Why is losing a few dozen kilograms considered a miracle? People who have lost significant weight and changed beyond recognition become heroes of TV shows and social networks. This happens because, according to statistics, 85% of the female population and 55% of the male population have set such a goal at least once in their lives, but 25% and 10%, respectively, have reached the final stage. . Fighting the natural eating instinct is a real challenge. The outcome of the battle largely depends on what is considered the starting point.
To solve the problem, you need to know where to start losing weight and plan it correctly - not only in terms of nutrition and exercise, but also adjusting your usual lifestyle. Making such a decision must be accompanied by an awareness of the complexity of the weight loss approach. From now on, each step will bring you closer to your goal and they need to be thought through carefully from the beginning.
The simplest and most correct solution
If you want to start losing weight correctly, achieve the desired results and not harm your health, you need:
- Save about 200 USD.
- Find a nutritionist in your city and make an appointment with him.
- Go to an appointment.
- Follow all of his recommendations.
- Visit him regularly to adjust the plan he initially outlined.
- Find a professional fitness trainer who specializes in weight loss and arrange a meeting with him.
- Consult with him, set an individual training plan, taking into account the recommendations given by the nutritionist.
- Follow all of his recommendations.
You will need money to pay for your personal nutrition and exercise plans. This amount is approximate and may vary in different cities and between different professionals. On average, each such development costs about 100 USD. Only nutritionists and coaches can help you start losing weight correctly and guide you until you achieve your desired results.
Appointment with a nutritionist
First, you will receive a detailed survey to gather a history. Be ready to answer lots of questions:
- whether there is a chronic disease or not;
- what you eat, how many times a day (from the smallest details, down to seeds and a bottle of mineral water);
- how quickly you gain weight;
- What diseases have you had in the past 2 years;
- You have bad habits;
- what is the nature of your work (sedentary or you have to move constantly - on foot or by car);
- What is your life like after work?
- Your parents have problems with excessive weight, etc. v.
After data collection, instrumental tests and studies are prescribed:
- General blood and urine tests;
- blood sugar test;
- blood chemistry;
- blood test for thyroid hormones;
- CT scan;
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;
- gastroscopy/other endoscopic examination of the gastrointestinal tract.
Based on all the data collected, a personal nutrition plan will be developed and you will have to strictly follow it. You also need to follow all the relevant advice your nutritionist gives you (walking in the evening, going to upper floors without the elevator, exercising, etc. ).
Coach consultation
After the nutritionist gives all his recommendations and nutrition plan, you go to meet with the trainer. He should tailor the weight loss program in the gym to suit them. It is important to grasp the following point here: as soon as the instructor begins to criticize the nutritionist's actions, turn around, leave and look for another expert. Doctors have the right education and know what they advise, but in the fitness industry there are too many amateurs who can ruin everything.
If you need to lose a lot of weight (more than 100 kg), the plan can last from six months to 2 years. If you need to lose 10-20 kg, 6 months is usually enough.
So, starting to lose weight the right way is extremely easy. This method is good because you do not need to independently calculate BMI, daily calorie intake, BJU ratio, etc. v. Errors are excluded here, health risks are minimal and the final result is guaranteed. The disadvantage is the high cost of developing an individual training and nutrition plan as well as the duration of the course - from 3 months to 2 years.
Lose weight independently
If you plan to organize your own weight loss process at home, you will have to spend a lot of time preparing. Regardless of gender, age, and weight, you should start with these steps.
Common point
The first is motivation: setting clear goals and determining why you need to lose weight. You can choose photos of when you were slim and your current figure. You can hang your favorite dress in a prominent place where you must "fit". Read related documents, watch movies. There are many ways to motivate yourself and they will pay off throughout the months you train your body.
Second is the medical examination. You can't go anywhere without him. What it will bring you:
- Some diseases cause excess weight, and you cannot recover from the latter without treating the former;
- all diets and certain types of exercises have contraindications - with test data you will be sure that this or that nutrition or exercise regimen will not causeharmful to your health.
Keep a weight loss diary: you will write down all your mistakes and achievements, changes in weight and volume.
Find like-minded people: join groups on social networks where people share successes, give advice and support each other. Please contact them if there are any problems.
