The Best Guide for Fat Loss

Table of Contents

  1. What Makes You Fat? Causes of Fat Gain
  2. Why It is Necessary to Lose Fat? – Health Risks of Fat Gain
  3. Types of Fat That Can Affect Your Health Adversely
  4. How Diet Can Help You Lose Fat?
  5. 7 Scientific Ways to Drop Fat
  6. The Role of Exercise in Accelerating Fat Loss Results
  7. How Diet Modifications are Different for Men and Women
  8. Fat Loss Plateau? Best Ways to Beat Challenges and Stay Motivated
  9. Embrace the Fat Loss Journey and Achieve the Body of Your Dreams
  10. The Importance of Hydration and Sleep in the Fat Loss Process
  11. How Can You Keep Off Fat Gain After Done with Fat Loss Plan (i.e. Sustainable Weight Loss)

Obesity is one of the major growing concerns affecting millions of people globally of late. Excessive fat gain, particularly around your waist and hip area, is the initial indication of the high percentage of visceral fat in your body. Visceral fat is dangerous as it releases harmful chemicals that make you prone to chronic, serious health issues, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, fatty liver, heart disease, and stroke, among others. Besides visceral fat, various types of fats exist that can impact your health in different ways. So, losing fat is crucial to avoid health risks and improve your health.

Fat loss is not as easy as it appears to be unless you adopt the right dietary measures and healthy lifestyle practices. It is a biological process based on various factors. So, understanding the causes of fat gain, types of fats, the role of the fat loss diet, how fat loss differs for men and women, how to embrace the fat loss journey, and effective processes and tips that can help melt away fat is necessary. This will help you make the correct decisions to achieve sustainable fat loss with improved health. Here’s a detailed guide that will clarify all your queries related to fat loss and pave your way to getting in shape.

 

A. What Makes You Fat? – Causes of Fat Gain

  1. Unhealthy Dietary Habits:

Improper dietary practices contribute to excessive fat gain, thereby resulting in overweight and obesity. The common unhealthy dietary habits responsible for fat gain include:

  • Excessive intake of Fast or Processed foods: These foods are high in sugar and fat and contribute to fat gain.
  • Comfort Eating: Often, people choose comfort eating to beat stress, low self-esteem, boredom, or any difficult situation.
  • Consuming Too Much Alcohol: Alcohol is abundant in calories and increases body fat.
  • Eating Out Frequently: Avoiding homemade meals and eating food cooked in restaurants is bound to increase your intake of sugar and fat.
  • Relishing Larger Portions Than Necessary: Consuming larger than necessary portions of food can increase your weight.
  • Drinking Plenty of Sugary Drinks: Whether it’s fruit juices or soft drinks, having fluids high in sugar is bound to increase your body fat.
  • Sedentary Snacking: Snacking high-calorie foods, such as crackers, cookies, and more, when leading a sedentary lifestyle at work or home can make you fat.

A fat-loss diet plan comprising nutritious options can help melt away fat while nourishing you with essential nutrients.

  1. A Lack of Physical Activity:

One of the major causes of fat gain and obesity is a lack of exercise. Several people have a sedentary work life. As you sit at the desk most of the day and use cars for travelling, you end up doing minimal physical activity. Watching television or browsing the web for news, movies, and games are very common recreational options that contribute to fat gain.

  1. Genetics:

Genes can be responsible for one’s susceptibility to gaining weight. Some genes are associated with obesity and overweight. Genetic influence on weight management varies from person to person. For some individuals, genes may account for about 25% predisposition for being overweight, while for other people the genetic influence for weight gain can be as high as 70% to 80%.

Certain genetic traits, such as possessing a large appetite or hormonal changes, may make it more difficult for you to shed those extra kilos. Along with genes, other factors such as lack of exercise and excessive food intake may also contribute to fat gain.

  1. Health Conditions and Medications:

Underlying medical conditions may contribute to an increase in weight. These include:

  • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) – It causes hormonal imbalance and leads to fat gain.
  • Hypothyroidism – which prevents the thyroid gland from producing sufficient thyroid hormones and causes weight gain.
  • Cushing’s Syndrome – A rare disorder resulting in excessive production of cortisol hormone causes fat gain.

