How to Lose Weight? Can I?

Reasons that can make our weight loss plan fail.

In the words of Dr. Jose Maria Tallon;

“The history of the human being is a story of overcoming, of being able to do everything that is proposed.

When visiting the pyramids of Chichén Itzá, Mexico, I was in disbelief at how more than 1000 years ago they were able to build these wonders without the equipment of today.
For this to be possible, as in the process of losing weight in a healthy way, they had to Decide, Plan, Work and be Persistent.
For weight loss, or any of your other goals, follow the same steps and you will get it!”

Losing weight is not something that our body naturally encounters. It's something new. It is normal that feeling out of your comfort zone, fight back. You can lose a lot of weight in the beginning, without much effort. However, weight loss may slow down or stop altogether after some time. Tallon, today we are going to dedicate ourselves to analyzing some of the reasons that can cause us to fail in our goal of losing weight.

You may be losing weight without realizing it

Losing weight is not an immediate process. It can take months and there are even weight loss plans that should be looked at for the long term.

If the scale still hasn't moved, it may not be a bad sign. The weight varies a few pounds up and down. It depends on what we eat, the amount of water we accumulate and retain.

Also, it is possible to gain muscle while losing fat. This is particularly common if you have recently started exercising.

This is a good thing. The aim is to lose body fat. It's not just pounds.

In addition to tracking the weight on the scale, there are other measures that can even be a better indicator of the evolution of our efforts to lose weight in a healthy way. For example measure the centimeters of our waist. After all, what we often want is lose weight to lose belly.

Another important method is to measure the percentage of body fat. Again, this may be going down as a result of muscle build-up replacement.

Therefore, the first thing to do is to analyze if the above cases really apply.

Not keeping track of what you eat

Awareness is incredibly important if we are trying to lose weight. Being aware of what we eat, what we ingest, in what amounts, etc… is essential for the success of losing weight quickly and in a healthy way.

There are several studies that show that people who keep a diary of what they eat, who try to measure proportions, who take pictures of their meals, etc… lose weight more effectively. So if you haven't already, don't sit at the table without having some kind of record of what you're eating. Today there are a multitude of applications, smart watches and other devices that can help in the process.

Eating Protein Lose Weight

Protein is an important nutrient for losing weight.

If we eat protein for about 25% of all our calories, we may be able to speed up our metabolism by consuming about 80 more calories a day. By doing so, we can also reduce the craving for small snacks that are not healthy at all.

This is partially mediated by the protein's effects on appetite-regulating hormones such as ghrelin and others.

If you eat breakfast, make sure you have a good level of protein. Those who eat protein for breakfast generally have fewer appetite spurts during the day. Basically, it's just benefits.

Ingesting a high level of protein also helps not to let the metabolism slow down in a weight reduction process.

Eating too many calories

Many people who have difficulty losing weight are simply eating too many calories.

You might think this doesn't apply to you, but keep in mind that studies consistently show that people tend to underestimate their caloric intake by a significant amount.

Again, if you're not losing weight, it's worth keeping a close eye on the volume of calories you're ingesting.

Here are some useful resources:

  • Calorie calculator.  use a calorie calculator to find out how many calories to eat.
  • Calorie counters.  See this article to learn about a list of free websites and apps that can help you track your calorie and nutrient intake.

Screening is also important if you are trying to reach a certain nutrient goal. For example a certain percentage of protein intake.

Often the use of these techniques is important at the beginning of the weight loss process. Over time, we control and master the parameters in such a way that it is no longer necessary to carry out such a rigorous follow-up. In fact, any diet aimed at losing weight should aim to permanently change our habits.

Eat integral foods

Now we move from quantity to quality of food.

Eating integral foods can be very important in regulating your appetite. These foods tend to be much healthier than their traditional processed counterparts. Having food cooked by yourself is much healthier.

The curious thing is that it is very common to see many processed foods advertised as healthy when they really are not. It is very important to read the packaging of the products and take into account the nutrients that constitute them.

Make sure your diet is based on integral foods. Eating too much processed food can negatively affect the weight loss process. It's counterproductive.

To lift weights

One of the most important things you can do when you lose weight is to do some kind of resistance training, like lifting weights.

This can help you maintain muscle mass, which is often burned along with body fat if you don't exercise.

