My friends, in this article we will tell you how you can lose those extra pounds using "healthy" methods without a radical mindless diet. Some of the tips in this article are unique and cannot be found anywhere else. Consider both “traditional” methods of losing weight and “non-traditional” - the psychology of weight loss.
If losing weight is your goal, follow our simple tips to steer your thoughts, feelings and actions in the right direction, you will certainly be successful!
Psychology: how to lose weight? Go!
Of course, since we don't know your weight and other data, it is impossible to build a specific plan that will allow you to lose X kg in Y weeks.
But we will give you the best advice, the effect of which has been scientifically proven repeatedly. We won't burden you with terms, numbers and other boring stuff. We will briefly discuss nutrition and physical activity and delve into the psychological aspects of weight loss in more detail.
How much weight can you lose in 1 week?
On the internet you will find many articles and sites where you are promised to get results in no time. Unfortunately, most of the information they contain does not apply to real life. Don't believe in fairy tales. Check first.
There are many factors to consider in losing weight, there is no magic pill. These factors include your age, height, body fat percentage, current diet, physical activity, etc.
Still, there is a rule of thumb about losing weight in a week. Nutritionists believe that you can lose up to 1. 5 kilograms without harming your health. Therefore, don't be fooled by the promises of the ignorant, check and ponder their advice before you apply.
Overweight is fat! Of course, you still want to lose fat, but you can also lose water or glycogen (sugar in your body). The latter often occurs when you start a carbohydrate diet.
4 ways to lose weight
There are 4 types of weight loss. If you look at any diet, it will somehow refer to one of these four ways:
- Food; Movement
- ;
- Stress management;
- Thought.
In order not to overload you with information, we have divided the 16 tips given in the article into these 4 categories. Therefore, everyone will find something of their own.
But first, let's compare weight loss with diet and exercise.
Diet or movement
If you look at studies that lasted longer than 15 weeks, you can see the following results (number of pounds lost after 15 weeks):
- Diet without exercise group: 10. 7 kg weight loss.
- Movement without speed group: 2, 9 kg.
- Exercise diet group: 12. 0 kg.
It's easy to see that nutrition is more important than exercise.
1. Diet
8 of the 16 tips in this article are all about diet. Almost all of them affect the quantity and quality of food consumed. With the help of them, you can lose weight even without playing sports.
Tip 1:Eat more slowly. It might sound like a joke, but you will be surprised at how effective this trick is.
People who eat fast are 115% more likely to be overweight than people who eat slowly.
Here are some explanations:
- On average, a person's meal takes 10 to 15 minutes. If you eat slowly, during this time you eat less, consume fewer calories. It's logic.
- You chew hard, which also cuts calories.
- Blood sugar levels are lower, which makes it easier to burn fat.
"A healthy lifestyle will rob you of poor health, lethargy and fat"
Jill Johnson
Tip 2:Start your day with protein like cottage cheese!
Many people start their day with carbohydrates. Here are the drawbacks:
- Carbohydrates have a high “nutritional factor” that causes you to eat more and more.
- Carbohydrates cause an increase in insulin, which results in the accumulation of fat in the tissues.
Instead of carbohydrates, you should eat protein for breakfast. Research has shown that eating protein for breakfast leads to:
- People think 60% less about food;
- People have 50% less appetite for snacks at night;
- People are consuming 400 fewer calories per day.
This is a great way to cut calories and therefore lose weight fast.
Tip 3:Drink half a liter of water before each meal.
This will speed up your weight loss by 40%! Studies in adults and the elderly have shown that drinking half a liter of water 15-30 minutes before meals accelerates weight loss by 44% over a 12-week period compared to people who don't drink before. meals.
There is an explanation for this: by drinking half a liter of water before a meal, the feeling of hunger decreases, which ultimately leads to a decrease in the amount of food consumed.
In addition, people often confuse feelings of thirst with hunger. Drink a glass of water to make sure you are really hungry.
Tip 4:Avoid sodas and sugary juices.
The problem for a lot of people is that they don't read the publication. You should know that sodas and fruit juices are your biggest enemy because they are loaded with sugar.
But there is a nuance here. This does not apply to freshly squeezed natural juices, as they contain fruit fibers. This slows down the absorption of sugar. If these fibers are removed from fruit juice, they will be poorly absorbed by the body.
Replacing high calorie drinks with water can help you lose weight.
Here are some facts about soda:
- The likelihood of developing diabetes increases dramatically with the use of carbonated drinks (compared to water and even juice).
- The risk of diabetes increased by 33% with a daily glass of soda.
- Daily consumption of soft drinks is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 67%.
- Artificial sweeteners are addictive, so it's hard to give up soda.
- In an animal study of rats consuming artificial sweeteners, what happened was that they ate more and slowed down their metabolism. The same thing happens with a person.
Tip 5: Avoid “hidden” sugar.
About 80% of everything sold in the supermarket contains sugar. Even if it's not written directly about it. The point is, manufacturers often “code” sugar in words that customers don't understand. Most of these aliases end with "ose" or contain terms such as "syrup" or "molasses".