Certain medications can also cause weight gain. Some corticosteroids, antidepressants, and medicines for diabetes, epilepsy, and schizophrenia can contribute to undesirable weight gain.

  1. Smoking

If a person having the habit of smoking tries to quit it, fat gain can be a side effect of curbing the addiction to smoking.

  1. Poor Sleep, Stress, and Emotional Factors:

Hormones released while you are asleep can regulate your appetite and the use of energy, thereby helping in maintaining weight. Sleep deprivation or poor sleep quality can affect hormonal balance and contribute to weight gain.

Also, when you are stressed, upset, or angry, you may end up eating more food than needed, thereby ending up gaining weight.

B. Why It is Necessary to Lose Fat? –Health Risks of Fat Gain

Excessive fat gain not only hampers your appearance but also impacts your health adversely. Chronic weight gain can make you vulnerable to various health issues. Here are some common health risks associated with fat gain.

    1. Type 2 Diabetes: Obesity is the prominent risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. Obese individuals are about 6 times more likely to have elevated blood sugar levels. Chronic high blood sugar levels increase the risks of kidney disease, nerve damage, stroke, eye problems, and heart disease. If you have developed type 2 diabetes, a customised fat-loss diet plan and exercise routine can help you shed those extra kilos.
    2. Hypertension: Obesity or excessive fat gain can increase your blood pressure levels, thereby causing high blood pressure. Chronic hypertension can strain your heart, damage your blood vessels, and increase the risks of stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, and fatality.
    3. Heart Disease: Fat gain can cause elevated blood sugar levels, hypertension, increased bad (LDL) cholesterols, and abnormal blood fat levels all of which can increase your risk of heart disease, heart attack, sudden cardiac death, and heart failure.
    4. Stroke: High-fat gain, obesity, or overweight can raise blood pressure levels, which is the leading cause of strokes.
    5. Sleep Apnea: The narrowing of your airways while asleep i.e. sleep apnea is linked to obesity. Several obese people are vulnerable to obstructive sleep apnea, wherein they fail to breathe regularly while asleep. Untreated sleep apnea can cause health issues, such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
    6. Metabolic Syndrome: A cluster of conditions that increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke is called metabolic syndrome. These health conditions include hypertension, elevated blood sugar levels, high triglycerides levels, low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and excess fat around the waist – all of which result due to excessive fat gain.
    7. Fatty Liver Diseases: The build-up of fat in your liver can make you suffer from fatty liver diseases. In the long run, it may lead to severe liver damage, liver cirrhosis, or liver failure.
    8. Osteoarthritis: Being obese or overweight may increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis by exerting extra pressure on your cartilage and joints.
    9. Gallbladder Diseases: Overweightedness or obesity can cause high levels of cholesterol in your bile that can lead to the development of gallstones. Also, excessive fat gain can cause gallbladder ailments, such as cholecystitis.
  1. Certain Cancers: Being obese or overweight increases the risk of some types of cancers, such as liver, colorectal, breast, gallbladder, pancreatic, and kidney cancer.
  2. Kidney Disease: Obesity increases the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes, which are two major causes of kidney diseases. Moreover, even if you don’t have these two health conditions, obesity quickens the progression of kidney disease and hampers your health.

C. Types of Fat That Can Affect Your Health Adversely:

While we are aware of dietary fats, we also need to know that different kinds of body fats also exist. Let’s have a quick look at some of the most common dietary fats first.

DIETARY FATS:

  • Saturated Fats: These are called solid fats, as they are solid at room temperature. Excess intake of saturated fats can be harmful to health and increases the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. Animal meats, processed or baked goods, dairy products with high-fat content, and meat products contain saturated fats.
  • Unsaturated Fats: These are regarded as “good” fats, as they are healthy. Most of them are derived from plant oils and are liquid at room temperature. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are two prominent types of unsaturated fats. You can add these to your fat-loss diet chart.
  • Trans Fats: These are manufactured ones and known to be the product of a process where vegetable oils are made solid by adding hydrogen to them. These can cause damaging health effects. So, it is wise to avoid them.

TYPES of BODY FATS:

There are various types of body fats. Here’s a list of body fats and how they impact your health.

