Best way to lose weight? Many of us ask that question fully expecting the answer to be some miracle pill, crash diet or exotic herbal supplement that will magically melt all our unwanted pounds away. Unfortunately, that is not how true weight loss works. True weight loss requires serious effort, and you have to be prepared to give that effort if you really want to get rid of your excess weight and stay slim for the rest of your life.
The best way to lose weight is still the old-fashioned way – by staying on a balanced diet and exercising regularly. However, there are a lot of unfounded notions out there on what a balanced diet and a regular exercise regimen should be. Here is our attempt to clarify some of these unfounded ideas about dieting, exercise and weight loss.
Maintain a Balanced Diet
Nutritionists and medical practitioners in general all agree that maintaining a balanced diet is the key to good health and effective weight loss. When your body is healthy and well-nourished, it performs its functions at optimal levels. This boosts metabolism and encourages thorough elimination of waste. By increasing metabolism and the efficiency of waste elimination, you trigger your body’s natural ability to lose weight on its own.
One huge misconception that people have about maintaining a balanced diet is that meals are boring, tasteless and won’t fill you up. On the contrary, you can experiment with your food and come up with a healthy and balanced meal that is tasty and filling. It’s just a matter of selecting your ingredients and using the right mix of herbs and spices to season your food.
What makes up a balanced diet? It depends on your body’s energy requirements. However, in a single day, you should aim for two servings of protein, two servings of complex carbohydrates, seven servings of vegetables, and six servings of fruits. You can distribute these servings however you want throughout the day.
Exercise Regularly
lot of people claim to have lost weight simply by maintaining a balanced diet. Weight loss through diet alone certainly does work, but it takes longer to achieve. If you want to shed off your unwanted pounds more quickly, you should exercise regularly as well. The best way to lose weight is to combine a balanced diet with exercise. Also, there are health benefits you can get from exercising that you shouldn’t ignore.
You don’t have to spend hours and hours pumping iron at the gym to burn the weight off. You only need 30 minutes of exercise in a day, and you can break up that time to fit your schedule. So, you can exercise no matter how busy you are. You can be creative in how you get your 30 minutes of exercise done. Here are a few examples:
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Taking a five-minute walk during lunchtime.
- Dropping by a co-worker’s office instead of sending them an email if you need something from them.
- Flexing your abs while waiting in line at the supermarket or the bank.
- Playing with your kids at the park.
- Brisk walking with your dog.
The best way to lose weight is still the old-fashioned way – by combining a proper and balanced diet with regular exercise. There is no miracle pill, herbal extract or crash diet program that can beat this combination. So gird up and start up your new diet and exercise regimen today.