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Search Results for: weight loss

March 16, 2023 By Alfana Khatri 5 Comments

Unable to Lose Weight? 7 Secrets for Sustainable Weight Loss

lose weightDuring your weight loss journey, have you contemplated the impossibility of you reaching your weight loss goal? How many times were you close to giving up? Despite all your struggles with following proper exercise routines and eating the right food, you don’t seem to lose weight. If you resonate with this, it is fairly common. Such situations or instances are faced by people who are trying to lose weight. And yes, we understand how frustrating that can be. The real question here is – is there anything more beyond diet and exercise?

7 Acceptable and Easier Secrets to Lose Weight

1. Focusing on a Single Number
How frequently do you check your weight and get disheartened? The thing is that weight loss isn’t just about losing weight in kg but also about losing fat mass and gaining muscle mass. Your body type, ethnic group and muscle mass can change the meaning of the number that you see on the scale. How much fat loss and how much bone density has improved are the numbers you should be looking at. A Body Composition Analysis (BCA) once a month would be a better indicator than a weighing scale alone. Also, measuring waist and hip circumference in inches gives insight on your inch loss. Measure it once in 15 days along with weight.

 2. Setting Unrealistic Goals
Always set tangible and measurable goals. Aim for slow and steady weight loss i.e. 1.5 – 2 kg/month as it’s easy to achieve and maintain. Setting short term quick fixes will not help you with sustainable weight loss and the chances to regain the shed kilos increases. A goal without a plan is just a wish. Accompany your health goals with good planning, take some expert advice for goal setting and guidelines which will also help you track them daily.

 3. Sitting Time
If you haven’t been able to lose weight despite working out for an hour a day, 7 times a week, then there’s a good explanation for it. Researchers conclude that sitting continuously for hours is as dangerous as smoking! When you stay seated, your body metabolism slows, you burn less calories, your muscles and joints stiffen up, and your back may hurt. Rather, get up every 30 minutes and stretch or take a short walk, as every bit counts. You can also try this workout routine you can do anywhere.

 4. Sleep Well
Adults usually need 7-9 hours of sleep. Our bodies use that time to detoxify, fix tissues, make hormones, and grow muscles. Our brains use it to process the information and learning of the day into memories. Not enough sleep can make you hungrier and make junk food more appealing. Quantity of sleep is as important as quality of sleep. It’s important to train your body’s circadian rhythm to sleep early and wake up early. Your body responds well if you sleep during the magical hours of 10pm to 6am.

 5. Manage Stress
How many times have you been stressed out over not reaching your target weight? Stress can make the weight loss journey nearly impossible. Stress eating is a type of emotional eating, where the body usually craves high fat, high sugar foods. Stress produces cortisol, a hormone which promotes body fat and makes it harder to lose weight, especially belly fat. It also causes disturbance in sleep. Less sleep, chronic fatigue leads to the rise of the hormone – Ghrelin, which is the primary hunger hormone, which makes you feel hungry even when you don’t need to eat. Constant stress, however, can wreak havoc on your emotional and physical health by causing anxiety, depression and sleep deprivation.

 6. Water Intake
Many of us cannot draw a distinction between thirst and hunger. The first thing that comes to mind is always ‘food’, even if it is just thirst. In most cases, a glass of water might do the trick instead of eating a snack. To set a baseline, drink one glass of water before you eat anything. Drink adequate water before, during and post-workout.

7. Nutrient Deficiencies
Vitamin B-12 and Vitamin D3 are the major vitamins involved in the fat loss process. Vitamin B12 converts fats and proteins into energy and aids in the breakdown of carbohydrates too. The sunshine Vitamin D3 decreases body fat and limits weight gain by altering the storage and formation of fat cells and it also increases the levels of serotonin (happy hormone) and testosterone (affects bone and muscle mass) in the body. Unfortunately, nearly 50% of people worldwide suffer from low Vitamin D levels.

If you’re still looking for a “magic pill” to aid weight loss, it is the combination of the above points. They can help you succeed in your weight loss journey as well as sustain it. There is no shortcut to it, only consistency. We hope this article helps you out. For more tips on weight loss, click here or reach out to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

February 25, 2023 By Navnee Garg 3 Comments

Healthy Fats vs. Unhealthy Fats: Weight Loss, Heart Health & More

healthy fats

“Fat” used to be a bad word in nutrition. Years ago, your doctor might have recommended that you limit or avoid fat in your diet. You will be surprised to know that all fats aren’t bad. In fact, some ‘healthy fats’ lower your cholesterol level and help keep you healthy.

