Practical Tips for Weight Watchers

To most overweight or obese people, losing weight is more or less a try-and-error process. However, it has been scientifically proven that a healthy diet combined with regular exercise works for most people. With the following practical tips, we want to help you go through your weight loss journey in a more effective and healthier way. Ready to get started?

Avoid alcohol. Most alcoholic beverages are high in calories. Excess intake can put pounds of weight on you.
Set achievable goals. A drastic change in diet and exercise patterns may result in weight plunge. However, this kind of lifestyle is unlikely to sustain. Once it comes to a halt, your weight bounces back. Health experts recommend individuals to aim to lose weight at a rate of about 0.5 – 1 kg (1-2 lb) per week by creating an energy deficit of 500 – 1,000 kcal per day with diet control combining regular exercise.
Too busy for the gym? Try to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine, e.g. commuting by walking or cycling. That way, you can burn more calories at ease without putting on sports gear deliberately. Aim to walk a total of at least 10,000 steps per day. Don't worry, for most average adults can walk about 3,000 – 5,000 steps per day during ambulatory activity. It is not as daunting as you may think.
Less is more. Vigorous and high-impact exercise, e.g. running or ball games, may pose excessive stress to your lower limbs and hip. Try low- to non-impact activities such as brisk walking, cycling and aquatic exercise, which can be of great help with burning fat and promoting aerobic fitness without injuring the joints.
Don't forget strengthening the muscles. Lean muscle burns more energy than fat tissue. Therefore, including at least two or more days of strengthening exercise per week can help build more muscle tissue, and boost basal metabolism, thereby helping you get back in shape.
Exercising with an empty stomach burns more fat? That sounds amazing! However, it is contrary to what scientific evidence claims. The rate of fat burning during exercise depends largely on the intensity level and duration. Fasting before exercising would only reduce your stamina, forcing you to drop out your planned routine. To avoid this trap, you may consider eating a bit of carbohydrate-based food, e.g. wholemeal bread or cereal with milk to help you persist longer in a workout session.
Reward yourself, of course with non-food items. Sticking to a weight loss programme can be a mental challenge. So, reward yourself appropriately can be good fun for motivation along the way. Rewards such as sports equipment are a good choice as it reminds you to keep on working out.