Living  in a tech-savvy society has predisposed us to expect fast results  whenever we do something. We want to run projects quickly and get fast  results. We desire to have faster devices.

Life basically seems to be a marathon, and when we desire something,  we want it to be available almost instantly. With devices and machines,  that might be possible, but what about losing weight?

Well, losing weight is a totally different ballgame. You did not gain  all that weight in a day, and you won't drop it in a day either. While  fad diets promise astronomical results in a few days, those are not  going to be sustainable. In order to lose weight and keep it off, you  need a combination of hard work and patience.

Relying on diets to lose weight: Does it work?

Fad diets state that if you deprive yourself of food for some time,  your body will enter into the 'starvation mode' where it starts to feed  on its own fat to produce energy. This statement is true, but while  relying on such diets is said to pave way for an accelerated weight loss  journey, you might want to be careful.

There have been some cases where trying to speed up one's rate of  losing weight results in unexpected results which can include unhealthy  habits and regaining the lost weight.

A much healthier approach to losing weight is eating right and  exercising, combined with the correct amount of patience. You need to  give your body time to adjust to these changes.

Fad diets promise fast results, but in the long term you might end up  losing more than you expected to gain - you can put it as gaining more  than you expected to lose, and it will still work. So, the right thing  to do is to stick to a balanced diet combined with a good exercise  routine.

Normal weight loss values

So, if fast-forwarding your weight loss journey is not an option,  then what's the recommended rate of weight loss? Well, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (link: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/),  the most ideal rate of weight loss is 1-2 pounds each week. What that  means is that you should be aiming to shed 4-8 pounds of your extra  weight a month, if you want to remain within the healthy limits.

By losing weight at a controlled rate, you not only make the results  healthier but also give time to your entire body, allowing it to adapt.  Doing so means that the results are more likely to stay, as opposed to  getting all excited, only to painfully realize later on that your new  look was only temporary.

Losing weight is a tough journey, but you can always make it work for you, as long as you make the right choices.

Losing the healthy way: What's the plan?

As mentioned earlier, losing weight can either be surprisingly easy or undeniably daunting.

From the numbers' point of view, losing weight works best when you  take in lesser calories than you are burning. The goal, in such a case,  would be to ensure that your body is not getting the much that it  requires to keep going.

Since your body is built to evolve and find alternative ways to  survive, it will resort to burning stored fat for fuel. Take an example  where you were trying to lose 1 pound every week, and every pound  contains 3,500 calories. In such a case, you would have to reduce your  daily intake of calories by about 500-1000 calories.

But is life that straightforward, really? Well, it was never meant to  be, anyway. With social events, celebrations, holidays, and other  activities that revolve around food, it can be difficult to keep  yourself focused on losing reducing your daily intake of calories.

With that in mind, the right thing to do when losing weight is to  focus on becoming healthier. Don't focus solely on just looking good  when you head out or being able to fit into a new outfit. By taking such  an approach of losing weight, it will be possible to not only lose it  but also keep it away.

In addition? It's also important for you to focus on increasing your  physical involvement even as you pay attention to your eating habits.

With activities such as strength training by lifting weights or  performing bodyweight exercises, not to mention high-intensity interval  training, you are able to increase your body's metabolism. That way, it  becomes a lot easier to cut the extra weight.

And that's not where it ends. In addition to being able to improve  your metabolic rate, you can also gain more muscle mass. This enables  you to keep burning the extra calories even after your exercising  session is over, according to Dr. Army (link: https://www.austinregionalclinic.com/doctors/amy-siegel) of Austin Regional Clinic.

And as CDC (link: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/)puts  it, seeing positive changes in your health is not linked to losing  significant weight. In other terms, it's not conditioned that you have  to lose substantial weight first before you can notice any positive  changes in your health.

If you are an overweight individual, shedding just 5-10% of your  total weight should allow you to experience positive changes such as:

• Lowered cholesterol
• Reduced risk of diabetes
• Improved blood pressure
• And more

But why doesn't dieting get the job done?

When trying to lose weight, there is one thing that you should never  do. And that's crash dieting. There is a reason that it's referred to as  "yo-yo dieting". When you try to lose weight by depriving yourself, you  are more likely to relapse to your bad eating habits.

As already mentioned, losing weight is a journey that you go through  with your entire body. Not giving time for the changes to happen doesn't  give an ideal result since your body isn't able to adapt to your new  state. When you starve yourself, you will feel hungry to a point where  the hunger beats your zeal for doing what it takes to shed the extra  pounds.

There, however, is one exception to the 1-2 pounds recommendation  that was mentioned above. In cases of weight loss surgery, individuals  are able to lose about 20 pounds per month, and the rate diminishes  gradually until they get to the targeted weight. The main reason for  this is that undergoing surgery forces the individuals to eat at a  slower rate hence they take in fewer calories.