    • White Fat: Big, white cells form this fat. This type of fat is stored under your skin and around body organs, such as the belly, thighs, arms, etc. It plays a major role in the functioning of hormones, such as insulin, estrogen, leptin, cortisol, and growth hormone. White fat is good for health in the right amounts, however, excess of it can be harmful and can lead to health issues such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, hormonal imbalances, type 2 diabetes, stroke, liver disease, kidney disease, and cancer.
    • Brown Fat: It is primarily found in babies and it burns fatty acids to help you stay warm. Adults retain small amounts of this fat, particularly in the shoulders and neck.
    • Beige Fat: Fat cells of this type of fat function somewhere between white and brown fat cells. It aids in burning fat than storing it. Certain hormones released when you exercise, are stressed or are cold help convert white fat into beige fat.
    • Essential Fat: The crucial fat for your life and health is essential fat. It is present in nerves, the brain, bone marrow, and membranes that safeguard your organs. Essential fat has a role in vitamin absorption, hormone regulation, and temperature regulation.
  • Subcutaneous Fat: It is a combination of white, brown, and beige fat cells and is stored under your skin. It is the fat that you may pinch or squeeze on your arms, and thighs. Most of our body fat is subcutaneous and it is normal and healthy at certain levels. However, excess of it can cause hormonal imbalance and sensitivity.
  • Visceral Fat: The white fat stored in your abdomen and all crucial body organs, such as the pancreas, liver, kidneys, heart, and intestines, is visceral fat. Excess of it can make you vulnerable to heart disease, diabetes, artery disease, stroke, and some types of cancers.

D. How Diet Can Help You Lose Fat?

Diet has immense significance when it comes to weight management and fat loss. Less body fat and more muscle mass indicate better health. So, when losing weight, you need to focus on losing greater fats and increasing muscle mass. Adding foods rich in proteins can help you build muscles and promote the burning of fats. There is no magic bullet or zero-calorie food that can help you melt away excess fat faster, better, and healthier than a nutritious, well-planned diet. You need to cut down on sugary and processed foods. Also, choose whole-grain foods over refined ones. Foods high in fibre are other healthy options to count on. Be sure you ditch sugary drinks to keep off fat gain.

Consuming more calories than you burn can make your body store the calories, generally in your gut. Regulating your portion size and contents can help keep your fat gain in check and achieve desirable fat loss. Nutrition is the key that you can adjust if you wish to trim your waistline, lose fat, boost your immunity, and improve your performance.

A customised fat loss diet plan for males and females works wonders along with exercises to burn excess fat naturally. While it may sound like a common practice to exercise regularly to lose fat, diet is quintessential along with workouts to promote fat-burning without compromising your health. Cardio and weight training along with the right diet can also help boost your resting metabolic rate; so, you end up burning more calories when you are at rest or sleeping and even tones your body. A well-planned diet not only nourishes you with essential nutrients but also boosts your metabolism which helps promote fat-burning.

E. 7 Scientific Ways to Drop Fat:

Several scientifically proven dietary measures can help you burn undesirable fat. Find them below.

  1. Follow Intermittent Fasting:

This is a healthy pattern of fasting that involves regular short spans of fasting and eating food.

  • 16/8 Method: This is the most known intermittent fasting practice where you fast for 16 hours of the day and consume food only during the rest 8 hours of the window, which usually runs from noon to 8 pm.
  • 5:2 Diet: Another intermittent fasting pattern is 5:2 where you fast for 2 out of every 7 days of the week and eat for 5 days. On 2 days of fasting, you eat only about 500 to 600 calories.

Make sure you eat healthy food and avoid overeating during your non-fasting window.

  1. Keep a Record of Your Diet:

Keeping track of what food you eat, beverages you drink, and how much you eat goes a long way in helping you achieve your fat loss goals. You can maintain a food journal; it will help you keep a tab on your intake of foods containing fats and also prevent you from overeating. You can also maintain a record of your daily exercise routine and work on diet and workouts to achieve your fat loss goals.

  1. Practice Mindful Eating:

One of the most effective and recommended healthy eating practices is mindful eating. It helps you eat food by paying attention to how much, what, and where you eat food and prevent you from overeating. It emphasizes eating food without any distractions, such as television and mobile phones, making healthy food choices, and enjoying eating the food on your plate slowly by chewing it well.