Lifting weights can, among other things, help prevent metabolic slowdown and ensure that the body remains toned and muscular.

Training with weights or strength training is an effective way to lose fat. Prevents loss of muscle mass. This phenomenon is associated with weight loss. At the same time it helps to lose body fat over time.

Eating without control

Binge eating involves quickly eating large amounts of food, often much more than your body needs.

This can be a significant problem for many people trying to lose weight. Some may consume highly processed foods, while others lose control over relatively healthy foods: nuts, dark chocolate, cheese, etc. Eating healthy foods doesn't mean eating without limit. Behind them are calories.

If you feel that from time to time you lose your temper and eat out of control, this may be the reason for not being able to lose the body weight you wanted.

Do cardiovascular exercise to lose belly fat fast.

Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise is exercise that raises your heart rate. This is the case with running, swimming, cycling or even strong walking.

It is one of the most effective ways to improve your health. It is extremely important to help burn fat. In particular, the so-called harmful visceral fat that accumulates around the organs and is the cause of various diseases.

Include aerobic exercises in your training programs. That way you will be able to lose belly fat for example. Fundamentals of losing belly fast. The lack of this type of exercise is one of the main reasons why weight loss doesn't go to the next level that we often want.

Stop with the sugar

Sugary drinks make you fat. Full stop paragraph. The fact that we ingest these calories is not compensated by a lower intake of sugars in other foods. It means that in general, these are simply an excess that will circulate in our body.

This doesn't just apply to sugary drinks like Coke and Pepsi. There are, for example, drinks such as flavored waters or juices that are loaded with sugar. A good habit to acquire is to try to exclude this type of drink from your normal diet as much as possible.

Even the fruit juices are problematic and should not be consumed in large quantities. A single cup can contain a similar amount of sugar as several pieces of whole fruit.

Avoiding sugary drinks is a good weight loss strategy. There are more radical cases in which this type of beverage often accounts for a very high percentage of daily calorie intake.

The importance of sleeping well

Sleeping well is one of the most important factors for good physical and mental health. The same applies to your weight.

There are several studies that show that sleeping poorly is one of the risk factors for obesity. This applies to all age groups. Poor sleep can increase obesity risk by up to 89%

Lack of quality sleep is a strong risk factor for obesity. It can also hinder weight loss progress,

Cut down on carbohydrates

This factor is a classic. When talking about diets or larger weight loss plans it is often good to consider going on low carb diets.

This type of diet has been shown to cause up to 2 to 3 times more weight loss than the standard “low fat” diet that is often recommended.

Finding a sustainable meal plan that you can enjoy for the long term is critical.

Diets low in carbohydrates have more benefits beyond weight loss. They can also lead to improvements in many metabolic markers, such as triglycerides, HDL (good) cholesterol, and blood sugar, to name a few.

If you're having trouble losing weight, consider trying a low-carb diet. There are many studies that demonstrate that it may be the right strategy to address the problem.

Eating too often is not recommended.

This is one of the biggest myths about losing weight in a healthy way. Eating little but often throughout the day is the best way to regulate your appetite and caloric intake.

Studies show that meal frequency has little or no effect on fat burning or weight loss,

In addition to the above, it also doesn't seem very convenient to organize our day, which is often so busy and rushed, around several meals.

One of the most recommended diets today uses the reverse. The  intermittent fasting  advocates precisely that if we have relatively long periods without eating food, we can lose weight in a healthy way and even contribute to other health benefits. Typically fasting periods can be up to 16 hours a day, or up to 48 hours in a row based on very low levels of calorie intake.

Therefore, eating too many times throughout the day can result in excessive calorie intake. Of course, that doesn't help your weight loss goal.

Drink a lot of water

Drinking lots of water is important for the weight loss process.

Drinking water before meals is extremely useful as a weight loss regulator.

Water also helps to increase the number of calories burned by 24-30% over a period of 1.5 hours.

The advice is therefore: drink water before meals.

Watch out for alcohol.

It is definitely an aspect to control for anyone who wants to lose weight. Beer and wine is the worst. These are very high-calorie drinks. If you really have to drink alcohol, then spirit drinks mixed with calorie-free drinks are recommended: water for example.

Alcohol has about 7 calories per gram. When you take a glass, it's doing a quick math. Drink with moderation. The benefits are many.

