Weight loss routines are to be planned as per individual. This is based on the fact that needs vary, and even everyone’s schedule may not give room to lengthy daily workouts. Then, there is the issue that borders on individual caloric demands day in, day out. When you consider all these, you will see the need to spend some time working on a viable weight loss plan that is suitable for you. And, the good news is that most times, every notable effort towards losing weight does count – provided you’re intentional about it.

So, are you thinking of readjusting or executing your weight loss plan, doing activities that see you losing weight moderately – say, a 5-pounds weight loss plan? Then, you’ve got to follow through on the details communicated in this article. What you should know is that the intention to lose 5 pounds a month is tantamount to shedding off 1.25 pounds of body fat per day. About 4,375 calories are burned as you lose 1.25 pounds per week. In essence, 625 calories will be burned every day granted that you remain faithful to a 7-day course.

A 5-pounds-per-week weight loss program will not guarantee that all the weight is lost at a fast pace, but it will help you form a healthy lifestyle with your body being in shape. This can be probably achieved in under one year – or maybe more for an obese person. More so, a report from CDC revealed that gradual loss of weight increases the probability of having a sustained result in the long run.

How can you go about this?

The best way to go about your weight loss program is to mix dietary interventions with physical exercises. The relevance of physical exercises in such programs cannot be overemphasized. For one, it helps you beat sedentary living, and also boosts the functioning of some vital organs – like the heart. Dietary interventions, on the other hand, take care of your eating habit, ensuring that you do not truncate the efforts you’re putting into the work – weight loss – with some bites. Let’s now get on to the specifics, exploring the activities that can help you attain your weight loss goal.

Physical exercises

Certain exercises would really help your cause as you aim to be active thereby bringing your weight loss plan to reality. Aerobics are very beneficial in this regard. You can get between 250 – 400 calories off by doing high-impact aerobics for 30 minutes. It is, however, worth noting that the number of calories by doing physical exercises may vary based on the body weight of an individual. That said, brisk walking for half an hour can ensure that you lose around 150 – 230 calories while running at 5 miles per hour for the period could result in the burning of 300 – 450 calories.

Resistance training is also very good for weight loss in several ways. Besides the fact that you can burn 180 – 250 calories for such exercises for 30 minutes, it also helps muscular development. Precisely speaking, resistance training imposes increased size on your muscle, reducing the rate at which muscle is lost. More notably, this results in more calories being burned even after the exercise. So, get into the gym, pick up the weights and give away those extra fats.

Bicycling, jogging, swimming, dancing, and skipping are some of the other exercises you can consider incorporating into your weight loss routine. You can attempt to break the period into sessions. For instance, you could have a 30-minutes session in the morning and a 15-minutes session at night. Just come up with a plan that will be in sync with your schedule – all that matters is getting rid of those accumulated fats.

Dietary plan

Most times, when people associate dietary interventions with weight loss, observances such as diet deprivation and restriction are the first line of thought. This should not necessarily be so; it’s not very much about going on a crash diet or extremely cutting down on the portion you eat. The essential thing is that you keep to a healthy eating habit, even without having to skip a meal. Many persons have achieved great results, significantly burning calories, this way.

First things first; you will need to desist from consuming soda and/or drinks with added sugars, and foods with high-fat contents. Alcohol indulgence will also not help your weight-loss objective so learn to put the bottle [of beer, vodka, etc] away.

Likewise, you will need to keep your cravings for those baked goods, junk foods, and processed foods under. If you must snack at all; you should go for nuts, berries, kale chips, chia pudding, roasted chickpeas, Turkey roll-ups, popcorn, dates, and whole-grain crackers. You can also snack on veggies and a variety of fruits.

Foods with good protein content will be massive for your 5-pounds a month weight loss plan. This is down to the fact that they ensure that you are well satiated while supplying you with a substantial amount of energy. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition communicated that having a daily consumption of a diet with 0.8 – 1.2g of protein per bodyweight will give a commendable weight loss outcome in the long run.

On the back of this, you should start thinking about filling your food bank with items like eggs, chicken breast, seafood, low-fat dairy, spirulina, broccoli, artichokes, lentils, etc. Permit me to specifically emphasize that whole grains, fruits and vegetables must also be among your favorite foods at this point.

Sleep well

After you must have put in the work to get rid of the calories, you should also ensure that you have sufficient hours of sleep. This is because of the association that exists between sleep deprivation and weight gain. At least 7 hours of sleep per night must be on the card if you desire to maintain your progress. Relatedly, you should also learn to manage stress well as you go about your weight loss routine.

References

Ainsworth BE, et al. (2011). Compendium of physical activities: A second update of codes and MET values. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 43: 1575.

Coughlin J, and Smith MT. (2014). Sleep, obesity, and weight loss in adults: Is there a rationale for providing sleep interventions in the treatment of obesity? Intervention Review of Psychiatry 26(2).

Johns DJ, Hartmann-Boyce J, Jebb SA, and Aveyard P. (2014). Diet or exercise interventions vs combined behavioral weight management programs: A systematic review and meta-analysis of direct comparisons. J Acad Nutr Diet. 114: 1557 – 1568.

Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Lemmens SG, and Westerterp KR (2012). Dietary protein – its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss, and health. Human Biology, Nutrim 108: S105–S112.