If you are overweight, you are in a very large club of people (in more ways than one). About one-third of Americans over the age of 18 are obese. We are so fortunate to have all the food we could ever need to eat, and then some. However, the drawback is struggling to lose weight throughout our lives.
Being overweight is more than just a confidence killer; there are several significant health issues linked to obesity. In fact, the leading cause of death among American adults is cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is directly linked to being overweight. Other health complications associated with being overweight include sleep apnea, joint problems, and kidney disease. Not to mention, your quality of life is seriously inhibited when you are obese, as you feel tired all the time, struggle to have a positive self image, and sleep poorly.
Maybe you’ve tried every fast weight loss program there is, and then found any ground your gained bounced back just as fast. Maybe you’re finding sticking with a major lifestyle change is next to impossible, and every failure makes you feel less and less motivated to keep going. Maybe you’ve just accepted that being overweight is your lot in life. If you feel discouraged about gaining a healthy body and lifestyle, we’ve put together a few tips for helping gain momentum and lose the LBs!
Three Tips for Losing Weight
- Create a sustainable diet and exercise plan.
Technically, the more your exercise or the less calories you take in, the faster you’ll weight. However, if you commit to work out for three hours every single day and eat only kale chips and celery (we are being facetious… please don’t do this, it is incredibly unhealthy), you’ll quickly get burnt out and give up altogether. Not only will your old habits make you lose all the weight you lost, the blow to your motivation will make it so much harder to get back on track.
Instead, commit yourself to a work out routine that you know you can stick to. Just thirty minutes of exercise per day isn’t too tough to stick to but it will get you in the habit of working out, and once a habit has been established, it’s easier to gradually increase your commitment. Create a healthy and reasonable diet plan that can really become a lifestyle, not just a fad that you’re going to give up on next week. - Sometimes medical weight loss is the missing key to the puzzle.
Sometimes your weight issues are a result of health problem. Medication, hormone imbalances, and other illnesses or injuries could have you packing the pounds on. In these cases, seeking a doctor for a medical weight loss consultation might help. Your doctor will look at the overall picture of your health and lifestyle, do some lab work to see how your body is functioning, and may identify health implications that are preventing you from losing as much weight as you’d like. Once that is corrected, you might find you’re able to lose the fat on your own.
Let’s say that you don’t have any obvious health issues that are causing your weight gain. Even when this is the case, your medical weight loss doctor might be able to help you with a treatment or even surgery that will help you achieve your goal weight. This might include medication that suppresses your appetite or increases your metabolism. It might included surgery that reduces the size of your stomach, limiting the amount of food you’re able to eat, and making you lose weight you’ve never achieved otherwise. If you feel like throwing in the towel on your weightloss goals, seeking a medical weight loss consultation might be just what you need. - Don’t hurt yourself.
Many of those big name workout people tell you to push yourself harder than you’ve ever gone, and make yourself sweat more than you’ve ever sweated. In reality, if you push yourself beyond your limits and get hurt, it will make your weight loss journey much harder. Only you know you’re own limits. If your body is hurting, you probably shouldn’t be doing it. Definitely give your all during your work out, but listen to your body and don’t let yourself get injured.
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