Lose weight fast with these 9 tips and tricks every fitness expert follows

If you want to lose weight fast and stay fit, remember that the process begins with small changes that don’t involve exercises with heavy equipment in the gym or following a strict diet plan. Refusing a dessert, running for five minutes, and even cutting down on the stress factor could be some simple hacks that would help you lose weight and stay fit. Weight loss doesn’t only involve heavy exercises in the gym or a strict diet plan.

Before you sign up for an expensive gym membership, read on for tiny changes you can make. Dr Bhuvaneshwari Shankar, chief dietitian, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, shares some tips:

Walk up the stairs

High-rise buildings give people the opportunity to exercise their calf muscles and build stamina while they reach their destination. It may not be possible to climb up too many floors, however, with time and practise one will definitely be able to scale bigger flights of stairs. Start with walking up and down at least 3-4 flights of stairs and slowly increase over time.

Skip weight training, carry things heavy things throughout the day

Look for opportunities to carry heavy things throughout the day rather than taking an easier option. If you have a baby, carry the baby whenever possible – if you carry him/her up a flight a stairs, it’s even better. Not only are you spending valuable bonding time with your infant, you will not feel the pressure of the climb as you hold your loved one close. Similarly, spend a little more time lifting heavy objects around the while cleaning – move your furniture around and reach those difficult spots that are otherwise left dirty. This way your house is left spick and span, and you get rid of extra calories.

Go for religious expeditions

Not a lot of people look at their religious expeditions this way, but travelling to places like Kasi, Vaishnodevi, where one goes on a fast and travels long distances by foot also acts as a weight-buster. People walk for 14-30 kms without realising the distance they have traversed. Not only does the individual feel a sense of piety while paying homage to their religious deities, but they also end up paying homage to their physical health along the way.

Eat smart

Start your meals with proteins and vegetables rather than diving into carbohydrates. Protein helps the body feel full and satisfied quicker, reducing a person’s risk of overeating. Carbohydrates on the other hand take longer to fill a person’s stomach. It also advised to space meals out throughout the day and eat in small quantities. When a sweet craving arises – opt for a piece of a seasonal fruit, a dry fruit or go for sweet items that are relatively lower in calories. For example, the weight conscious often prefer sweets like rasogulla over fried sweets like gulab jamun.

Indrayani Pawar, team leader, dietician team, Hinduja Healthcare Surgical, Mumbai, too shares some tips:

Never skip breakfast

A lot of people, especially weight watchers are still under the impression, that eating less leads to a faster weight loss. This isn’t true at all. Skipping your meals will, in fact, reduce the BMR (basal metabolic rate), which will be one of the major hindrances for weight loss.

Eat food slowly

Most of us lead hectic lives. We tend to gulp down food at every meal. Eating food is often a task on our to-do list. Mechanical digestion that happens in the mouth while chewing food is an important process of overall digestion. Also, eating quickly leads to overeating.

Drink adequate water

Water is one of the most important nutrients but the most neglected one. Water is important for a variety of chemical reactions inside the body. Its helps in eliminating the wastes and thus help in keeping the digestive tract healthy. It also helps to boost metabolism and thus help in weight loss.

Get a personalised diet chart

One size doesn’t fit all, especially when your diet is concerned. The diet followed by your friends or colleagues may not work for you that the way it did for them. Everyone has a different metabolism, lifestyle, age, body structure, etc.

Worship the sun

Surya Namaskar has a number of benefits for overall health. It’s an exercise in itself including 12 steps, each targeting specific body parts. One round of Surya Namaskar helps in burning approx. 13.9 kcal.

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