We all dream of having a sculpted body and our weight in the healthy category. We can’t wait to lose those extra pounds. But often recommended crash diets (or fad diets) and intense exercise routines that guarantee rapid results in weight loss and body toning can be unsustainable and unhealthy in the long run.
The good news is you can achieve your goals and progress in your fitness journey with a healthier, long-lasting approach! This guide will show you a 2-pronged strategy to safe and effective weight loss – dietary changes and toning exercises.
Doing these two together will help you lose weight and tone your body, making you look healthier and fit.
Sustainable Weight Loss Strategies
1. Healthy Diet
The foundation of healthy weight loss is keeping your body in a calorie deficit. This means you need to burn more calories than you intake in a day. This can be done 2 ways:
- You eat less (do intermittent fasting) and do moderate exercise (burning more calories than you consume)
- You eat normally and do intense exercise (still burning more calories than you consume)
Both will keep you in a calorie deficit. Though drastic calorie restriction will not be good (do not starve yourself).
Follow these in your dietary changes:
- Have a balanced diet with whole foods, fruits, vegetables, protein and more. These are nutritious and filling.
- Properly portion your meals to consume the right amount of calories.
- Get a protein intake of 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg of your body weight.
Also, consider these 3 diets:
Also, you can consider these three dietary approaches:
- Ketogenic diet: Low-carb, high-fat diet that promotes ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat for energy.
- Paleo diet: It contains whole foods, lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and nuts while avoiding processed foods, grains, and dairy.
- Mediterranean diet: Focuses on plant-based foods, healthy fats, lean protein, and moderate amounts of wine.
2. Regular Physical Activity
Exercise regularly to burn calories and maintain a healthy weight. Including movement in your daily routine – take the stairs instead of the lift, walk to the nearby grocery store. You can start out small. Choose any physical activity you enjoy. Do brisk walking or swimming.
As you stick to the routine, you will see your fitness improve. Gradually, increase the duration and intensity of your workouts. Do strength training (weight training) as well. It will help strengthen your body, boost your metabolism, and burn more calories, even at rest.
3. Lifestyle Changes
Proper sleep is needed for your mental, emotional, physical, and even social well-being. No wonder getting inadequate sleep impacts weight loss. It is recommended to get proper 7 to 8 hours of shut-eye per night, especially when you are aiming for weight loss, as sleep deprivation can disrupt hormones that regulate hunger and satiety.
Ever had midnight cravings? That is what we are talking about! Similarly, stressing out too much can lead to weight gain. You can’t always get rid of stressors such as workload, finances, and more, but you can be zen (peaceful) with practices such as meditation and yoga can help manage stress hormones (cortisol) in the body.
Also, you can track your calories with calorie-counting apps to monitor your progress.
Can Prescription Medications Assist In My Weight Loss?
Prescription weight loss medications like Ozempic pens can help you in your weight loss journey. Individuals with overweight or obesity can take these with exercise and diet for weight loss. Also, these are to be taken under medical supervision for the best results and minimum side effects. They will tell you the best course of action and help you get more information about prescription weight loss medications.
Toning Strategies for a Sculpted Physique
1. Strength Training
Strength training is also known as weight training or resistance training. It helps you develop muscle strength. It involves using weights or other forms of resistance to achieve this. This can be done with equipment like dumbbells, resistance bands or your own body weight.
For a toned body, you need to build muscle. Strength training helps you gain muscle. After you are done with your exercise, your muscles burn more calories than fat at rest. It also boosts your metabolism and thus, promotes weight loss.
You need a workout routine that helps you exercise major muscle groups like legs, back, chest, shoulders, and core. You can start with beginner-friendly bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks.
Exercise your specific muscle groups with targeted exercises regularly for a toned body. Here are some of the workouts you can integrate into your workout routine.
- Work up your core with planks, Russian twists, leg raises, and bicycle crunches.
- Do proper leg workouts with squats, lunges, leg presses, and hamstring curls.
- Exercise your arms doing bicep curls, tricep extensions, overhead presses, and lateral raises.
2. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
HIIT, due to its high intensity in workouts, can get you better results in less time. It increases calorie burn and is normally 20 to 30 minutes long. However, it will get you way more benefits than your moderate intensity workout, such as brisk walking and more.
This training involves doing intense exercises for short intervals, followed by rest, and then repeating this several times. This gets your heart pumping at its best, develops heightened awareness, and the best part is that you burn calories even while at rest.
3. Cardio
Cardio or aerobic exercise is a physical workout that works up your cardiovascular system and respiratory system. When you do activities such as climbing the stairs, cycling, running, these get your heart rate up and you get more oxygen in. For losing weight, do cardio at least five times a week for 25 to 30 mins each day.
Conclusion
You can maintain a healthy weight in the long term by eating right and exercising regularly. The strategies mentioned above will help you greatly in having a toned and sculpted body. Take the sustainable approach to weight management and see the results.