Many of us want to lose weight. Getting in shape can help to boost confidence and improve overall fitness and health. The trouble is, slimming down is often much easier said than done. It is estimated that around a quarter of adults in the UK are now obese.
The good news is, help is at hand. There is plenty of advice and information available online if you want to lose weight, and it is also possible to access treatments designed to speed this process up. For example, LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor offers Xenical, a medicine that reduces the amount of fat absorbed from food. Meanwhile, the following tips could help you get in shape and stay that way.
Avoid Crash Diets
When you’re trying to lose weight, you might be tempted to crash diet. Often, these extreme eating regimes are presented as a fast and effective way to slim down. However, this approach may not be safe. Also, it can prove to be counterproductive in the long term.
These diets can be nutritionally unbalanced and therefore have a negative impact on your overall health. They can also slow your metabolism down, meaning your body may start to reduce the speed at which it burns calories. This may end up limiting your ability to lose weight.
Because they are so restrictive, crash diets can be difficult to stick to and, as soon as you come off these eating regimes, you might find you put weight on quickly afterwards.
Instead of trying to lose a lot of weight very fast, it is recommended to aim to shed one to two pounds per week. This will not take a toll on your body and it is more likely that the results will last.
Take a Healthy Approach to Food
Any safe approach to slimming down is based on a healthy diet. Unless you have special dietary requirements, this should include starchy foods like potatoes and rice, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and enough protein. To lower your calorie intake, try reducing your portion sizes and cutting down on fatty and sugary foods. You can do this by opting for low-fat products and leaner cuts of meat.
Try to avoid snacks and always start the day with a nutritious breakfast. You may also benefit from lowering your alcohol consumption.
Even simple tactics like eating more slowly and using smaller plates can help you to lose weight and once you get into these habits, they are easy to stick to.
Increase your Activity Levels
As well as watching what you eat, it’s important to increase your activity levels. The UK Department of Health advises that you do at least half an hour of moderate exercise on five days a week or more. However, you might need to do much more than this to get in shape.
Try to choose activities that you actually enjoy. For example, if you don’t like pounding the treadmill in the gym, try swimming or cycling. It’s also worth checking out different sports.
Another top tip is to build more exercise into your everyday routine. Perhaps you could walk or cycle to work rather than drive, or get off the bus a couple of stops earlier. Taking the stairs rather than the lift can also help you to burn more calories.
Losing weight in a safe, healthy and sustainable way does take a little patience, but your body will thank you for it.