What are Dietary Fats?

Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy and to support cell growth. They also help protect your organs and help keep your body warm. Fats help your body absorb some nutrients and produce important hormones too. Your body definitely needs fat.

Healthy Fats vs Unhealthy Fats

Since fats are an important part of a healthy diet, rather than adopting a low-fat diet, it’s more important to focus on eating more beneficial “good” fats and limiting harmful “bad” fats.

1. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are known as the “good fats” or “healthy fats” because they are good for your heart, your cholesterol, and your overall health. Adding more of these healthy fats to your diet may help to make you feel more satisfied after a meal, reducing hunger and thus promoting weight loss.

Sources: Olives, Avocado, Nuts, Peanut butter, flaxseed, walnut, soymilk, tofu.

2. Unhealthy or “Bad” fat are the Trans Fats. Small amounts of naturally occurring Trans Fats can be found in meat and dairy products but it is artificial Trans Fats that are considered dangerous. This is the worst type of fat since it not only raises bad LDL cholesterol but also lowers good HDL levels.

Sources: Commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough, Fried foods (French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, breaded fish), Anything containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, even if it claims to be “Trans Fat-Free”.

3. Saturated fats, while not as harmful as Trans Fats, can raise bad LDL cholesterol and too much can negatively impact heart health, so it’s best consumed in moderation.

Sources: Red meat, butter, ice cream, chicken skin.

Tips to Add More Healthy Fats to Your Diet

Instead of obsessively counting fat grams, aim for a diet rich in a variety of vegetables, fruit, nuts, and beans, with two or more weekly servings of fatty fish, moderate amounts of dairy, small amounts of red meat, and only occasional fried or processed meals.

  1. Say NO to Trans Fats from your diet. Check food labels for Trans Fats. Limiting commercially-baked goods and fast food can go a long way.
  2. Limit your intake of saturated fats by replacing some of the red meat you eat with beans, nuts, poultry, and fish, and switching from whole milk dairy to lower fat versions.
  3. Prefer Omega-3 Fats: Include a variety of fish sources as well as plant sources such as walnuts, ground flax seeds, flaxseed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil.
  4. Cook With Olive Oil: Use olive oil for stovetop cooking rather than butter, stick margarine, or lard. For baking, try canola oil.
  5. Eat More Avocados: Try them in sandwiches or salads. Along with being loaded with heart- and brain-healthy fats, they make for a filling meal.
  6. Go Nuts: You can add nuts to vegetable dishes, use them instead of breadcrumbs on chicken or fish, or make your own trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.
  7. Snack on Olives: Olives are high in healthy monounsaturated fats and make for a low-calorie snack.
  8. Dress Your Own Salad: Commercial salad dressings are often high in unhealthy fat or added sugars. Create your own healthy dressings with olive, flaxseed, or sesame oils.

Want to know some Healthy Fat based recipes? Stay tuned for the next part of the article!

We hope this article helps you make more informed decisions on eating healthy fats. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

January 30, 2023 By Swati Savla 1 Comment

Cardio For Weight Loss: High Intensity vs Low Intensity

cardio for weight loss

We are well aware that Cardio is the best form of exercise to achieve any kind of weight or fat loss. But to understand the intensity required to achieve this, is still a little unclear. While researching, I kept coming back to the same question, what’s better – high-intensity or low-intensity training? There’s just way too much information trying to sway readers without considering their individual goals and needs. 

Don’t worry! We’ve put together a few things you should know about in this article. It will give you a better idea of what low-intensity and high-intensity cardio training mean and will also help you decide which one you should go for! 

Low Intensity Cardio 

This workout encompasses consistent movements anywhere between 30-60 mins. It includes walking, cycling, swimming, light jogging, etc. The intensity is approx 40-60% of your maximum heart rate (your maximum heart rate = 220 – your age). 

