If you have clicked on this article, then that means that you are thinking about starting out on a weight loss and fitness journey. Firstly, congratulations! There is nothing better than having a healthy body and a healthy mind. Secondly, don’t believe everything you read on the internet. There are so many fads and trends related to fitness and weight loss that it can be really easy to get lost in a minefield of misinformation. In my opinion, all you need to do is stick to a few solid guidelines and ignore the crazy stuff. Here are five ground rules you must follow to lose weight!
All you need to do diet wise is focus on eating as much high-quality whole foods as you can. Lots of lean protein, lots of vegetables, lots of fruits and lots of whole grains are the key to living a healthy life. The less processed foods you have in your diet, the better off you will be. Experts say that eating a high protein diet can lead to as much as twice the fat loss of a moderate protein diet. Something to think about!
If you have signed up for the gym then awesome, that’s a huge step, but to compliment your weekly workouts you should be being as active as you can outside of the gym too. Walk or cycle to work rather than drive if it within distance. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. All of these small changes can make big impacts on your daily activity and aerobic statistics.
When you are putting your body through a proper weight loss journey, you need to get enough sleep so that it has time to recover and restore overnight. Working out and dieting can be stressful for the body, so restful sleep every night is integral in giving you the motivation and ability to follow through with your plans each day.
It’s not just important that you sleep, it’s important when you sleep too. The body needs to be awake during the day and asleep during the night, and disrupting this pattern can also disrupt positive weight loss. Not to mention, people that stay up all night and sleep all day tend to have less than ideal eating habits.
Weight loss is obviously all goal oriented, but please don’t get too stressed if you don’t meet a weekly target or you have a slight set back. Chronic stress can actually lead to weight gain, so it can help to learn and adopt a few mindfulness and meditation techniques to reconnect with your calmer self in times of stress and anxiety.