Note that not all studies indicate that moderate drinking promotes obesity. Drinking in moderation is even considered by some experts to be healthy. It is when we talk about excessive consumption that the correlation with weight gain seems to be proven.

Alcoholic beverages are generally high in calories.

Eating slowly helps you lose weight

One technique that helps to reduce weight is mindful eating. Basically it just involves reducing the speed with which we eat.

We don't get distracted while we eat, we savor every morsel we ingest, allowing the signals to be transmitted to our brain and even satiated at the right time. The result is that we eat less than if we do it too quickly. The recommendation is therefore that the time to eat, whatever it is, is also time to relax. Don't give in to the temptation of wanting to eat quickly. usually results in higher calorie intake.

Numerous studies have shown that mindful eating can cause significant weight loss and reduce the frequency of binge eating.

Here are some tips for eating slower:

  1. Focus your attention on the food. Look at the food as you eat it. Be mindful of what you are eating.
  2. Eat slowly and chew well. Try to be aware of colors, smells, flavors and textures.
  3. Take small breaks. You don't have to eat everything at once. Make stops between different dishes.

Eating in a hurry is one of the main reasons why people find it difficult to implement their weight loss plans.

Special health conditions can make it difficult

There are some medical conditions that can drive weight gain and make it much more difficult to lose weight.

These include hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome or sleep apnea.

Certain medications can also make it harder to lose weight — or even cause weight gain.

If you think any of these apply to you, be sure to mention them to your doctor when you visit Dr Tallon Clinic.

Junk food no. 

There is a very high percentage of people who are addicted to junk food.

If you feel like you have a junk food addiction, simply eating less or changing your diet may seem impossible. It's time to talk to your doctor and ask for help.

It's going to be very difficult to lose weight in a healthy way eating highly processed food as we've seen before.

You've been dieting for too long

It may not be a good idea to “diet” for too long.

If you have been losing weight for many months and have reached a plateau, you may need to take a break.

Try increasing your calorie intake by a few hundred calories a day, getting more sleep, and lifting weights with the goal of getting stronger and gaining more muscle.

The goal is to maintain body fat levels for 1 to 2 months before trying to lose weight again.

Have unrealistic expectations

Weight loss is usually a slow process. Many people lose patience before reaching their goal.

While it is often possible to lose weight quickly at first, few people can continue to lose weight at a rate of more than 1 or 2 pounds per week for extended periods of time.

Another challenge can be having unrealistic expectations of what is achievable on a diet.

The truth is, not all of us can look like fitness models or bodybuilders. The photos you see in magazines and elsewhere are often enhanced.

If you've already lost some weight, but the scale doesn't seem to want to move any more, maybe it's time to refocus your efforts to accept yourself in your body the way you are.

At some point, your weight will reach a set point where your body feels comfortable. Trying to go beyond that may not be worth the effort or realistic. It can even have potentially negative effects on your health.

People's expectations are sometimes unrealistic when it comes to weight loss. Keep in mind that losing weight takes time and not everyone is going to look like a magazine cover model. Focus on developing an individualized weight loss plan and goals based on your individual needs.

Too much focus on diet

Diets almost never work in the long run. In any case, studies show that people who diet gain more weight over time.

The most important thing is not to control food. The main objective should be to change eating habits and health promotion as its main objective. Having a balanced diet, exercising regularly and doing things that bring us happiness is more important than eating fewer calories all the time.

We have to nourish our body. It is counterproductive to be permanently deprived.

Diet is not a long term solution. If your goal is to lose weight and stay thin for the long term, we should focus our efforts on adopting balanced and healthy lifestyle habits.

Summary

Weight loss is not an easy process. You have to approach things as they are. It's not a seven-headed beast either. Anyone can regulate their weight.

At Dr Tallon Clinic we exist to help people in this same process. If you add your motivation to the support and specialized medical follow-up necessary, the results will be guaranteed. Today we additionally promote the consultations via videoconference. So, you don't even have to leave the house to have this follow-up.

Don't forget, at the end of the day, we're trying to burn more calories than we take in. Your doctor will help you find the best strategy to achieve this with the least amount of effort. Review the points mentioned above. Talk to your doctor about them.

Achieving weight loss in a healthy way requires changing your lifestyle. It requires patience, dedication, perseverance and resilience.

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