Prepare your family for your weight loss. Ask them for help. Sometimes, if you don't have the courage to not eat before going to bed, let your husband distract you from this temptation and prevent you from relapsing. Effective, but must be thought about from the beginning of the journey.
Purchases:
- scale;
- kitchen scale;
- dumbbells.
Think about the causes of being overweight: poor diet, overeating, sedentary lifestyle, age or certain diseases. Understand: if you don't eliminate the stimulant, you can't lose weight.
Nutrition
Prepare yourself for the fact that the first steps to losing weight can take up to a month. Of course, the preparatory phase can be shortened to 3-5 days, but in 90% of cases such a start will lead to inevitable failure. So be prepared to spend some time on this.
Start by calculating your BMI. Determine how much extra weight you have. Write down three numbers: your ideal weight (ultimate weight loss goal) - your actual weight now - the number of kilograms you need to lose. Then proceed according to the following plan.
First week
- Write down everything you eat during the day and in what quantity.
- In the evening, count the number of calories you consume.
- On Sunday, determine the average daily calorie content of your diet.
- Using a special formula, calculate the amount of calories needed to lose weight effectively. Usually for men it ranges from 1500-2000 kcal, for women - 1200-1500 kcal.
- Calculate the difference between what you consume now and what you get according to the recipe.
- Think about which foods or dishes to reduce your daily calorie intake (a food calorie table will help with this).
The second week
This preparatory stage is already the beginning of the weight loss process, because with proper nutrition you can lose 1-2 kg. You need to give up fast food, fried foods, alcoholic and carbonated drinks and limit your intake of sweet and salty foods.
Third week
- Start with a day of fasting.
- Study the problem of complex and simple carbohydrates. Leave only the first things in the diet.
- Create a menu for the week, reducing your daily calorie intake by 100 kcal. Stick to it.
- Drink at least 1 liter of water every day.
The fourth week
- Start with a fasting day.
- Eliminate an extra 100 kcal from your diet.
- Increase water intake per day to 1. 5 liters.
- Avoid fatty foods: meat, fish, milk (over 2%).
Remember - this is not the process of losing weight per se, although you will probably lose a few kilos, but just the preparation for it. It minimizes the stress your body will experience in the coming weeks or months.
During the final, fourth week of preparation, start making dietary choices. We immediately refuse express options for 3 days and a week, promising to lose 1 kg in 1 day. First, it is harmful to health. Second, the weight will return with gains after the end of the hunger strike.
If you want to lose weight correctly, choose a long-term weight loss nutrition system, designed for 1-3 months. This is largely a development of the author: Montignac, Atkins, Dukan, Liepaja. Carefully study everything related to them, prepare the menu for the first week, look for recipes for dishes and calculate calorie content.
That's it: nutritionally speaking, you're ready to lose weight.
Sport
If you want your weight loss to be truly effective, just organizing meals is not enough. The calories you consume also need to be expended. To do this, you will have to increase your physical activity and activity. But if tomorrow you start working out for a few hours in the gym, your body will rebel out of habit: the next day you will not be able to get up due to muscle pain. And all because this also requires preparation. Luckily, there's something to do during those four weeks as you come up with your new diet.
The training program proposed below is called "From Scratch". It is designed for people who have never exercised but understand that they will have to do it to lose weight.
First week
- Avoid elevators: 5-6 floors have to be walked every day.
- When working sedentarily, stand up for 5 minutes every hour and warm up: walk, stretch.
- Walk for at least half an hour in the evening.
The second week
- Find an easy 10-minute morning workout that energizes and lifts your mood, rather than exhausting you. Do it every day.
- Learn some breathing exercises (qigong, bodyflex, oxysize), try to master one of them.
- Increase your evening walk to 40 minutes.
Third week
- Include 2-3 new, more complex exercises in your morning workout.
- Continue to improve proper breathing.
- Walk 50 minutes in the evening.
The fourth week
- Morning exercises should last 15 minutes.
- Then walk (Finnish, sport) for half an hour at a brisk pace.
- The evening walk is extended by an hour.
- Plan training.
If you start losing weight by following such a plan, your body will be thoroughly prepared for new physical activity. The correction of the number will be much more drastic and with minimal losses. Of course, at first the muscles will hurt, but not too much.
When creating a workout plan, remember that the benefits of intervals are much greater. And don't exhaust yourself every day: muscle fibers need time to recover, so every other day is the most convenient schedule.