  1. Savour Protein-rich Breakfast:

Be sure you never miss your breakfast. Your breakfast should contain enough protein, as it helps manage appetite hormones and make you feel full. Protein helps reduce the hunger hormone ghrelin and increases the satiety hormones that prevent you from overeating. Moreover, a protein-abundant breakfast also improves your muscle and organ health. So, have eggs, sprouts, quinoa porridge, seed and nut butter, oats, and chia seed pudding in your breakfast.

  1. Cut Back on Sugar and Avoid Refined Carbs:

Processed foods and sweets are loaded with sugar and have very low nutritional value. Excess intake of sugar provokes insulin, which supports the storage of fat in the adipose tissue. So, when trying to lose fat, reduce your sugar intake. Avoid eating processed foods, sweets, sugary drinks, and refined carbohydrates. Replace these sugary foods with whole-grain bread, seeds, brown rice, fruits, nuts, herbal teas, and smoothies made using milk or water instead of fruit juices.

  1. Increase Your Fibre Intake:

Dietary fibre is difficult for the small intestine to digest, unlike starch and sugar. Adding foods abundant in fibre helps boost your satiety levels, prevents you from overeating, and promotes fat-burning. So, enrich your fat-loss diet plan for females and males with whole-wheat pasta whole-grain cereals, oats, fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts, beans, and seeds.

  1. Balance Your Gut Bacteria:

Improving your gut health is key to achieving fat loss and desired weight management. Adding certain foods to your fat-loss diet plan can help improve your gut health by increasing good bacteria in your gut. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains boost your fibre intake and enable you to have a more diverse set of gut bacteria. Consuming fermented foods, such as yoghurt, and prebiotics, such as onions, garlic, bananas, and avocadoes, helps you have good bacteria and inhibit the growth of bad bacteria. It offers anti-obesity effects and promotes fat loss in overweight females.

F. The Role of Exercise in Accelerating Fat Loss Results

Exercise routine plays a very effective role in accelerating fat loss. It largely helps in reducing abdominal fat. When you do workouts, the increased physical activity makes your body burn a greater number of calories. A good exercise routine coupled with a fat-loss diet plan can help create a calorie deficit that promotes fat loss.

Regular practice of aerobic exercises helps boost the number of calories you burn, thereby promoting body fat loss. Regular exercise involving a brisk walk, cycling, jogging, and other aerobic exercises at least 150 minutes weekly can help you melt away fat naturally. Start slowly with moderate exercises and increase the intensity and span of exercise gradually.

Including cardio workouts in your exercise routine helps you burn fat, particularly belly fat which is known to be dangerous for increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and other serious condition.

If you are aiming to reduce waist circumstance and belly fat, practising HIIT and cardio workouts regularly can help. These effective exercises are recommended even for obese and overweight individuals.

Exercise routine also helps you build muscle while losing weight. Lifting weight aids in maintaining and building muscles, boosting your metabolism, and burning greater calories, thereby promoting fat loss. Resistance training helps in preserving your fat-free mass, preventing your metabolism from slowing down, and increasing your calories burned at rest, thereby aiding fat loss healthily. One of the best ways to measure or ensure you have lost fat and gained muscles is by measuring your waistline and noting how it’s changing.

G. How Diet Modifications are Different for Men and Women?

Diet modifications for men and women are different when it comes to losing fat, as calorie and nutrient needs vary.

(i) Diet Varies Based on Calories: Men happen to be taller and have greater muscle mass than women in general. A female weighing 120 pounds would require 2,000 calories daily, while a male of the same age group weighing 170 pounds would need about 2,800 calories daily. So, a fat loss diet plan for male and that for females would vary.

(ii) Diet Varies Based on Nutritional Needs:

Nutritional needs of women and men vary; so, their diets can’t be identical. Females need greater iron than males need, as females experience a marked iron loss during menstruation. Males require greater fibre than females to reduce the risk of rectal cancers. Calcium is more crucial for females than males, as women are more at risk of developing osteoporosis. Hormone changes that occur during menopause may affect the bone density of women directly.

When it comes to protein intake, men need to have about 15% of their daily calorie consumption as protein. If you are doing intense workout routines and taking efforts to build muscles, the protein requirement can be higher. For women, 10% to 35% of their total daily calorie intake should come from proteins.

