It’s standard for people to say this after making gastronomic and physical ‘sacrifices’. Well, first of all, you need to understand that losing weight means losing body fat (fat%) and not just weighing less on the scales.
If you’re trying to lose weight, avoid quick-fix miracle solutions. The right way to go about it is with dietary re-education; this means never cutting out entire nutritional groups from your meals, like carbohydrates or proteins. It’s plain wrong! It’ll result in a nutritional deficiency.
You should reduce your calorie intake, mainly where processed foods are concerned, such as pizzas and pastries, for example, as well as alcoholic drinks and sweets. The trick is: cut down, but don’t starve yourself! Any diet will require a period of adaptation for each individual; everyone is different and has a different metabolism. If, with time, you can completely cut out processed food and substitute it with healthier, more nutritious options, then all the better for you!
The important thing is that you need to do aerobic activities along with the new diet. These will give you more strength and energy in your day-to-day life, even for simple things (like climbing a staircase, for example), and weight-lifting will help prevent injuries by strengthening joints and increasing metabolism.
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It may not seem like it, but a good night’s sleep will also help with weight loss. If you sleep at least 8 hours a night, that’ll be great! This is because if you don’t sleep properly, a hormone called Ghrelin is released into your body, stimulating the appetite. So, there you have it…
Never skip meals or swap them for miracle shakes. Eat well, including all nutrients and vitamins, avoiding dietary shocks.
A study published in December 2013 by PubMed – US National Library of Medicine, of the National Institute of Health, USA, compared the quantity of physical activity as a weekly calorie count with the relative risk of death (from natural causes, such as ageing, sedentary lifestyles, acute sicknesses…) and concluded that people who spend between an average of 3000 to 3500 kcal per week have less chance of dying. However, for those with an average spend of 500 kcal per week, the probability increases by 120%. That’s why it is recommended that we do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day to keep in shape. But watch out – if we’re talking about losing weight, we should look at 60 minutes daily, which should be evenly split between aerobic and strength exercises!
Believe! Have faith, focus and determination, and you’ll get there.
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