as you stick with them. In order to get started, develop a plan that includes these tips.
1. Know Your Sensitivities
If you have a hormonal imbalance or an issue with your thyroid, this can play into why you’re struggling to lose weight. If you have a food sensitivity or allergy, it might be wreaking havoc on your digestive system so you can’t release the weight. You have to know your sensitivities as it pertains to food, environmental factors, and more. If you need to get on a medication in order to create a harmonious balance, take it. Be sure to see your primary care provider in order to get a referral to the right doctor. If you’re an emotional eater, seeing a therapist will help you get to the bottom of your coping mechanism in order to uncover better solutions. Even if you need to see an endocrinologist, an allergist, and a therapist, do it in order to get a full understanding of your mental and physical health.
2. Develop a Realistic Meal Plan
If you hate salads, do not go on a salad diet. You’ll only sabotage your efforts. Instead, find ways to incorporate foods you actually like. Look for ways to make healthier versions of your favorite foods. Instead of deep-frying french fries, baked sweet potato fries in the oven or the air fryer.
Small tweaks can make a major difference. Instead of pouring a ton of butter or oil into the cooking pan, measure one tablespoon of oil or cut one tablespoon of butter. When you’re able to track how much you’re using, you’ll easily shave off a ton of unnecessary calories.
Prepare your meals in advance. When the time comes, you’ll simply need to pull a meal out of the fridge to heat up. When you make your meal plans easy and delicious, you’ll have a better chance of sticking with the program.
3. Use Professional Technology
Technology continues to evolve in order to make room for convenience and efficiency in a number of ways. In addition to using technology to freeze fat cells, you can actually use professional beauty machines in order to weight loss, body sculpting, and more. As you continue to adopt a lifestyle where you treat your issues from a holistic perspective, make life easier by using technology to speed up your results.
4. Incorporate Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting continues to gain popularity as an effective weight-loss method because it helps a person burn visceral fat. There are two types of fat: visceral and subcutaneous. Visceral fat is the type that wraps itself around the organs and leads to high cholesterol, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Intermittent fasting is effective in helping to burn visceral fat.
In return, your waistline shrinks and more. In order to get results with intermittent fasting, start by fasting for 12 hours. This includes the time when you’re asleep. When you’re awake, drink water or unsweetened coffee or tea until you break the fast. The most popular time frame is the 16:8 method (16-hour fast, 8-hour eating window). Since this method works so well at the metabolic level, you’re bound to see results in time.
5. Spend Time in the Weight Room
When you’re trying to get rid of stubborn weight, it’s tempting to spend all of your time on the treadmill or the elliptical machine. While cardiovascular workouts are extremely important, it’s just as important to include a strength-training routine. Within the span of a week, try your best to lift weights two to three times per week. As you work the larger muscles, you’ll burn fat and build muscle. Strength-training exercises are extremely effective as you get older and deal with extra pounds from a slower metabolism.
6. Get Lots of Rest
Many researchers continue to point to the importance of true rest in order to lose weight. A good night’s sleep allows the body to repair itself. You also need to give your body a chance to rest in order to train your muscles. Even though it’s tempting to power through life on two cups of coffee and four hours of rest, simplify your lifestyle in order to drop the weight.
While it’s understandably tough to follow through with a weight loss regimen, it’s not impossible. In fact, you’re more than capable when you shift your mindset. Focus on how you’d like to feel, and give yourself time. When you’re patient with your body and consistent with your efforts, you’ll lose the weight in due time.