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How to Burn Body Fat & Keep it Off!

body fatHow many times have we pushed ourselves to our physical limits in order to get rid of excess body fat, only to end up gaining it all over again? Keeping body fat off is a difficult task, but it is not impossible. All you need is the right knowledge and this article has it!

Need to Burn Body Fat

Many articles explain the need to burn body fat. However, they often overlook the fact that muscle behavior changes when body fat is burned. When you’re on a journey to lose weight, it is important to burn body fat as well as restore body muscles to gain control over important body functions.

How to Burn Body Fat

1. Increase Protein Intake:

The theory behind increasing protein intake is that more muscles result in more fat burning. It’s best to start your day with good carbs and proteins, as adding protein to breakfast works on hunger hormones, making you feel fuller for longer.

This is why including protein helps in losing weight and keeping it off. If you don’t have a good protein source, add it. But remember, only consuming protein without good carbs, fiber, vitamins, and minerals may result in weight gain, as extra protein will get deposited.

Sources of protein that can be included in your daily lifestyle are quinoa, moringa, peanut butter, almond butter, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, lean meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products like curd, yogurt, cottage cheese, paneer, and soy products like tofu.

2. Water Intake:

The average water intake of a person is 2.17 liters. Water intake can be increased to 3 liters per day to prevent sunstroke and dehydration, especially in hot weather. Hydration is crucial because your body will not burn fat when it is dehydrated.

Drinking a glass of water before meals acts as an appetite suppressant, helping you keep extra fats from food at bay. Avoid sugary drinks like colas or other carbonated beverages. Instead, carry a chilled bottle of water containing chia seeds or basil seeds, mint leaves, a little salt, and a piece of jaggery to stay hydrated and refreshed!

3. Foods with Fiber:

Gut health is the key to maintaining body weight and shedding extra fat. Fiber helps in maintaining a healthy weight and reducing cholesterol and diabetes levels.

If you’re looking for low-calorie foods, try broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans, zucchini, apples, popcorn, cucumber, spinach, oats, and brown rice. These are good sources of fiber and keep you full for longer.

Psyllium husk (Isapgol) is great for detoxing the system. It also helps eliminate cholesterol and fat globules from the body. However, it needs to be consumed in moderation—half a teaspoon or 2 grams per day is sufficient.

4. Cut down on Salt, Sugar and Refined Carbs:

Everything in excess is harmful. Salt and sugar are basic needs of our lifestyle as they help maintain the pH level of blood. Excess salt results in water retention and can make it difficult to lose weight. Similarly, excess sugar affects your metabolism and can cause joint pain and fatty liver problems.

This doesn’t mean you need to go tasteless! Moderation is the key to a healthier lifestyle. Avoid extra salts and sugars from processed food, junk food, and refined carbs like white bread, white flour, sweetened beverages, and bakery products. Instead, carry healthy snacks like fox nuts, goji berries, dry fruits, mixed seeds, and popcorn. Also, cut off any additional salt in your curds or salads.

Foods That Help in Burning Body Fat Faster

  • Apple Cider Vinegar: Mix 1 or 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar in lukewarm water for a healthy morning drink. It helps burn extra fats.
  • Extra Virgin Coconut Oil: Reducing normal oil intake while consuming extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil benefits thyroid functioning and increases the body’s metabolic rate due to medium-chain triglycerides. This helps burn fat faster. Add it to your salads or cooked curry (avoid heating it to retain its nutrients).
  • Beverages: Green coffee, black coffee, oolong tea, green tea, chamomile tea, and goji berry tea all improve metabolism and help burn fat faster. However, 2-3 cups a day is advised, as anything in excess is harmful.

Stress and Lack of Sleep Can Result in Weight Gain

Stress and sleep are often neglected during fat-burning journeys. Overindulging in workouts can lead to stress and weight gain. Working out 3-4 times a week is sufficient. Jumping jacks, HIIT, planks, crunches, lunges with stretching, and yoga help maintain body shape without stress while promoting good-quality sleep.