Assessing your weight

As you probably know by now, it's important that you assess your  weight to evaluate disease risk and determine the right action to take  towards achieving a healthy weight. This you ought to do while keeping  in mind that either being underweight or overweight is not good for you.

You can assess your body weight by using the adult Body Mass Index (BMI) method.

Interpreting your BMI

An individual's BMI (link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/obesity/what-is-bmi.php)  is their weight in Kg divided by their squared height in meters. If you  have a high BMI, it means that you have too much fat in your body and  that you could be at a high risk of developing diseases such as heart  disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.

Here's a quick summary of how to interpret your BMI values:

• A BMI of less than 18.5 puts you in the underweight range.
• A BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 puts you under the normal or healthy category
• A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 categorizes you as being overweight
• A BMI of 30.0 or higher means that you are obese

As you already know by now, a weight that exceeds what is considered  to be a healthy weight is referred to as obese or overweight.

Keep in mind that BMI, on an individual scale, is meant to be used as  a screening tool as opposed to being a diagnostic of an individual's  health. That's why it's crucial to seek the help of a trained healthcare  provider if you are interested in evaluating your health risks and  current status.

You and your doctor can determine and monitor your BMI since it has a significant effect on health, including:

• Individuals with a high BMI are more likely to develop chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.
• A high BMI also puts pregnant women at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes.
• In addition to this, having a high BMI as an adolescent could mean  that you have a greater risk for bone and joint problems later in life.
• Also, being obese during childhood is associated with significant  health issues such as sleep apnea, asthma and social/psychological  problems.

Tracking your weight loss rate

The best possible way to find out how fast you are losing weight is  by tracking the process yourself. You can keep a journal of your weight  loss rate or use an online service that connects with your fitness  tracker.

However, it's important not to compare your progress with others. The  reason for this is that everyone loses weight differently. For  instance, you could be eating 1,500 calories per day and your friend  eats 2,000 calories per day but they still lose weight faster than you.

Facts of losing weight:

- Not eating is the fastest way to lose weight, but it's also the most unhealthy

- When you reduce your daily intake of calories and adhere to a specific diet and exercise plan, you will begin to lose weight

- When losing weight, it's important to note that you should focus on being healthy instead of just looking good when you go out

- It is possible for people who are overweight to lose some pounds  and shed negative effects such as high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood  pressure, etc. without losing substantial amounts of weight

- Losing weight is not conditioned on losing a significant amount of weight first before experiencing positive changes

- You can lose up to 2 pounds a week. When going through weight loss surgery, the rate is about 20 pounds per month

- Crash dieting is the worst thing you can do if your goal is to lose  weight. It doesn't give room for your body to adapt. You are likely to  relapse into your old eating habits when starving yourself

Tips for losing weight healthily

When trying to shed a few extra pounds, it can be tempting to try  whatever quick solutions that you can find. The only problem with such  an approach is that a majority of the quick weight loss programs are  usually only being promoted for for-profit purposes.

The right way to go about losing weight normally and in a healthy way  is to go with small tweaks to your diet and lifestyle. That way, you  are not only going to lose weight sustainably, but the effects will be  more long term.

In that light, here are 8 effective tips that you can use to lose weight the right way:

1. Consume a variety of colourful, healthy foods

Your first goal when losing weight should be to form a diet that  includes healthy meals as well as snacks. Aim to create a diet plan that  is made up of 50% fruit and veggies, 25% protein, and 25% whole grains.  It's also important to ensure that your daily fibre intake is within a  capacity of 25-30 grams (link: https://www.heart.org/-/media/data-import/downloadables/pe-abh-how-do-i-follow-a-healthy-diet-ucm_300467.pdf)

It's critical to ensure that you are not consuming trans fats, while  also reducing your intake of saturated fats which are notoriously linked  to coronary heart disease (link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/184130.php).  Your best source of fats should be PolyUnstaturatedFattyAcids (PUFA)  or MonoUnstaturatedFattyAcids (MUFA) which are classified as unsaturated  fat.

Here are the main foods that you should aim to include in your diet due to their beneficial nutrients:

• Nuts
• Whole grains like oatmeal and brown rice
• Legumes
• Fresh fruits and veggies
• Fish
• Seeds

You can avoid taking foods like:

• Baked goods
• White bread
• Processed or fatty red meats
• Bagels
• Foods that have added sugar, oils, and butter
• Processed foods

When making changes to your diet, it's important to involve a  dietician, nutritionist, or some other healthcare professional who can  assist with making the right choices. That way, you will get the most  out of your dietary changes.

2. Have a food and weight diary

It's important to ensure that you self-monitor when trying to lose  weight. To achieve this goal, you can use either a dedicated website,  mobile app or paper diary to record the foods that you eat daily. In the  same way, you can record your weight at the end of every week as an  effective way to measure your progress.