"If you don't give your body the best, you just steal yourself"
Jilius Irving
So we have madness. After all, if we don't recognize the code word, we'll assume that the product does not contain sugar.
There is also another trick. Often the manufacturers of substances containing sugar are indicated at the end of the composition. A lot of people just don't read the composition to the end, thus being misled.
Important! Always read the ingredient list and look for hidden sugars by code name.
Tip 6:Eat fewer carbohydrates.
People eat too many carbohydrates. If we compare our current eating habits with those of people living in nature, then we can understand that we - city dwellers, have deviated a lot from the right path.
In a 2000 study, scientists determined how much carbohydrate people consume when living in harmony with nature. If we compare this with the average diet of a modern person, we come to the following conclusion:
- Nature man: Protein 19-35% Fat: 28-47% Carbohydrate: 22-40%;
- Urban Man: Protein: 15% Fat: 30% Carbohydrate: 55%.
Therefore, you need to cut out some carbohydrates and replace them with healthy fats and proteins.
Tip 7:Eat more fiber.
Adding fiber to your diet reduces blood insulin. Fiber is found in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, grains, and legumes.
Dietary fiber also makes you feel fuller faster, which means you automatically eat less. The reason is that fiber takes a long time to digest.
Therefore, it is recommended to add one of these foods to each meal.
Tip 8:Consume carbohydrates and proteins after exercise.
If you eat carbohydrates immediately after exercise, your body will continue to burn fat.
Carbohydrates also help regenerate your muscles by activating the growth hormone HGH. Protein is needed to build muscle.
2. Movement
The following 2 tips are related to exercise.
Tip 9:Short but intense workouts.
When it comes to exercise, people usually start with cardio. But cardio has a few drawbacks.
So, with short and intense workouts, you can burn 7 times more fat than cardio. Because in them you train in short runs, alternating them with pauses. For example, 30 seconds of very intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest.
5 sets of high intensity exercise for 20 minutes will be much more beneficial than the same 20 minutes of cardio.
Tip 10: Exercise before meals.
This is a unique trick.
Weight loss is due to less insulin being released because it just becomes unnecessary. Excessive insulin release is your enemy as it causes fat to build up and store, especially around the belly.
Exercising right before a meal will provide your muscle cells with energy.
"A man who can eat everything without putting on weight should not do this in the presence of a woman"
Rita Radner
Of course, you won't be able to train hard before every meal, but you can just do short exercises like squatting, giving an imaginary punch, etc.
3. Stress management
Stress is an underrated topic when it comes to weight loss. If you've been under a lot of stress recently, you will lose weight more slowly while losing weight.
Let's continue our advice line.
Tip 11: Avoid chronic stress.
Stress releases cortisol, an anti-stress hormone.
High cortisol levels lead to fatty deposits on the stomach. In addition, blood sugar rises, which makes it very difficult to lose weight.
If you are on a drastic diet, you may be exposed to high levels of stress. It will also lead to an increase in the amount of cortisol.
By the way! Cortisol is not your enemy. It is a hormone designed to reduce the damaging effects of stress. Cortisol on its own isn't bad, it shows you how stressed you are. In this regard, it is similar to cholesterol.
Here are some ways to significantly reduce your stress level:
- Meditate;
- Move around more at home or at work;
- Listen to your favorite music;
- Do not follow a radical diet;
- Be in nature more often.
Tip 12:Get enough sleep.
Sleep has a big impact on weight loss. Here are some facts:
- Lack of sleep increases the likelihood of obesity by up to 50%;
- Lack of sleep leads to fluctuations in the hormones leptin and ghrelin, as a result of which appetite is poorly regulated;
- People who miss 15 hours of sleep per week above their normal cortisol levels increase by 50 to 80%.
A person needs at least 6-7 hours of sleep. For some, more, but not more than 9 hours. Here are some tips for sleeping well:
- Do not use your gadgets after 8: 00 p. m. And don't watch TV. Better, of course, not to watch at all, but at least after 8: 00 p. m.
- Do not drink drinks containing caffeine at night, such as coffee, cola, tea;
- Go to bed at the same time;
- Don't look at your watch while lying in your bed.
"The only way to lose weight is to reconsider your goals in life"
Cyril Connolly
4. Thought
Thinking is also an underrated topic when it comes to losing weight. In the meantime, this is extremely important. It's not about losing weight through the power of thought, but the inner core and motivation.
With the wrong mindset, of course, you can lose weight. But the effect will be short-lived. Restoration in this case is a matter of time.
Internal or external motivation? How to find the motivation to lose weight?
People often say, “I MUST lose weight”. The word "must" implies that the desire comes from outside. These people don't want to lose weight for themselves, their desires are imposed, they want to do it for others.
There are two reasons for this:
- Lose weight for a partner or loved ones.
- Lose weight to meet certain social standards.
But in order to lose weight, there has to be some intrinsic motivation, it has to get you going. The only person you want to lose weight for is yourself!
Therefore, you have to convert "I need to lose weight" to "I WANT to lose weight" and honestly admit why you want it. It is best to write these reasons down on paper, then you are more likely to see the big picture.
Note! You should always be thinking - "I want to lose weight" (internal, the best motivation for losing weight), instead of - "I need to lose weight" (external motivation).