If mediation or deep breathing dosen’t help you relax, try stress-busting foods like dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, bananas, and avocados. Ensure you get enough sleep. Lack of sleep and stress can slow down metabolism and cause weight gain. To sleep peacefully, keep your room dark, avoid heavy workouts before bedtime and stay off screens at least an hour before sleeping.

By working on these small lifestyle changes, you can effectively lose body fat and keep it off!

We hope this article helps you. For more information or tips on weight loss, check out Healthy Reads or speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health.

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Easy and Effective Tabata Routine For Beginners

effective tabata routineWhen it comes to getting active and losing weight, people generally get confused about where to start. So, let’s look at this effective Tabata routine which is simple and easy. TABATA (also called Tabata protocol) is a type of HIIT (high intensity interval training). It originated when a Japanese Scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and his team from The National Institute of Fitness and Sports at Kagoshima, Japan were working on the fact that shorter high intensity workouts followed by a shorter period of rest can impact the body better rather than longer periods of continuous workout.

The structure of program is like: 

  • Exercise hard for 20 seconds
  • Rest for 10 seconds
  • Complete 8 rounds

A combination of any exercise can be used in Tabata. It targets a wider range of muscles and helps in burning fat during and after workouts. 

Three major health benefits of this Effective Tabata routine are:

  1. Helps in burning more fat in a shorter period of time
  2. Helps in increasing endurance
  3. As it is high intensity training, it needs to be focused & attentive, thus, increases efficiency.

Before You Begin, Keep in Mind:  

  • A beginner has to first check his/her flexibility, efficiency and endurance before picking up the sets of exercises
  • Make sure to complete a dynamic warm up before you begin this easy and effective Tabata routine.
  • You can choose a group of 3-4 exercises for a week and then add some other exercises one by one depending upon your stamina.
  • Don’t do exercises in a hurry. Rather do it in proper posture and manner.
  • Always keep a stopwatch with you.

Exercise To Include In Your Tabata Routine  

There are basic 10 exercises which you can include in your Tabata protocol when you are planning to start. These are:

  1. Burpees: Toughest among all exercises and increases endurance, strength & power. It is most effective but for a beginner can be placed at last.
  2. Lunges: Can be included in beginners protocol & difficulty level can be increased once you are comfortable in traditional lunges.
  3. Jump Rope: It is an effective and portable form of exercise and can be included in the beginners list.
  4. Squat Jack: It combines two bodyweight exercises which are squats and jumping jacks. Can be safely included in the list.
  5. Tabata Sprints: It starts with 20 seconds of sprints followed by 10 seconds of walking, jogging or rest.
  6. Push Ups: One of the most simple and familiar exercises which can be included in the list.
  7. Super man: This will strengthen the back and core muscles and can be included in the list.
  8. Plank jack: These are simple. The difficulty level can be increased at one’s comfort ability.
  9. Mountain Climbers: Very effective for legs and most suitable for beginners.
  10. Windshield Wipers: Easy to do and can be included in the list and variations can be done later.

From the list above, you can choose any 4-5 exercises and start practicing according to the Tabata protocol and always start with high energy and not in a hurry.

For more effective workouts and to learn more about fitness, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to our live, interactive classes on GOQii PRO, where our experts will guide and motivate you in real time. Book a class now from the GOQii App.

#BeTheForce 

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5 Common Habits that Cause Obesity!

obesityYou might have been trying hard to lose that stubborn weight with sincere healthy food habits and sweating hard through physical activities. Despite your efforts, that scale doesn’t seem to budge. You might be wondering why. To understand why, you will need to understand what Obesity is.

What is Obesity?

As per WHO, Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to an extent that it may have a negative effect on health. Various studies and meta-analysis have demonstrated that it increases the likelihood of various diseases and conditions, particularly cardiovascular diseases, Type2 diabetes, obstructive sleep-apnea, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis, and depression. And Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive food intake, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility.

Here are 5 common habits that eventually lead to obesity.

1. Eating Quickly

How many times have you quickly eaten your food while on a call or before rushing for a meeting or a chore without so much as even tasting the food?

