Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s near impossible to not know Ben &Ben. Ben & Ben are known for their songs Kathang Isip, Leaves, and many others that have continued to dominate the music scene. If you also haven’t heard it yet, the band’s frontman Paolo Benjamin Guico has just recently celebrated his weight loss journey by posting an old photo of him bearing more weight side by side with a present-day picture of him sporting a leaner physique.
The question we all want to ask here is-how?
The singer noted that the photo represents “years of hard work and sacrifice”, and honestly, he couldn’t be more right. If losing weight this summer is your main goal, know that there aren’t any shortcuts or magic tricks involved. The key to successful weight loss and management this 2022 are consistency and sacrifice.
Now that the summer sun is peering at us, a bright reminder of beaches and getaways, it’s high time we take note of these three sustainable weight loss steps for summer (and no, they’re not always what you think)
1. Get Fit With HIIT
By this time you’re all probably acquainted with the notion that 150 minutes of exercise a day is beneficial for weight loss. You’re also quite familiar with the effects of exercise on our mental health including stress reduction, endorphin production for mood enhancement, and prevention of cognitive decline. Exercise should definitely be on your weight loss to-do list. However, in a sea of neverending exercise trends, it can be quite overwhelming to pick one but if you have to choose one to try, HIIT is the answer.
High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT are a series of intense, short-bursts of aerobic exercise that aim to get the heart rate up and burn fat in as little time as possible, making it suitable even for the busiest of people. The intense nature of each of the HIIT exercises leads you to burn more calories with the intense effect lingering still even after your workout. HIIT is optimal to do two to three days a week for 30 minutes each, alternatively with strength training.
HIIT encompasses a wide range of moves that may be quite familiar to you. Some of the popular HIIT moves include:
Burpees
Mountain Climbers
Russian Twist
Jumping Jacks
HIIT workouts can burn 20-30%more calories than other, lighter forms of exercise. This kind of workout can also increase metabolism faster than jogging or weight training. Apart from all that, HIIT also enhances one’s oxygen consumption or the body’s ability to utilize oxygen. Oxygen consumption comes in handy for endurance training.
2. Meditate to Motivate
This one is quite a stretch since we don’t often associate weight loss with mental health, neither do we think of one when caring for the other but surprisingly, taking note of your mental wellbeing during your weight loss can significantly impact the result. There are typical behaviors that get in the way during our weight loss journey that inevitably impede our goals such as an all or nothing mentality wherein one mistake will result in giving up the journey; a negative body image that leads to disordered thinking; and instances of depression and childhood trauma. While these aren’t all exercise or food-related, we are all very much aware of how important behavior is when it comes to losing weight.
A huge part of caring for your mental health during your weight loss journey is to stay motivated. Motivation during weight loss isn’t as simple as keeping your eyes on the goal. Steps you can take to stay motivated include:
Determining your goal and writing it down
Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time Based) goals
Craft a plan suited for your lifestyle
Plan for challenges and setbacks
3.Don’t Skip Protein
Every so often, there’s always a new fad diet that’s popping up encouraging unsuspecting people to try one unrealistic setup after another, inevitably setting themselves up for failure or worse, eating disorders that have negative impacts on the physical and mental health. Know that losing weight and keeping it off is more than just trendy diets to spot lose and slim down. A healthy diet coupled with healthy eating habits are key for keeping the weight off long term.
When dieting, it’s almost always tempting to cut out certain food groups under the premise that doing so would help us lose weight. Word of advice: don’t. Eating protein-rich food helps preserve muscle mass when on a weight loss journey. Apart from that, who knew that protein has other weight loss benefits including:
A 60% cravings reduction
Reducing the need to snack
Helps with satiety.
Sounds like a good deal, doesn’t it? Get your protein fill by adding healthy protein sources to your diet including meat, fish and seafood, eggs, and plant-based proteins such as nuts, beans, legumes, and tofu.
4. Feel Whole with Whole Foods
Whole foods might leave us thinking “whole grain” or “whole wheat” or anything that is branded as “whole”, right? If these are your thoughts, you’re on the right path. But what does “whole” really mean? In this context, whole pertains to foods that are void of added sugar and added fat, making them extremely filling. If food items are filling, that means it promotes satiety or the feeling of being full for longer periods of time, thus eliminating the need to snack.
Examples of satiety-promoting food include the following:
Incorporating these as part of a meal or as a healthier substitute for typical snacks can help promote feelings of satiety, helping you keep your caloric intake in check, thus helping you better track your progress. Of course, a little treat here and there won’t hurt anybody, but always keep in mind that moderation is key to long lasting, sustainable weight loss.
Losing weight seems like a lot, really, and plenty are overwhelmed and exhausted at the thought of having to reduce intake and get sweaty at the gym, but the key to sustainable weight loss is making these three a habit. These steps should be a part of your daily routine, so ingrained in your life that it becomes your nature and you just do it without even overthinking it! Weight maintenance journeys can be fulfilling and energizing even after you’ve reached your goal.
Have you tried any of the tips mentioned above? Or maybe you’ve just recently gone on a new diet? Let us know your experiences in the comments below!