Losing weight in 3 simple ways | Zyla Health
I still remember those days when I used to search all the possible websites to find out various simple ways for weight loss.
It’s very common for anyone who is trying to shed their weight, want to lose weight fast. It is extremely important for all of us to know that weight loss is not an instant process, this is a gradual and steady process.
You might be looking out for crash or fad diets to lose weight fast but these diets can lead to many health issues in the future. It is better to opt for a steady weight loss process as it provides many benefits and helps you maintain a healthy weight.
Are you also tired of searching about how to lose weight?
If yes, you are at the right place. With all my experience from the past, I am here to tell you about the 3 simple ways for losing weight. So, not to miss on any key, read the blog till the end!!
Before we start, let’s first talk about ideal body weight. Don’t you want to know how much weight you need to lose in order to be under the healthy weight range?…
What is an ideal body weight?
Ideal body weight is a clinical standard that incorporates variables like height, gender and age. It is considered as the maximum expected weight of a healthy normal individual based on age, gender, and height.
There are numerous ways to find out the ideal body weight. Here are some ways to calculate:
1. Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that uses your height and weight to see your weight status if it is in the underweight, ideal, overweight or obese category. To measure BMI, an individual’s weight in kilograms is divided by the height in meter square.
If your BMI ranges between 18.5- 24.5, then it is a healthy weight. If it falls below 18.5 or above 25, there rises the problem of underweight and overweight respectively.
2. Broca’s Index
Broca’s index is a very simple and basic way to calculate your ideal body weight. It is an estimation of ideal body weight using a height measurement only.
Why to wait, let’s go with this simple formula of broca’s index to find out the accurate results:
Broca’s index :- Height (cm) — 100 = Ideal body weight (kg)
If you are looking for a weight loss program to help achieve healthy weight, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website- Zyla.in and get the right guidance.
3. Body Composition Analysis (BCA)
Body Composition Analysis (BCA) shows how your body weight breaks down into total body water, muscles, protein, minerals and body fat mass.
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is the gold standard of the BCA. It is a medical imaging test, which uses low level X-rays to measure density of bones and fat mass.
Total amount of body fat gives the more accurate definition of ideal body weight. Here is the interpretation of DEXA fat results:
Now that you know how to calculate your ideal body weight, let’s move on and read about the basic principles of weight loss…
Basic principles of weight loss
Maintaining healthy weight depends upon how many calories you consume and how many calories you spend. To understand it better here is the magic formula.
- If the calories consumed by you > calories you spent = Weight gain
- If the calories consumed by you < calories you spent = Weight loss
- If the calories consumed by you = calories you spent = Stable weight
We all need some motivation on our weight loss journey. So to keep you motivated, let me reveal the benefits of weight loss.
Benefits of losing weight
You must be aware that losing weight helps you live a longer and healthier life. Here are the health benefits of losing weight:
- Help maintain blood pressure and prevent hypertension
- Manage cholesterol levels
- Lower the risk of heart disease
- Fight against pre-diabetes
- Reduce the risk of PCOS
- Lower the risk of multiple cancers
- Help in better sleep.
- Easy mobility and reduce body pain
- Higher self-esteem
If you need guidance to help manage your weight the healthy way, do not delay further and download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in for a holistic approach.
As you are now motivated and excited about losing weight, let’s get into the simple ways to manage a healthy weight…
Simple ways to lose weight
1. Balanced diet
A balanced diet plays a crucial role in managing healthy weight. It is quite evident that the quality and quantity of your diet has a direct impact on weight.
Balanced diet can be simply defined as the one which provides all the essential nutrients in adequate amounts. To know how a balanced diet can help you maintain healthy weight, focus all your attention here.
These are the various components through which a balanced diet and weight management are related:
- Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main sources of energy for the body and brain. Taking a low-carb diet or cutting carbohydrates out entirely is not a good idea as carbohydrates are an essential macronutrient and a valuable source of energy.
So we must smartly choose carbohydrates instead of avoiding them. Let us see which type of carbs to choose and which to avoid.
There are two types of carbohydrates:
- Simple carbohydrates are processed and refined foods which are easy to digest and breakdown. The easier they break, the quicker you gain weight.
- Complex carbohydrates are whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits which contain more fiber, so they take more time to digest and break. This makes you feel full for a long time. So, they are good options to help you for weight control and manage healthy weight.
From now on, start choosing complex carbs over simple carbs!!!
- Protein
After you consume food, calories are utilized for the digestion and breakdown of the food. Protein requires more calories to digest. So, if you consume more protein rich food, you will be burning more fat and calories. It will help in shedding extra weight and reducing belly fat.
Include protein rich foods in your diet like dairy products, whole pulses, eggs, chicken, fish, nuts and seeds.
- Fats
In a healthy balanced diet, a small amount of fat plays an essential role. Fat is a source of essential fatty acids which your body cannot produce on its own. It also helps in absorbing fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin D.
