The journey from fat to fit doesn’t happen overnight. There may be a lot of quick fixes and gimmicks in the market, but those only provide short term gains. If you want to lose the extra pounds and flab, and remain fit and healthy for life, there is more to it than just a crash diet and sweating it out in the gym. It takes patience, time, dedication, perseverance and an entire lifestyle change. Are you ready for the transformation?
1. What Goes In Doesn’t Always Come Out!
A general belief when it comes to losing weight is that 80% depends on your diet (what goes in) and 20% is about exercise (what comes out). This doesn’t mean that exercise isn’t as important (on the contrary, exercise has plenty of other benefits apart from weight loss), rather it means that you should take in less calories than you burn in a day.
2. Eat Everything… In The Right Amounts
In order to make a lifestyle change, one has to form habits that will last… a lifetime. And completely cutting out a particular food or food group is not something that can be maintained in the long run. So don’t vow to never touch desserts and chocolate again; instead promise yourself you won’t eat more than two portions a week. Don’t omit carbs from your diet completely, instead make the switch to healthier carbs like brown rice, brown bread and wholewheat pasta. Getting the drift?
3. Supplement With Supplements
Supplements do help on your journey from fat to fit. Do your research, talk to the experts and your doctor (all supplements don’t suit everyone; some can have side effects so always check with a doctor) and then do your supplement shop. Depending on what it is you are looking to achieve, you can add some fat burners, fat-loss products, protein shakes or mass gainers to your diet.
4. Make Exercise A Part Of Your Daily Routine
The most difficult part about exercising is getting started. There will always be an excuse, be it lack of time, lack of energy, lack of motivation. The trick is to make it a part of your daily routine – keep it as a necessary to-do in your day’s activities, set a particular time for it – so that you don’t land up missing another session. Once it becomes a habit, it will be second nature to you.
Sometimes, with busy schedules and work, it is difficult to spend an hour or even a half hour in the gym. In that case, at least try and go for a walk at the start or end of your day, or go for short, ten-minute walks in the middle of your work day. Three quick ten-minute walks will add up to a half hour of exercise. Start small, be consistent and remain active.
5. Know (And Respect) Your Metabolism
We tend to forget this point but a lot of our weight issues depend on our metabolism as well. Some people might eat a lot but have a quick metabolism which helps them expend energy and remain thin. Learn how your metabolism functions and work with it for best results.