Noting physical changes as well as positive changes in your records  will motivate you to keep striving for more, even if the changes are  small. It's also a good idea to keep track of your BMI using a calculator (link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323586.php) so that you can make changes to your diet and lifestyle where necessary.

3. Make sure that you are exercising and getting regular physical activity

It's vital to ensure that regular exercise becomes part of your  lifestyle. The best way to do that is to gradually increase your rate of  exercising after which you can slowly increase the intensity. The goal  should be to get one hour of moderate-intensity exercise every day from  activities such as brisk walking.

It's also recommended to record your physical activity, as that can  help a lot with the psychological part of losing weight. There are  various ways to do that, including using the free mobile apps that are  available. In cases where it's difficult to include a full workout in  your schedule, you can always take small steps at a time. Beginning with  the following activities should be a good idea:

• Taking stairs as opposed to using a lift
• Walking your dog
• Dancing
• Raking leaves
• Gardening
• Parking at a considerable distance from a building
• Playing outdoor games

If you have an existing medical condition, it's highly recommended that you seek medical advice on safe levels of exercise.

4. Be in control of serving and portions

Did you know that consuming any food in an excessive amount can  result in weight gain even if the said food is low-calorie vegetables?  That's why it's important to avoid using the estimation method when  measuring your serving sizes.

Guessing will only lead to consuming more than you should, with the  result of weight gain. When dining out, you can use the following size  comparisons taking into consideration that you more than likely won't  have access to a measuring cup:

• 1 cup is about the size of a baseball
• I slice should be about the size of a DVD
• 1 playing die for 1 teaspoon
• A thumb tip for one tablespoon
• A tennis ball for a half-cup serving
• 1 ounce (oz) of nuts should be a loose handful
• 3 oz of meat is roughly equal to a deck of cards
• Three-fourths a cup should be approximately the size of a golf ball

Even though the above sizes are not an exact measurement, they should  come in handy in helping you have better control of the amount that you  are taking when you don't have measuring tools.

5. Avoid liquid calories

Did you know that you can unconsciously consume hundreds of calories (link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/245588.php)  within a day just by drinking as opposed to eating? Well, taking juice,  sweetened soda, tea, or even alcohol in large amounts a day will do  exactly that. Even worse is the fact that you will be getting empty  calories that don't add any nutritional benefits to your body.

If you have to source your calories from drinking, let it be  something like replacing your meals with a smoothie. Otherwise, you  should stick to water or unsweetened coffee or tea. You can always add a  splash of orange or lemon to your plain water to add a little bit of  flavour if you want to.

6. Have stimulus and cue control

There are lots of environmental and social cues that can predispose  you to eat unnecessarily. A good example is when someone overeats since  they are watching television. The best thing to do to take care of such  situations is to be aware of what can trigger the eating desires. Once  you recognize the conditions that cause the triggers, you can make the  necessary changes to your routine to avoid such triggers.

7. When eating, do it mindfully

There are lots of people who benefit from practising mindfulness when  having their meals. This simply means being aware of how, why, where,  and what you are eating. By practising mindfulness, you can make better  and healthier food choices that have a direct effect on your body's  weight.

Where possible, you should take your time and eat slowly as you  savour the flavours of your food. That way, it becomes easier to focus  on becoming satisfied after eating as opposed to focusing on becoming  full. You can also ask the following questions when having your meals,  as they will go a long way towards helping you make the right choices:

• Will this food offer satiety?
• If the food container is labelled, how much sodium and fat are present?
• Is the food offering good "value" for the calorie cost?
• Are the ingredients healthy?

8. Plan ahead

When trying to achieve a given goal, it's always important to plan  ahead. In this case, you will want to create a structured meal plan in  addition to stocking your kitchen with the right foods. Get rid of the  processed or junk foods in your kitchen and replace them with  diet-friendly foods and healthy snacks such as nuts.

Also make sure that there are enough ingredients to make quick,  healthy meals, as this will take away the desire to restock your kitchen  with junk foods for whenever you need a "quick fix". It's also  important to plan before going to events or eating out to ensure that  you are making the right choices.

Keeping the weight off: Is it possible?

Losing weight is the first and most important step. It can be  challenging at first, but the journey becomes easier with time. Once  your body starts responding positively to your weight loss goal, you  should start making a solid plan that will help you to retain your new  bodyweight.

This is easy, as long as you stay focused and determined to keep  things as they are. The only things that you will have to do are:

• Watch your diet (keep watching it)
• Retain your new eating patterns
• Don't skip breakfast
• Remain active
• Monitor your weight on a regular basis so you can plan accordingly

To sum it all,

Losing weight is a journey that you go through with your entire body.  As long as you are patient about the process, you will be able to see  changes in your health and physique even before reaching your target  weight. Be sure to remain positive and seek positive social support  where necessary as that will help you remain on track.

It's also helpful not to direct all your attention to the scale.  Instead, look out for subtle changes such as improved energy levels,  reduced risk of chronic conditions, and others. You can do it!