Omega-3 fatty acids are good for health as they lower the chances of weight gain and help reduce belly fat. The sources of omega 3 fatty acids include nuts like almonds (badam), walnuts (akhrot), cashews (kaju), and seeds such as flax (alsi), pumpkin (kaddu), sunflower (surajmukhi), chia and sabja seeds.
- Vitamins and minerals
Yes, vitamins and minerals also help you in managing a healthy weight. Let us see how?
Vitamins and minerals boost your metabolism and promote weight loss. Some of the vitamins like vitamin B12 and vitamin D helps in weight loss by altering the storage patterns of fat cells. So it does not allow fat to be stored in the body reducing the chances of weight gain.
Minerals like iron and calcium help in shedding weight by burning the fat.
- Fiber
Eating more foods rich in fiber helps you lose weight by curbing your appetite and reducing the calorie intake. Soluble fiber helps in delaying the process of stomach emptying and thereby keeps you full for a long time.
Fiber is super-filling and to get these soluble fiber in your diet include fruits, vegetables, whole cereals and legumes.
- Water
You might not see water as an essential nutrient but water is an important component of a balanced diet.
How does water help in weight loss? Here are two mechanisms that will help you understand how water helps in maintaining a healthy weight:
- Drinking water helps in burning of calories through the breakdown process.
- It helps in suppressing your appetite!
Drink water 30 minutes before the meals as it can help in reducing the portion size of the meal. Try to replace sugary beverages with water, a very simple and easy way to cut back on sugar and calorie intake.
Remember water is just one, very small piece of your weight loss journey.
To know more about weight loss and diet, read our blog, “What is the role of a diet plan in weight management?”.
2. Physical activity
Taking a nutritious diet alone is not enough to lose extra weight, physical activity is much needed in order to shed extra calories to achieve a healthy weight.
Burning calories through physical activity combined with consuming optimum calories through a balanced diet results in weight loss. Choose your favorite physical activity, perform it at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week with full of energy and enthusiasm to shed your extra weight.
Read our blog, “Importance of physical activity in weight control” to know more…
If you want a personalized nutrition and exercise plan for your weight loss then I would highly recommend you download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in to know more.
3. Lifestyle factors
The key to safe and successful weight loss is to adopt a healthy lifestyle that suits you. In this blog, I want to tell you about the two main lifestyle factors which may show an effect on weight loss.
a. Stress
Stress is one of the culprits to weight gain.
You must be thinking how stress can lead to weight gain?
When your stress levels are at peak, your body releases cortisol hormone. Cortisol hormone increases your hunger and cravings, leading to binge eating and ultimately gaining more weight.
Stress can also delay the metabolism process which leads to weight gain.
To all the health enthusiasts out there, I would suggest you to not take any more stress as it leads to extra weight gain. Listen to meditations, pratice yoga and breathing exercises to deal with stress.
b. Sleep — Gain sleep to lose weight
Sleep disturbance, not getting enough sleep or bad sleep quality can be one of the reasons that lead to weight gain. Lack of sleep can lead to disturbance in the hormones which causes more hunger, makes us more likely to eat unhealthy foods ultimately leading to extra weight gain.
Aim to sleep for atleast 7–8 hours daily for adequate and sound sleep as it will help in decreasing the calorie intake and reducing the appetite.
To know more about lifestyle factors, read our blog, “How can weight management be done through lifestyle changes?”.
Now you know everything you need to know about losing weight the right way. You can read this blog to know “The top 5 weight loss mistakes we all make” to avoid any. Let’s move on and discuss about weight regain which you might experience…
Reason for weight regain
As you have chosen to maintain a healthy weight, you are already one step ahead for a healthy life. It is not enough to just lose weight, as it is equally important to prevent weight regain. Post the weight loss process, weight regain is quite common.
There can be various reasons for weight regain such as -
- Not following balanced diet after weight loss
- Reduced physical activity
- Increased stress levels
- Low sleep quality
- Skipping meals
- Snacking high sugary and fatty foods frequently and eating at irregular time
- Consumption of alcohol and smoking
- Not eating mindfully
Did you know?
Skipping meals can slow down your metabolism leading to fat accumulation especially around the belly rather than fat burn.
How to prevent weight regain?
It is your own responsibility to manage your healthy weight. To maintain your weight, continue focusing on a balanced diet along with physical activity. Do not forget to keep yourself away from stress and maintain a sound sleep.
Maintaining a healthy weight is not a destination, it’s a lifelong journey to continue.
Always remember weight loss is a gradual process and you won’t lose it in one day. Be patient with yourself on your journey of weight loss. With a proper lifestyle along with optimum nutrition and physical activity you can achieve your goals.
If you’re looking for a program to achieve your weight loss goal, then Zyla is here to help. Zyla has a team of doctors, nutritionists, physiotherapists and psychologists who work on the root cause of weight gain and then provide customized guidance to you.
Download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in to know more.
Let’s be confident and healthy together!
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