Benefits: 

  • Consistent movements help maintain a steady heart rate (one can talk while doing any of these exercises)
  • You use more oxygen in these kind of exercises (hence fat is used as energy source)
  • Helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by promoting good blood circulation
  • Reduces hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar levels) in people with diabetes
  • Builds muscular endurance 

Disadvantages:

  • Due to the principle of adaptation, the body quickly adapts to become more aerobically efficient. So only doing low intensity training can eventually become counterproductive to your goals, especially if one of your goals is long-term fat loss or when you hit a plateau.
  • To keep up with the body’s quick aerobic adaptation process, a person would need to continually run for longer and longer distances and durations just to burn the same amount of calories they did when they first started.

High Intensity Workouts 

These workouts include quick, intense exercise bouts and short rest periods. Ranging from 4-30 minutes max. These types of workouts include a combination of sprints, burpees, squats, jumping jacks, pushups and an endless variety of other drills using only body weight or sometimes equipment like dumbbells or kettlebells. The intensity varies from 70-90% of maximum heart rate with 60-65% max heart rate in rest periods. 

Benefits: 

  • No equipment or gym needed as it can be done anywhere (great for frequent travelers)
  • Helps build muscle mass
  • Time efficient: energy is burned more quickly and even after exercise
  • Anaerobic exercise, since there is no time for oxygen consumption, the body burns more carbs
  • Because of the oxygen debt created, the body consumes extra oxygen post workout (EPOC- excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and hence, continues burning fat post workout as well. So it has the dual benefit of carb and fat burning.

Disadvantages:

  • The body requires a day or two post HIIT for recovery, so this form of workout cannot be done daily.
  • It is physically intense! They are also harsh on your joints due to the high impact forces created in exercises like Burpees or Squat Jumps. So, if you’re just starting your fitness journey or have weak joints, HIIT cardio may not be the best place to start.

Which One Should You Choose?

It depends on you, your current level of fitness, your preferences and goals. Low-intensity is a great place to start if you have not worked out for a long time or are recovering from an injury. But if you already have experience and want to switch things up, lose some weight quickly or finally achieve your goal of going faster or further, give intervals a try. Don’t forget to be mindful of your body. Take breaks when you need to, don’t overtrain. Your body needs to rest, heal and progress! 

We hope this article on cardio for weight loss helps you achieve your goals! To learn more, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to live, interactive sessions on GOQii PRO by booking a class via the GOQii App, where you can get one-on-one guidance in real time by certified fitness experts.  

Get active and #BeTheForce 

October 6, 2022 By GOQii 6 Comments

The Preliminary Step To Weight Loss Is Training Your Mind

the preliminary step to weight loss is training your mind

We’ve noticed that most of our players have a common statement that they always make when it comes to weight loss – “I don’t think I will lose weight no matter how hard I try because I don’t have the willpower”. Well, if you’re aware that you lack the willpower, all you need to do is set your mind on it and work towards building more willpower. It’s much easier than you think!

Barriers To Weight Loss

Weight loss is a decision you make in your mind first. You can lose weight if you decide you want to. The biggest barrier you face is actually being self-disciplined and having the willpower to follow through the habits set by your coach. Compliance and determination are needed to follow through but instead, we tend to fall into this vicious cycle that begins with eating a poor diet full of carbs, fats, and processed foods. This, in turn, makes one lethargic and tired all the time. You don`t feel like exercising. What follows next? It’s a huge loss of willpower and you end up feeling extremely miserable and hopeless. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Only You Can Make The Change!

Certainly, there is a ray of hope for all. You can make the change. If you truly want to lose weight, you first have to build the power to make it happen! Willpower is a like a skill – it has to be mastered and nurtured through practice. For example, if your most favorite sweet is passed on to you and you say no for the first time, it is much easier to say no the second time too. But, the question arises – How do you say NO?

preliminary step to weight lossWhether it is a good habit or a bad one, the brain has the capability to ‘format’ the data and ‘add’ a new habit. When you repeat a behavior a number of times, it becomes a part of you. So if you give into the craving of eating a sweet for the first time, it develops a weak pathway for the brain, where a chain of neurons works to translate your thoughts into actions with the same action time and again. It then becomes a strong pathway and thus, a habit is formed. Instead of dwelling on or focusing on bad habits, make the change and shift your attention to the ones which are good for you.

If you need help shifting to positive habits which are good for you and your health, subscribe for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching where a GOQii Coach will guide and motivate you to achieve your health goals in the most sustainable manner possible without turning your life upside down. Subscribe here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more articles on weight loss, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

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