You’ve seen those amazing before-and-after photos. Weight loss transformations are inspiring. It’s life-changing for the person losing weight, and reassurance that you can do the same. You may feel it takes big changes to achieve these same results. In reality, it’s implementing the small changes, which lead to major weight loss transformation success.
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Here are some of the best-kept secrets relating to weight loss transformation:
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1. Have an end goal.
Knowing your long-term goal is the first step. What do you desire? Desire, according to health expert Laticia “Action” Jackson, is one of the key ingredients for health and weight loss. She explains in her book, Changing the Norm, “Whatever you desire, it has to be motivating enough to cause you to create and take the necessary steps to reach your destination.” When you have an end goal of why you want to lose weight, it helps you stick to your goals for the long term.
Having visual reminders around you is the second step. Post a picture of when you looked your best on your fridge to keep you on track. A short-term goal, such as wanting to look good for an upcoming reunion, helps, but thinking of your goal for the longer term, such as looking your best for life events, in general, is even better.
2. Exercise by itself is ineffective for weight loss.
Exercise helps you lose weight. But if you want to keep off the weight, you have to pair exercise with proper nutrition. Exercise alone leads to a modest decrease in total body equating to less than three percent.
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In some instances, only exercising to lose weight can cause more hunger and offset the improvements you have made. Exercise is a component of weight loss, but without proper nutrition is an ineffective plan.
3. Eating fat is vital to weight loss.
The right kind of fat can help you lose and keep off weight. “The fats you want as part of your regular nutritional plan are unsaturated fats, which include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats,” Laticia “Action” Jackson, a health and fitness expert, writes in her latest book Changing the Norm.
Trans fat and fat found in highly processed meats and desserts derail weight loss. Good fat, found in monounsaturated fatty acids, can help you lose weight. Healthy fats are also in olive oil, nuts, avocados and salmon. Eating healthy fats helps your body burn more calories and you will feel fuller for a longer period.
4. Eat some chocolate!
Unsweetened cocoa or dark chocolate is good for you! But, eat chocolate that has larger amounts of cocoa and doesn’t have much sugar or milk in it.
Antioxidants in chocolate help boost the health of your arteries, and you avoid getting fat deposits. Just a small dose of dark chocolate can decrease the risk of heart attack or stroke by almost 40 percent, according to a 2010 study.
5. Drastic weight loss leads to longer-term weight loss and increased confidence.
A major weight loss transformation is a great boost psychologically. A University of Florida study showed that when weight loss occurs quickly you also have longer-term success in keeping off the weight. There is more incentive for the person to keep off the weight when they quickly lose lots of weight.
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6. Fidgeting = burned calories.
Making small movements throughout the day pays off with weight loss. Find little ways to lose weight throughout the day – like tapping your feet at your desk, wiggling a pencil, or standing up – because they add up.
A 2015 British study found that fidgeting is good for your health. In another Iowa State University study, researchers found that when people add these extra activities into their day, they burn 300 calories or more.
7. Dairy is your friend.
There is a perception that dairy products can make you fat. However, research shows the opposite. One University of Tennessee study found that obese participants who had three daily servings of dairy significantly reduced their body fat. When they also cut back on calories, they experienced faster weight loss. When you are calcium deficient, it causes weight gain and decreases appetite control. If you are eating certain sources of calcium, such as yogurt or low-fat and nonfat cheese, these may help increase your ability to lose weight.
Weight loss transformation, while drastic, starts with small incremental steps. Integrating some of these ‘best-kept secrets’ into your daily routine will put you on the right path for your weight loss transformation.
