A 19-year-old fitness influencer Jess who used to weigh almost 105 kg has lost 52 kg with tremendous discipline and dedication. She often shares weight loss tips and insights on healthy lifestyle on her Instagram page.
In a new post, titled ‘Weight loss tips + tricks’, Jess listed the things that helped during her weight loss journey. She also shared a disclaimer that what worked for her may not work for someone else because we ‘each have unique energy requirements and bodily functions’.
She maintained that it is important to be in a calorie deficit and remember that ‘energy consumption calorie consumption’ “This is the only way a person can lose weight naturally,” she added.
Here are some tips and tricks to lose weight:
- Eat fruit + veg with every meal: Eating fruits and vegetables in every meal will help you feel fuller because they are low in calories but high in volume.
- Improve your step count: When Jess was losing weight, she walked around 10-13k steps a day. During weight loss, you also need to increase your step count.
- Workout 3/4 times a week: Jess revealed that when she first started losing weight, she mainly did HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts at home because she was too scared to go to a gym. She also warned that while HIIT workouts may help you lose weight, it also means you will lose muscles. “This meant I did not have an hourglass shape, and my loose skin was more pronounced,” Jess wrote. So, if you are a beginner, hit the gym and do strength training 3-4 times a week.
- Drink more water: If you drink more water, it will prevent snacking. She also suggested drinking tea/black coffee as well.
- Prioritise meals around protein: If you prioritise protein more, it will help you feel fuller for longer as protein takes more time to break down. Your body also burns more calories digesting protein than other macros, she said.
- Reflect on your current lifestyle: Know your activity levels and eating (and drinking) habits, reflect on them and make changes. “For example, before I started my weight loss journey, I did 0 exercise (apart from walking around classes in school). If I were to go from that lifestyle to suddenly working out every day, hitting 12k steps every day and eating only clean foods, it would be unsustainable, and I would have burnt out after 1/2 weeks,” Jess explained as quoted by Hindustan Times.
- Alter: Every 1-2 weeks, look at whether you have made a physical change. There might be a point when you will plateau and when you stop seeing progress you have to reflect and make changes to your routine.
Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition. Always consult a doctor before starting any weight loss journey and routine.