How to Lose Weight

The start of the year has come around again and the usual topic of ‘New Year, New Me’ comes up, with people searching how to lose weight, whats best food to eat for weight loss and similar topics.

The perception that January is a time to do it, to start new habits and the hype to do it then maybe is not the best way to approach it and see it as a definitive way to get going.

For me the best way to approach making change is:

The best time to get started is a time that suits you and only you !

Never put expectations on yourself to achieve a result by a certain time frame, do it in your own steady way.

Never feel you need to get going or being pressured to make a change just because of things that are heard or seen around you. Approach everything in your own time, and only do what is right for you!

Keep things simple!

Keep your approach to getting healthier, improving your overall fitness levels and losing weight simple, no need to over complicate the process, which can sometimes make you give up. Check out my How to lose weight from home blog post, but here are some points too.

  • Walking

One of the most basic things that we can do is just simple walk, this can help improve your cardiovascular system, clear your mind, reduce anxiety and burn of body fat. You do not even need to be like Forest Gump and walk for extended time frames, 15 to 30 mins at a time 2-4 times a day or every second day will help.

Allow yourself to walk at a pace that is comfortable, maybe briskly if you feel up to it, head phones on and listen to a podcast or some music.

  • Resistance training

Doing some resistance training can be added in, it can be as simple as just body weight at home without any equipment, with cheap bands, or if you can afford it with kettlebells, dumbbells /barbells, you do not need to be in the gym environment, as that isn’t for everyone.

Doing this form of training even 20 mins 2-3 times a week will help too with clearing your head from any stresses, improving general fitness and shift excess body fat. If you like a free sample home workout programme just hit the whatsapp tab with word Flynnfit.

If you would like online coaching with guidance and support, check out my available coaching packages.

  • Food you enjoy

Please don’t look at food as being good and bad, there are no such things, there are only food you enjoy and foods you don’t!

One thing to take into consideration is just eating well, you should enjoy the eating process, just a small ,mindset change to increase a little protein source, particularly after a workout and you will be on the right track.

Do not need to calorie count, only people that should be doing this really are those that are going to do a very specific goal say for a competition, photo shoot or something along that line.

Simple methods like eating till you are 80% full, slowing down how quick you eat, putting your fork down between bites will help.

See my post Effective weigh loss without calorie counting

  • Sleep well

Not getting enough sleep can have a detrimental effect on weight loss, we have a hormone called leptin that tells us when we are full, when we are sleep deprived, the production of leptin can be effected, and its opposing hormone ghrelin that wants us to eat wins out, leading to weight gain.

 

Try get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, have your room cool, try reduce interaction with phones in bed to reduce blue light from screens that will keep you alert. Listen to some gentle music, asmr recordings like nature sounds of rain, storms etc I use these when i find it difficult to sleep at times.

Stress management

Try do some things that help reduce your stresses and anxieties as high stress levels can affect any weight loss as it effects your hormones and GI system. It can cause sudden weight loss or weight gain.

Try readings, yoga, meditation, of just a good film, to help reduce this for you.