Consider the question of where the classes will take place. A gym membership is a financial hit, but it's worth it. You will be able to use professional simulators and you can always ask for advice from the coach. Or group fitness classes - it's engaging and doesn't knock you down.
Buy a few beautiful tracksuits - this is also a kind of motivation. And when buying it, think that in 2-3 months you will replace it with things 1-2 sizes smaller.
Recommended for special cases
Starting weight loss correctly determines 50% of the success of your plan. However, the above plans must be adjusted taking into account each person's personal characteristics. Therefore, some tips for special populations will help organize the whole process more correctly.
Women over 35 years old
At this age, the body gradually begins to age and adapt to menopause. Metabolism slows down, fewer people are willing to participate in sports. Therefore, even the owners of the slimmest bodies begin to fade. The belly gets bigger, the bottom expands, the breasts get bigger and sag a little.
In addition to the nutrition and exercise programs proposed above, there is a special step-by-step system for women after 35-40 years old who do not want to be overweight.
- If you can skip seeing a doctor before age 35, losing weight is mandatory at this age. Perhaps he will suggest the most suitable weight loss methods for you.
- Start taking special vitamins.
- A high-protein, low-fat, low-carb diet is not for you. Choose the most balanced nutritional system with a daily intake of at least 1500 kcal.
- Strength exercises are not needed at this age, but you cannot completely exclude them from your training plan. When compiling it, focus on cardiovascular exercises but don't forget about weights.
- Replace your morning run with sports or Finnish walking.
- Dancing is of course good. However, when planning to lose weight at this age, you still choose swimming.
And the most important advice for older women who are starting to lose weight: see your doctor every 3 months. Any changes in the body during perimenopause are important.
Men have beer bellies
Deciding to lose weight for a man with a big belly is a real miracle. Dieting is a common thing for women, but they are not ready to restrict their eating. What will it be like to refuse a can of salted fish beer in the evening and not sit in the bathroom with friends on the weekend?
However, the process will have to start with this:
- There is no need to look for a diet - just eliminate alcoholic and carbonated drinks, fast food and snacks from your diet.
- Daily calorie intake should be reduced to 2000 kcal. Usually men do not like to sit with these formulas and tables, so it is better to ask your wife, sister or mother for help.
- Prioritize foods high in protein and low in fat.
- Be sure to include a morning jog in your workout plan.
- Choose abdominal exercises.
- Alternative strength and cardio exercises.
For a man who has set a goal of losing weight, the most important thing is to get started. They engage in this process much faster without allowing themselves any indulgences, as women often do. Don't delay your plans. If the 4-week preparation process mentioned above is too long a journey for you, start tomorrow so as not to drag it out for months, during which time your beer belly will only increase.
Age after 50
The most dangerous and difficult thing for both men and women is losing weight after 50-60 years old, when the body is tired and the organs are no longer working at full capacity. Age often becomes the main reason for a decrease in metabolism, which is why you gain extra pounds.
Here you should definitely start with a visit to the doctor - you definitely should not draw up a plan on your own. After all, any restriction in your intake of fats or carbohydrates can make your health worse. Playing sports for 10 more minutes will cause shortness of breath and rapid heart rate. Improper exercise can lead to joint pain or even injury.
Therefore, making a decision to lose weight after the age of 50 must necessarily be approved by experts, without any questionable initiatives or experiments.
How much weight do you need to lose?
If you need to lose 10 kg, simply following the 4-week workout program detailed above will be enough. With it, you can lose 3-4 kg per month. After doing it, you don't even need to diet - just continue to follow the nutrition recommendations for week 4 and exercise 40 minutes a day. It is important to start correctly, and then the need for a hunger strike will disappear by itself.
It will be a different problem if you initially weigh a lot (more than 100 kg). Here the preparatory stage also plays an important role. If you immediately start with an accelerated weight loss regimen of minus 10 kg per week, in the end, even if you lose kg, it will affect your health and your skin will wrinkle because there is no time to shrink. again. It is important for you to gradually get used to any diet and lose weight slowly (1-2 kg per week). But then you will save on the cost of cosmetic surgery.
The beginning of any business is 50% of its successful completion. Weight loss is no exception. If you're motivated to go all the way, don't dive in headfirst: the dive should be slow and gradual. This is the only way to achieve results.