So You Want to Lose 20 Pounds — Here's How to Get It Done!

So You Want to Lose 20 Pounds

Here's How to Get It Done!

Anybody who has tried shedding a few extra pounds can tell you what an uphill battle it is. Between the gruelling exercises and diet plans, it can feel like ages to achieve your goals.
Unfortunately, 1 in 3 American adults suffer from obesity. Being overweight can increase your chances of developing deadly conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and blood pressure. 

If you are having trouble reducing your weight and need some guidance to lose up to twenty pounds, here are some tips on how to get it done.

Tip #1- Watch What You Eat: Many studies suggest watching what you eat can help you lose weight effectively. One way to do this is by counting the calories you intake regularly. According to NIH, being mindful of your portion sizes can help you achieve your target weight. 

Know how much you should eat and avoid overeating. You must also consume fewer calories than you burn in order to lose weight. The extra food we eat is stored in our bodies as fat. If we continue eating more calories than we need, this fat is never utilized and gets stored permanently, increasing our body fat percentage and contributing to weight gain. 

However, you will still need to make changes to your lifestyle and diet to keep up with the weight loss in addition to counting calories.

Tip #2- Drink More Water: While there is no solid scientific proof of how drinking more water can directly affect weight loss, there are some good reasons behind the popular saying. When you swap water for other beverages, you take in lesser calories, reducing your total calorie intake, which ultimately leads to weight loss. Additionally, drinking water during and between meals will fill you up faster, thus reducing the calories you take in.

Tip #3- Consume More Protein: We know proteins are the building blocks of our bodies, but did you know they can also help in weight loss? Proteins help build lean muscle in combination with regular exercises, which use energy. More muscle mass will mean more energy burnt and, therefore, reduced weight. They also alter the metabolism and hormonal balance in the body, making you feel fuller for longer and reducing your calorie intake and, therefore, body weight.

Tip #4- Reduce Processed Carbohydrates: It is well known that we should include whole grains in our diet, but only a few know why. Processing grains strips them of their fibre content and, therefore, increases their glycemic index. When you consume any edible with a high glycemic index, your blood sugar levels spike. However, it is quickly followed by a crash where your blood sugar levels reduce, making you feel hungrier than usual and burnt out. This can lead to binge eating, which is never good for those looking to lose weight. Hence, try to include more whole grains in your diet and reduce the amount if processed food and carbs.