You also need to have healthy fats in your diet plan. The recommended intake of fat would be 30% of your daily calorie intake. So, an average man eating 2,800 calories should receive less than 840 calories from fats. And, a woman consuming 2,000 calories daily should restrict her calorie intake from fat to less than 600.

H. Fat Loss Plateau? Best Ways to Beat Challenges and Stay Motivated

Fat loss plateau is when your body fat levels curb changing. Anyone trying to lose fat can experience a fat loss plateau. You may be surprised to experience it as a fat loss plateau can occur even if you continue to eat an appropriate fat loss diet and do exercise regularly. And, it can be frustrating when you experience a fat loss plateau despite being up to mark with your weight loss efforts.

This happens after the initial rapid drop in weight when you cut calories and your body uses glycogen. Glycogen is a carbohydrate present in your liver and muscles and it’s made up of water partly. So, when your body uses glycogen for energy, it releases water and causes weight loss due to water. This effect is temporary.

As you continue losing weight, you happen to lose some muscle along with fat. Muscle helps in boosting metabolism. However, as you lose muscles, your metabolism reduces and you burn fewer calories, thereby ending up attaining a fat loss plateau. At this stage, even if you eat the same number of calories that helps you lose weight, you fail to lose weight further due to reduced metabolism. You reach a fat loss plateau when the calories you burn equal the calories you consume.

To overcome the fat loss plateau and lose more weight, you need to increase your physical activity and reduce your calorie intake.

Helpful Tips to Overcome Fat Loss Plateau:

If you wish to lose more weight after experiencing a fat loss plateau, these tips can help you overcome the hitch.

    • Reassess Your Habits: Reconsider your diet and exercise routine and ensure that you haven’t loosened your weight loss efforts. Check whether you are eating processed foods, larger portions, or doing less exercise. Loosening your weight loss efforts off and on can contribute to a fat loss plateau. So, get back on track.
    • Reduce Calories Consumption Further: To overcome the fat loss plateau, cut your daily calories further. However, see that it does not go below 1,200 calories. Lesser than 1,200 calories daily in the fat loss diet plan for female and males may increase the risk of overeating.
    • Boost Your Workout Routine: Increasing your physical activity can help you overcome the fat loss plateau. Ensure you do moderate aerobic exercises for at least 150 minutes or vigorous aerobic exercises for 75 minutes weekly. You may also do a combination of vigorous and moderate exercises. For greater health and weight loss benefits, practice exercises at least 300 minutes weekly. You may add weightlifting to burn more calories and boost your muscle mass.
  • Add More Physical Activities in Routine: Besides gym workouts and aerobic exercise, increase physical activities throughout the day. For instance, instead of driving to a nearby place or work, prefer to walk. Do more domestic chores that need you to be physical activity and consume more energy, such as cleaning the entire house. Increased physical activities burn more calories and you overcome fat loss plateau easily.
  • Consult a Dietician: If you are unable to overcome the fat loss plateau despite cutting calories and increasing exercises, have a word with a certified dietician. The dietician may figure out the exact cause and help you in losing fat further with the right dietary and lifestyle measures.

I. Embrace Fat-Loss Journey & Achieve Your Dream Body

A fat-loss journey is not as easy as the results appear to be and it can be frustrating for many. To achieve your dream weight loss goals and get in shape, you need to embrace the process. Some tips can help you embrace the fat-loss journey, beat frustration easily, and achieve desired fitness goals smoothly. Find them below.