This practice of eating quickly & unmindfully could be making you gain fat. Studies among middle-aged men and women have suggested that eating fast leads to obesity. Eating fast has been associated with childhood, general and abdominal obesity as well as greater consumption of food.

It takes approx. 20 minutes for the satiety signal/hormones to reach the brain from the stomach. And eating hurriedly overrides this mechanism of stimulating the satiety centre in the brain. Thus, eating too quickly makes you overeat, paving the way for obesity and related disorders. Eating slowly helps in portion control, makes you aware of when your stomach gets full and you also know how much to serve yourself and when to stop. Plus, chewing well promotes the release of salivary enzymes in the mouth and digestive juices in the stomach, which in turn starts-off the digestion process. Hence, eating slowly metabolizes food faster and more efficiently.

Be conscious while eating and take smaller bites. Eating slowly is associated with enhanced Postprandial Thermogenic Effect of Food, elevated serum adiponectin (a hormone which increases fatty acid oxidation and inhibition of hepatic glucose production) and suppressed Non Esterified Fatty Acid (major component of triglycerides/body fat). Try planning your meal timings along with the official meetings, not only for yourself but also for your subordinates and colleagues. This will not only improve your health but also the productivity. Be mindful when you eat.

2. Not Drinking Enough Water

I have seen people during my practice, who drink less than 1L of water and are still overweight despite eating healthy and being active throughout the day.

Water is critical to proper physiological and cognitive functioning. An average human adult is approximately 55-60% water by weight, whereas some obese people are as little as 15% water by weight. This is because fat tissues do not retain water as well as lean tissues do. Adipose tissue contains about 10% of water, while muscle tissue contains about 75% water. Plain water helps you have healthy muscle mass which is responsible for improving metabolic rate which eventually helps in fat loss.

Combined with physical activity, drinking water helps increase fat oxidation. Another study establishes the role of drinking 1.5L of excessive water in weight reduction, body fat reduction, and appetite suppression in overweight female participants. This is because water fills you up in zero calories and even suppresses appetite thus it acts as a natural appetite suppressant.

So go for plain water instead of too many milky teas/coffees, fruit juices, soft drinks and other so-called healthy energy drinks. If you find plain water boring, try adding slices of cucumber, lemon or your favourite fruit, any condiments/spices to add a dash of flavour and enjoy the drink.

3. Not Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep deprivation has become a hallmark of modern societies. There are many factors such as frequent travel to different time zones, social and tech changes, internet, social media and so on that contribute to inadequate sleep.

Sleep deprivation increases obesity or weight gain because of the metabolic and endocrine alterations, including decreased glucose tolerance/insulin sensitivity, increased evening concentrations of cortisol, deranged hunger hormones, and the individuals who are awake longer will be exposed to food stimuli resulting in wider waist circumferences, which are proven in various studies.

Good sleep helps you to eat better, exercise better, keeps hormone levels in balance and stay healthier. Try these tips to sleep better.

4. Kitchen Grocery

Have you ever looked at the kind of food you have in your kitchen cabinets? I am sure there you will find all sorts of processed foods in colourful packets of biscuits, cereals, toast, cookies, beverages, fruit juices, etc.

Such food tends to cause major spikes in blood sugar levels, which leads to a subsequent crash in blood sugar which can then trigger hunger and cravings for more high-carb foods. This is the “blood sugar roller coaster” that many people experience. Such foods lack essential nutrients. In other words, they are “empty” calories. The added white sugar is another story altogether, it’s the absolute worst and linked to all sorts of chronic diseases.

Whole foods are loaded with nutrients and fiber, and don’t cause the same spikes and dips in blood sugar levels as the processed food. Remember: A low-fat cookie is still a cookie! So, aim to store whole grains, healthy fats, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables in your kitchen grocery. This would naturally balance out your diet and lower your daily calorie intake.

5. Long Sitting Hours

As per WHO, more than 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Most urban jobs revolve around electronic gadgets/devices which require long sitting hours. Traditionally, obesity has been thought to have been caused by the lack of a healthy diet and physical exercise. However, researchers have found that one hour of intense physical exercise does not make up for the negative effects of inactivity when rest of the hours of the day are spent sitting.