It should be noted separately that women need more motivation to lose weight than men. Women are more susceptible, so they are more likely to go astray and therefore need more motivation.
Tip 13:Food should not be viewed as filling the stomach.
Many people think of food as just filling the stomach. It's a shame, because we need food for more than that.
There are two main purposes:
- Obtain energy to maintain the psyche;
- Obtain nutrients to support the body.
If you focus on these two goals, you will automatically eat healthier foods. Hunger will no longer be a signal to fill your stomach quickly. You will choose cleaner, more natural and fresher foods.
In addition to the result in the form of weight loss, health and joy will come as a bonus. Okay, not bad?
Tip 14:Get help.
Seeking support is a good idea to increase your chances of losing weight. You don't have to go through all the steps yourself.
There are several possibilities:
- Look for a boyfriend or girlfriend to play sports together;
- Share your weight loss plan with your family and friends who can help or just support you;
- Join a group of people who are losing weight like you.
All of these can give you the extra motivation you need. Losing weight is a difficult and slow process, the support of others is very important here as situations will inevitably arise and reject you. To overcome them, the shoulder of a friend will come in handy.
Tip 15:Set realistic goals for yourself.
People overestimate what they can achieve in the short term and underestimate what they can achieve in the long term.
Many people who lose weight like to believe in extremely fast weight loss. They have very high short-term expectations, which of course do not come true. Thus, people lose their motivation and their belief in success.
The long term outlook is underestimated not only with weight loss. This often happens with aspiring entrepreneurs: they want to become millionaires right after starting a business and don't think about the size of their business if they work for 5 or 10 years.
I have been on a diet for 14 days and I have already lost… 14 days!
Tommy Cooper
Important! Set realistic weight loss goals for yourself. Divide each goal into small sub-goals and achieve them gradually. Every little victory will give you confidence.
As a result, you will have the strength to solve your main task, and the process of losing weight will not be hell for you.
Tip 16: Don't force yourself on a drastic diet.
Food is often not very good because it prevents a person from meeting their needs. Yes, throwing pies at night is so necessary, but you also have to work carefully and gently.
Very often dieting causes a person to think even more about what food they want to eat. It must suppress unwanted thoughts. As a result, a person is constantly in a tense state, while the desire, on the other hand, only increases, it will not lead to any good.
If you artificially suppress your desires, sooner or later the mind will not resist the pressure and explode. This principle applies to all walks of life, not just weight loss.
Therefore, one should not constantly think: "I want this, but I cannot", on the contrary: "I can, but I do not want".
Psychological tips for losing weight
So, we come to the fun part. How to lose weight?
Psychological Tips - Read and memorize.
Tip # 1. Use small plates.
A series of studies show that you automatically eat less when you use small plates. People always fill their plates the same, regardless of their size.
If the plate is large and contains little food, you will feel like you have eaten very little. If the plate is small but full, it will look like you ate a lot. Check it out.
"My wife started seeing a nutritionist and lost three hundred dollars in two months"
Robert Order
Tip # 2. Use tall, narrow glasses.
Scientists say you can drink up to 50% less using tall, narrow glasses. This is because it seems to you that the glass is large, although in reality it is not. When you drink it, your psyche sends the same signals to your brain as if you were actually drinking from a tall glass.
Therefore, use tall glasses when consuming alcoholic or high calorie drinks.
Use low, wide glasses when drinking water and herbal tea.
Tip # 3. Use red plates for fatty foods.
Another tip: eating high calorie foods on red plates will occur in much smaller amounts than in all the others.
We associate red with "stop", so we will subconsciously shorten the mealtime.
Everyone knows there are times at the table when you seem to have had enough, but there is still food on the plate. Often times, we end up eating on the machine, not realizing that the body is already full. So the red patches will not allow you to do this, at the first sign of satiety we will stop, we will not overeat.
Recommendation n ° 4. Eat in company.
People eat almost 40% less when guests or strangers are at the table.
Their presence creates extra pressure and does not allow a person to forget and overeat. . .
Recommendation # 5. Don't watch food ads.
People who regularly see food on TV eat 30% more than those who don't.
"The less substances, the better the exchange"
So be careful while watching TV.
Recommendation n ° 6. Hang a mirror in your kitchen.
Many studies show that a mirror in the kitchen can help you lose weight.
This is because it is often unpleasant for a person to watch it eat. In addition, he can view his inappropriate behavior in relation to food from the outside. It can be thought-provoking.
Tip # 7. Make unhealthy foods harder to access.
The likelihood of having harder to obtain snacks is significantly reduced.
For example, if you store candy in a transparent container, you will be more likely to open it and consume more calories per day than if the container is opaque.
Better to keep all kinds of bad stuff out of the kitchen somewhere. It is the psychology of nutrition to lose weight.
Conclusion
It is impossible to grasp the vastness. Even this article has too much information to digest and apply it all at once. Even if you try, nothing good will come of it.
It is better to move gradually, choose 2-3 methods for yourself, study them and gradually, day after day, introduce them into your life. It will help you get results much faster. That's the whole psychology of weight loss.