    • Know that Fat Loss Would Be Slowly but Surely: Losing fat needs time and the fat-loss journey can be slower than what you expect. Often, people have quicker and bigger expectations. Keep in mind that healthy and sustainable fat loss occurs slowly but surely. You may experience loss of 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week but that would be a healthy and sustainable weight loss. So, keep up with your weight loss efforts and fat loss diet plan.
    • Ask for Support: the support team is a key element of the fat-loss journey. You may consult certified dieticians and your family members and ask for help and support. This way you will receive the right professional and moral support and the necessary help in achieving your fat loss goals.
    • Be Flexible: Everyone may not have time to support you with long conversations, but even a supportive text message or email can help you to keep your spirits up. So, consider every small support you receive to stay on track.
    • Acknowledge & Accept: At times, small weight loss outcomes might disappoint you. Or, a lack of support from your close friends and family might disappoint you. However, overcome the disappointment and acknowledge and accept every small weight loss achievement and near ones’ support. This infuses positivity and motivates you to stay on track. Develop new connections with like-minded people who will support you in achieving your fitness goals. Social media may help you with this.
    • Have Adequate Sound Sleep Daily: When embracing your fat-loss journey, do not ignore or sacrifice your sleep for work or watching movies late at night. Having 7 to 9 hours of continuous sound sleep at night reduces your chances of obesity. It’s also effective in managing stress.
    • Don’t Ignore Hydration: If your body is mildly dehydrated, your body may confuse thirst for hunger and you may end up overeating. If you fail to have sufficient intake of water, you may experience fatigue and resort to consuming more than necessary quantity of food. So, ensure you have adequate water intake daily.
    • Refrain from Making Poor Food Choices: Even if you are exercising regularly, you may fail in your fat-loss efforts if you make poor food choices. So, avoid junk, fried, and processed food. Prefer to eat healthy, nutritious food daily.
  • Do Diet Modifications Slowly: Major dietary and lifestyle changes are not sustainable in the long run. So, when you are adopting any dietary modifications, do it step-by-step. Avoid extreme, major lifestyle and dietary changes. For instance, if you are switching to a plant-based fat-loss diet, begin the transition slowly over many weeks rather than giving up all current animal-based food choices at once. This helps your body to adjust to the change slowly.

J. The Importance of Hydration & Sleep in the Fat Loss Process

a. Why Drinking Water is Crucial for Fat Loss?

The intake of water aids in fat loss in numerous ways. Here’s a quick rundown of it.

  1. Water is a Natural Appetite Suppressant: Water occupies space in your stomach making you feel full and reducing your appetite. After you drink enough water, the stomach senses that it’s full and signals the brain to curb eating. Having a glass of water before you eat something can prevent you from snacking unnecessarily. Sufficient water intake daily helps in reducing body weight, body mass index, and body fat.
  2. Water Boosts Calorie Burning: Drinking room temperature and cold water boosts energy expenditure. It also increases your body’s resting energy expenditure. Cold water consumption provides you with calorie-burning benefits, as your body uses calories by heating the water for digestion.
  3. Eliminates Waste from Your Body: A dehydrated body fails to remove waste, in the form of faeces or urine, properly. If your body is dehydrated, kidneys end up retaining fluid. Drinking water aids your kidneys to filter waste and toxins. Also, it prevents the risk of constipation as water keeps the digestive waste moving by softening your stools. Water also aids your body in recovery from digestive issues, such as indigestion and diarrhoea. When waste accumulates in your body due to a lack of water intake, your body may swell or you feel bloated. Bloating can add inches to your waist. So, adequate water intake is the key to avoiding undesirable weight gain.
  4. Water Prevents Liquid Calorie Intake: When you drink soda, sports drinks, sweetened tea or coffee, or juices, calories accumulate in your body. However, if you replace them with water, which is a no-calorie natural fluid, you enjoy long-term fat loss benefits. So, when trying to melt away fat, prefer to drink water than other calorie-rich beverages.
  5. Boosts Fat Metabolism: Increasing metabolism carries immense significance when it comes to fat loss. Without water, your body fails to metabolise the accumulated fat and carbohydrates. Lipolysis is metabolizing fat, and the first step of lipolysis is hydrolysis, which functions when water molecules interact with fats to create fatty acids and glycerol. Increased water consumption increases lipolysis and promotes fat loss.

b. Why Sleep is Crucial for Fat Loss?

