For many people they will be entering week 6, 7 or even 8 of being at home, out of past routines, spending A LOT of time with partners and children or not being able to see people enough during this current global situation. All of these changes have undoubtedly created stress and anxiety and show up in many different ways for everyone. A more visual one is putting on extra pounds. This can be from stress and boredom eating, not being active enough, emotionally feeling anxious and the adrenals are then on overload, or all of these combined.
There are 4 straight forward strategies to help lose some body fat that you have noticed creeping onto your frame.
1. Get Enough Sleep!
Many of us fail to get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night, but mounting evidence shows that inadequate sleep can make it difficult to reach or maintain a healthy weight (3). Too little sleep has been shown to cause changes in hormone balance, metabolism and appetite regulation that tend to promote weight gain. (4,5)
The solution: Make sleep a priority. Aim for the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep every night.
2. Consume Enough High Quality Protein Daily
Managing calories is an essential part of any weight loss strategy, but limiting what you eat can also mean that you fall short on the nutrients your body needs. Protein is among the most important nutrients for helping to support your weight loss success, but it can be a challenge to get the extra protein you need while controlling calories.
Higher amounts of dietary protein help manage appetite during weight loss and can help support greater weight loss overall (7, 8). Getting more protein helps offset the muscle loss that usually accompanies weight loss, which is important for helping you maintain your results (9, 10).
The solution: Include plenty of high-quality protein in your weight loss plan. Aim to get 20-40 grams of protein at each meal or snack four to six times per day. You might need a little more or less protein each day depending on your goals, body size and other factors like physical activity.
Now that you know solutions to common weight loss mistakes, you can focus more on achieving your goals!
3. Vary Your Exercise Routine
Whether it’s cardio or weights, if you tend to stick to one type of workout, you are likely not getting the most out of the time you spend at the gym. For the greatest weight loss benefit, research suggests that you need a mix of both strength training and cardiovascular conditioning.
Researchers combined the results of 15 exercise trials involving over 740 participants and compared the type of exercise – cardio, strength training, or a combination of both – to the participants’ weight loss results (6). Study participants who did both types of exercise lost significantly more weight on average than those who focused on either type alone.
The solution: Mix in strength training and cardiovascular conditioning during your workout routine.
4. Still Enjoy Your Favourite Foods – Just Less Often and In Smaller Amounts!
It makes sense that the types of indulgent foods that we crave most – think of decadent desserts or savory snacks – should be removed from our diet when our goal is weight loss. Eating too much of these foods will work against your weight loss efforts, but you should not completely cut out your favorite foods.
Research suggests that eliminating favorite foods during weight loss can make food cravings harder to resist and may lead to unintended overeating (1). Other research has found that when commonly craved foods like sugar are restricted, it makes eating them significantly more rewarding than eating these foods under other circumstances (2).The solution: Make sensible, portion-controlled treats a regular part of your weight loss plan.
