For most of us, losing weight is a chore worthy of procrastination. Whether you have 10 lbs. or 100 lbs. to lose, getting started on a plan that works for you may require a jump-start. While there is no single strategy guaranteed to initiate weight loss, implementing a combination of simple strategies will set the wheels in motion.
Normalize Your Glucose
When you ingest simple carbohydrates like refined sugar, flour and other processed foods, your body quickly converts them to glucose, causing a spike in circulating blood glucose. Your pancreas responds by producing insulin to transport the extra glucose to the cells. But when cells are already full of stored sugar, they become insulin-resistant, and your body is forced to convert glucose to triglycerides to be stored in your fat cells. Once blood sugar drops, it triggers a hunger response that causes you to crave more sugar. This becomes a vicious cycle that can only be stopped by normalizing blood glucose levels. Replacing processed foods with complex carbohydrates like fresh fruits and vegetables is the first step to jump-start your weight loss.
Rev Up Your Metabolism
For most of us, strenuous physical activity is not a part of our daily lives. Yet your bones, joints and muscles need weight-bearing exercise to remain healthy. Inactivity causes you to lose bone and muscle, resulting in a slower metabolism. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least two resistance training sessions per week for all your muscle groups to help lose and control body weight. Strong muscles speed up your metabolism and make movement easier, making you feel less tired and more energetic and boosting your weight loss.
Get Your Heart Pumping
Long-duration exercise that increases your respiration and heart rate promotes a healthy heart and uses fat for fuel. In its "Physical Activity and Public Health Guidelines," the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you engage in activities like walking, swimming, cycling, skating, dancing or other rhythmic activities for 30 minutes or longer five to seven days per week. The ACSM notes that a total of 60 to 90 minutes of daily exercise may be necessary for substantial weight loss. Finding a rhythmic activity you enjoy and a workout buddy to enjoy it with is a sure-fire jump-starter.
Make a New Best Friend
When it comes to weight control, water is your best friend. Increasing water consumption is the simplest and least expensive strategy in your jump-start toolbox. Water facilitates digestion, cleanses vital organs and replenishes fluids lost daily through exercise, respiration, perspiration and elimination. Drinking water before meals gives you a feeling of fullness, causing you to eat less. A 12-week 2010 study conducted by Brenda Davy, Ph.D., and colleagues found that dieting subjects who drank at least two glasses of water before meals lost an average of 5 lbs. more than their non-water-drinking counterparts. Substituting water for higher-calorie beverages will cut your daily caloric consumption without compromising nutrition.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in One Hour
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity and Public Health Guidelines
- The Diet Channel: Successful Weight Loss: Top 10 Tips on What Works and Why
- MayoClinic.com: Glycemic Index Diet: Losing Weight With Blood Sugar Control
- Science Daily: Drink Water to Curb Weight Gain? Clinical Trial Confirms Effectiveness of Simple Appetite Control Method; Aug. 23, 2010
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