    1. Sleep Prevents Fat Gain: Sleep deprivation is linked to high BMI and weight gain. It’s also found to be associated with a greater waist circumference which is a clear indicator of the accumulation of belly fat.
    2. Moderates Your Appetite: A lack of sleep increases your appetite and ghrelin i.e. hunger hormone and reduces leptin i.e. hormone that makes you feel full. As ghrelin levels increase, you end up eating more food, thereby leading to greater daily fat and calorie intake. You experience increased food cravings. So, sleep deprivation increases the risk of obesity. Poor sleep also impacts your sympathetic nervous system negatively, thereby increasing your cortisol levels which can cause fat gain.
    3. Helps make Better Food Choices: Adequate sleep at night helps you make healthier food choices and prevents fat gain. A lack of sleep alters the way your brain functions and impacts your decision-making ability adversely. It may prevent you from resisting the temptation to eat junk and processed foods and you end up consuming greater food to compensate for the lack of energy due to sleep deprivation.
    4. Keeps You Off from Late-Night Snacking: Staying up awake till late at night will make you feel hungry and resort to eating high-calorie food. Late-night snacking is associated with decreased fat oxidation, higher BMI, and more weight gain. So, sleeping on time is helpful for sustainable weight loss. As you go to sleep on time daily, it prevents you from unnecessary late-night snacking and keeps up with your fat-loss diet plan. This helps prevent fat gain.
  1. Avoid Reduction in Metabolism: Adequate, continuous sleep prevents a decrease in metabolism, which promotes fat-burning. Sleep duration also impacts RMR i.e. Resting Metabolism Rate, which is the number of calories you burn when at rest. A lack of sleep may reduce RMR. It even suppresses fat oxidation. So, to promote fat oxidation and achieve desired fat loss, ensure get enough sleep daily.
  2. Sleep Increases Physical Activity: Sleep deprivation reduces physical activity and vice versa. A lack of sleep may make you feel fatigued, prevent you from exercising, and increase your weight. So, to stay active, motivated to do more physical activity throughout the day and prevent fat gain, have sufficient sleep daily.

K. How Can You Keep off Fat Gain after Done with Fat Loss Plan (i.e. Sustainable Weight Loss)

Often, many people regain weight soon or in a few months after achieving their weight loss goals. However, it’s sustainable weight loss that all of us long to experience. Simply yet quite effective practices can prevent you from regaining undesirable fat and help you stay in shape for a long span. Check out some effectual tips to enjoy sustainable fat loss after completing the fat-loss diet plan for males or females.

  • Continue Making Healthy Food Choices: After completing the fat-loss diet plan, don’t indulge in eating junk, fried, and processed food endlessly. Continue to have healthy food in your every meal.
  • Maintain a Food Log: Record all that you are eating daily and see to it that you are not eating any unhealthy food or any delicacies in excess. This will help you stay motivated and on a healthy diet track.
  • Savour Breakfast Daily: Be sure you have your breakfast on time daily. Never skip your breakfast. Have nutritious foods, such as fresh fruits, eggs, cereal, and sprouts, in your breakfast. Regular breakfast in the morning boosts your metabolism and prevents you from turning hungry later in the day.
  • Eat More Fibre & Cut Back on Unhealthy Fat: To stay healthy and maintain the achieved weight, prefer to consume more fibre. If you are a little loose on snacking or culinary delights, ensure that your intake of unhealthy fats is minimum.
  • Stay Physically Active: Don’t relax a lot in your workout routine. Keep visiting the gym regularly and do cardio, pilates, and other exercises. You should remain active even after achieving your weight loss goals. Continue with your aerobic exercises, such as walking, swimming, jogging, and cycling.
  • Keep Your Body Hydrated: Adequate water intake is essential to maintain the achieved weight loss and prevent weight gain. So, have seven to eight glasses of water daily.
  • Have Adequate Sleep: Sleep deprivation can make you regain weight. To enjoy sustainable weight loss benefits, ensure that you enjoy continuous, sleep at night for seven to nine hours.
  • Check the Weighing Scale Regularly: Checking your weight weekly can help you identify small weight gains. This will help you to take the right measures promptly to prevent further escalations in your weight.
  • Practice Mindful Eating: Even after achieving your weight loss goals, eat food without distractions, such as watching television, peacefully, and properly by chewing it well. When you focus on what you eat and enjoy every bite of food, you won’t eat it in excess.

Now that you know the right steps and supportive measures to make your fat-loss journey a success, get started with it. Consulting certified dieticians and nutritionists, such as health experts at Health Total, can help you have a customised fat-loss diet plan for males and females to achieve the best health and fitness outcomes. Our diet plan not only helps you lose fat but also nourishes you with all essential nutrients, boosts your immunity, and prevents or lowers potential health risks. So, waste no time, get in touch with us at Health Total and embark on your fat loss journey with our personalized fat loss diet plan.

Sign up for a FREE consultation with Health Total experts to get more tips for losing fat healthily with diet or managing any other health condition. Call toll-free at 1-800-833-171-709 and Book Free Consultation!

August 5, 2023