4 minute read
Quick Tips: Losing Weight the Right Way
Let me know if this scenario sounds familiar to you: You've booked a trip to the beach in a couple months and you want to feel your best. You've been wanting to lose weight and this is a great excuse to finally make it happen. This wave of motivation quickly passes and next thing you know, the trip is only 2 weeks out and you've got to get your act together. You hit the gym every day, suffer through soreness and fatigue, eat as little as possible, and you successfully lose some pounds! Fast forward to a month after your trip and you've gained all the weight back and then some. This cycle happens over and over and you just can't seem to keep the weight off for good.
First and foremost, it's essential to look at losing weight from a different angle: the goal isn't just about losing weight. It's about losing body fat and gaining muscle. Someone with a lower body fat percentage will be significantly leaner than another person of the same weight but higher body fat percentage! Shifting the focus from weight loss to fat loss is the key difference to achieve healthy living and sustainable long-term fat loss.
We're going to focus on building muscle-weight while decreasing more fat-weight for long-lasting results.
track your protein intake:
Aim for 1g of protein per pound of body weight. Consuming this amount of protein is essential for muscle building, which in turn, increases the number of calories your body burns each day. We recommend getting your protein from whole natural foods, however using protein supplements like ours if you're falling short for the day is super helpful!
sustainable exercise habits:
You don't have to hit the gym and do tons of cardio every day to see results! Building a sustainable exercise habit you can maintain for the rest of your life is far more important. We recommend full-body strength training 2 to 3 times a week. This frequency not only allows your body enough time to rest and rebuild but also helps prevent burnout. Building muscle takes time so be patient and remember that consistency is key!
If you're being honest with yourself and you can only go to the gym once a week, that's fine too. Whatever you can do consistently trumps going many more times but burning out and stopping altogether.
prioritize sleep:
It's hard to overstate the importance of good quality sleep - not just the hours you're in bed. Sleep is when our body recovers, detoxifies the brain, and balances hormones - all of which are important for our overall physical and mental health. Working out is a stress on the body, and stress requires recovery! If you’re running on poor sleep, your body prioritizes recovering from that lack of sleep instead of building muscle and can lead to an increased appetite. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night. Your body will thank you!
Fat loss takes time! We recommend hiding your scale in your closet and instead, take waist measurements or photos of yourself once a week as a way to track your progress. Don't discount the little positive changes you make; it all adds up ♡
photo by jasmine chew
