Nowadays, many people face issues while reducing weight even though they work out regularly, follow calorie deficit food plans, avoid sugar, etc. Despite the effort, why is it that people are not able to lose the extra kilos? The first thing we need to understand is that it’s not the weight loss, but it’s fat loss that our body needs. Once there is fat loss, there will be muscle gain. More the muscle mass, the more fat burn there will be. That is why it’s important to focus on losing inches. In fact, weight loss can be dangerous as you might be losing water weight, bone weight, or muscle mass.
How can one achieve a good amount of fat loss? It’s easy and following these steps can help:
NEAT exercises: ‘Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis’ (NEAT) involves small movements that one can do to keep the thermogenesis in the body going. For example, a pushup every one to two hours, a small walk post meals, stretching, lunges, suryanamaskar, etc., every hour can help improve blood circulation and enhance fat metabolism. This will turn your body into a fat-burning machine even when you are sleeping. Apart from this, continue daily exercise.
Circadian rhythm: Set a body clock by waking up on time, sleeping on time, and eating on time. Most of the healing, fat burn, inch and weight loss, detoxification, etc., happens when we sleep properly and when the body and mind are calm.
Early dinners: Our body is designed to rest post sunset and if we’re able to eat dinner within an hour of sunset, it improves metabolism, digestion, and sleep. All these aid in weight loss.
Chew well: I emphasise this point because when we slow down and chew the food well, it automatically helps decrease portion size. When we chew well, our body naturally controls portions, which aids in calorie deficit and helps in burning fat.
Protein: These are building blocks of the body that enhance repair and help form lean muscle mass, which further helps in burning fat. Try adding sufficient protein to every meal if your body is able to digest it well.It is important to stop chasing weight loss with fad diets. Instead, adapt to lifestyle changes and manage your health well.
The writer is a clinical nutritionist with a focus on healthy lifestyle choices. Chief Nutrition Officer, Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems.