What do you need to do to lose weight?
Want to learn how to lose belly fat? But we all know what we need to do to lose weight whether it’s on our belly, bum, arms or legs, right? Surely I do not need to spell it out? Just watch your caloric intake and caloric burn. Basically it’s like a Profit & Loss account, or if you prefer, akin to your household income and expenses. If you want to save money, make sure your net income is higher than your spend. Simple! Especially if we are disciplined with our credit cards. Well losing weight is exactly the same – make sure you eat less than the calories you burn during the day. So why is it so hard to implement?
NOTE: This does not mean you need to starve yourself! Just read on to see how to lose belly fat!
Apps and technology aids
Today there are apps to help us count our calories and our exercise. We can wear technology to determine our level of activity too. It really couldn’t be simpler. Yet we still start a diet, usually the latest fad, and/or come January make resolutions and pay for gym memberships we won’t use for more than 6 weeks and forget to cancel our subscription because we mean to go at some point (great for the fitness centres!).
So what’s the problem? In a word – Mindset!
Getting into the mindset – create context
It’s so much easier if we get a warning such as a scare, such as a mini-stroke, or minor heart attack that doesn’t cause too much damage and gives us a second chance. Or if we overhear someone at a social gathering making fun of our shape and we start to think ‘I’ll show her!’. We then have a context, a framework, within which we get fired up to do something about it. We decide there is no real reason why we should have those extra inches around our waist, and/or a BMI that’s showing we are obese or worse.
My awakening was more to do with not exercising because I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t have a weight problem. So stupidly, I thought it was OK to sit at my computer desk all day, most days, and not be physically active. Right? Wrong!! Luckily (and I mean that), I got diagnosed with a chronic lung condition that wasn’t going anywhere and I had to do something about it. I could have gone on steroids, or found alternative ways of living. Instead I chose to improve my fitness by exercise and Ayurveda. For the first time in my life I had to go on a diet – not in order to lose weight – but to be able to breathe!
I would argue that my diet is as difficult as those that cause weight loss. Why? Because I had to make sure I ate healthily and exercised regularly. Sound familiar? Isn’t that what obese and morbidly overweight persons need to do? Actually, I would also argue (very argumentative today!) that everyone needs to do this from the day we are born (OK, our parents need to look after our nutrition but you get the gist).
Context ‘health’
So my context was ‘Health’ and ‘The Ability to Breathe’. I agree that made it easier – I didn’t have too much choice. All I wanted was to be able to walk several metres, on a plain, without feeling breathless. Today, after following my strict diet and exercise regimen, I can honestly say that unless I told you, you wouldn’t know I have a chronic lung condition. If you looked at my personal diet of no bananas, mushrooms or dairy (bad for the lungs since these foods create phlegm), no alcohol (because alcohol isn’t great for the liver and also has loads of calories), no acid (not great for my digestion – so no pickles, citrus, tomato, etc) and no sugar (very bad for you – but we know that!), you would have to agree it’s as ‘difficult’ as a weight-losing diet.
Above is my personal diet but you can figure out yours if you are truly interested in how to lose belly fat by:
a) visiting an Ayurvedic practitioner or nutritionist and/or
b) eating healthily (plenty of info on the web; try to cook from scratch where possible) and
c) drinking lots more water (you need to be hydrated and it fills your tummy! Great for skin and hair too!)
c) increasing your daily exercise (seek medical advise before you start though). Make sure you improve your core, strength and stamina in equal measure and if you aren’t sure of technique, ask a professional!
d) joining Slimming World or similar. A lovely friend of mine runs the one in our local area – you can find your nearest group on the same webpage. What I love about Slimming World is you set the goal and once you’ve hit the goal +/- 10%, you can attend the group meetings for free! How cool is that!
Do you really need a health scare to get into the mindset?
Why wait for some awful disorder or health condition to scare you into a healthier lifestyle? The more fat we have around our bellies, the more we need to lose it. Many studies show how belly fat is particularly not good for us! Evidence from the US NHANES III (Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) suggests that central obesity, as assessed by a high waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), confers a greater risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality than general obesity as assessed by BMI.
So I would argue (here’s that word again!) ‘why wait’?! Just create a mindset that works for you! Is it a dress-size you’ve always wanted to be? Is it a great looking 6-pack? Is it to have more energy? Or is it to be kind to yourself? Whatever it is, you can do this! If you tell yourself you can do it – you can do it! Likewise if you tell yourself you can’t – then you can’t. Need more help on how to lose belly fat? Join a support group (see above).
Healthweigh physician scales and other medical scales
Are you a fitness centre or a diabetes clinic, weight-loss clinic, slimming support group or similar? Read more about Healthweigh Physician Scales, Bariatric Scales and other Medical Scales here or see the distributors / suppliers list here. The Healthweigh scales calculate BMI too!