So don’t throw away all that hard work at the gym or park in the morning by hitting the couch for the rest of the day in office or at home. Try to work on your sedentary levels. It makes a big difference by being active throughout the day.  Try these tips to remain active:

  • Stand up and move after every 30 mins for 3 mins or for 5 mins every hour
  • Walk around in your office
  • Walk when you are talking over mobile
  • Use stairs or park your vehicle at a distance from your office
  • Keep water bottle away from your table, so get up every hour to get water
  • Go to your colleagues to discuss something or share a document
  • Swap TV time with hobbies or a sport or household chores

We hope this article helps you understand what causes obesity and take necessary measures to curb it. For more on obesity and how to reduce weight, check out Healthy Reads.

To get the right guidance on how to lose weight and sustain it in a healthy way, speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health.

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Effective Tips To Motivate Your Child To Exercise

motivate your child to exerciseObesity in children has become a common occurrence. At an age when the body needs to be built in a healthy way, diseases like obesity become a risk for a healthy future. As per Indian culture, till the child comes of age, practically all the decisions of their life are taken by their parents. In such a scenario, if the parents themselves do not know the importance of a healthy lifestyle, how will they encourage their children to follow it? So, before children, parents need to be educated regarding the importance of exercise for children. As these formative years are the building blocks for a healthy lifestyle, it is important to guide and motivate your child to exercise. 

How Does Exercise Help Children? 

Physical activity helps children sleep better and handle physical as well as emotional challenges more effectively resulting in control/check of weight, hypertension, cholesterol, sugar and also chronic diseases like cancer and anxiety. It further improves psychological well being, self-confidence and self-esteem. Training children to exercise regularly at an early age helps them grow up to be disciplined adults. 

Tips To Motivate Your Child To Exercise 

The most effective way to train children to exercise is by practicing what we preach and be a role model by including regular physical activity in our own lives. 

  • Besides arranging family picnics, hiking expeditions, morning/evening walks and other sports and games, one can also add activity by walking or riding bicycles instead of driving, using stairs instead of elevators, helping in housework and gardening.
  • Another effective way to encourage children to get active is by praising them for their efforts. Instead of making them compete, they should be encouraged to cooperate with others and excel in their own records, as competition with others can lead to teasing, bullying and a sense of public failure and embarrassment. Children are more sensitive than average grownups and need all the support and encouragement to try again once they fumble or fail, which is a common phenomenon in case of children. Instead of nagging or negative comments, parents should become their cheerleaders. 
  • Children love the company of their friends; it is a good idea to encourage them to invite their like minded friends over for a game or an excursion. If a child likes a team sport, they should be encouraged for the same. But here too, the focus should be on fitness, fun and learning new skills and not on competition as this can remove the fun from the activity and many children get discouraged by it.
  • Exercise and activity should come as a reward after a homework well done rather than as punishment by forcing a child to run laps or do pushups after a mistake or some mischief played by them as this may backfire and the child may start hating exercise and activity. 
  • Often children are so overburdened with homework, private tuitions, and other planned activities that they do not have time for physical activity of their own choice. So think of adding some activity of their choice as an informal fun game rather than a training session. 
  • A variety of games and sports equipment should be left on hand, like an assortment of balls, hula-hoops, and jump ropes, etc. this can make children enjoy the games and activities for hours. 
  • If a child is lazy, they should be given incentives like a favorite food or book for an hour’s activity on a regular basis as this could be a great motivating factor.  

We hope the above suggestions help you motivate your child to exercise. As an incentive to exercise and to monitor their health, you can also gift them the GOQii Smart Vital Jr. which could be a huge motivational factor for your child to take their health seriously. With a personal coach and a pediatrician on board, you can rest assured that your child’s health is in safe hands!

For more tips of kid’s health and nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to sessions by experts on GOQii Play. For more effective tips on kid’s health, weight loss, home workouts, etc. speak directly to your GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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