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Shedding Pounds: Effecive Strategies for Sustainable Weight Loss

Or How to Lose Weight and not go crazy?

By Marcin DryjaPublished 3 years ago 18 min read
Shedding Pounds: Effecive Strategies for Sustainable Weight Loss
Photo by Huha Inc. on Unsplash

Weight loss is a topic that has gained a lot of attention over the years, and for good reason. Obesity rates are on the rise around the world, and excess weight is linked to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. However, while the benefits of weight loss are clear, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can be a challenging task for many people. In this essay, we'll explore the science behind weight loss, strategies for achieving a healthy weight, and the benefits of doing so.

To understand weight loss, we first need to understand the concept of energy balance. Energy balance refers to the balance between the calories we consume through food and the calories we burn through physical activity and other daily activities. When we consume more calories than we burn, we're in a state of positive energy balance, which means we're storing excess calories as body fat. Conversely, when we burn more calories than we consume, we're in a state of negative energy balance, which means we're burning stored body fat for energy.

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With this in mind, weight loss is achieved by creating a sustained calorie deficit, which means burning more calories than we consume over time. This can be accomplished through a combination of reducing calorie intake through diet and increasing calorie expenditure through physical activity. However, the amount and rate of weight loss can vary based on individual factors such as starting weight, body composition, and metabolic rate.

One common approach to weight loss is calorie restriction, which involves reducing calorie intake to create a calorie deficit. This can be accomplished through a variety of dietary strategies, including reducing portion sizes, choosing lower-calorie foods, and limiting high-calorie foods such as sugary drinks and snacks. It's important to note that extreme calorie restriction can be harmful to health and may not be sustainable over the long term. In addition, cutting calories too drastically can lead to loss of muscle mass and a slower metabolism, making it harder to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Another key component of weight loss is physical activity. Exercise helps to burn calories, build muscle mass, and increase metabolism, all of which contribute to weight loss. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week for adults. In addition to aerobic exercise, strength training can help to build and maintain muscle mass, which is important for overall health and metabolism.

In addition to the physical benefits of weight loss, there are many other potential benefits as well. For example, weight loss can improve self-esteem and body image, which can lead to improved mental health. It can also reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Finally, weight loss can improve quality of life by reducing the physical limitations and discomfort associated with excess weight.

However, achieving and maintaining weight loss can be a challenging task, and there are many factors that can make it difficult. For example, genetics, hormonal imbalances, and certain medications can all affect metabolism and make weight loss more difficult. In addition, social and environmental factors such as access to healthy foods and safe places to exercise can also play a role in weight management.

In conclusion, weight loss is a complex process that involves creating a sustained calorie deficit through a combination of dietary strategies and physical activity. While achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can be a challenging task, there are many potential benefits to doing so, including improved physical and mental health, reduced risk of chronic disease, and improved quality of life. By focusing on healthy lifestyle habits such as a balanced diet and regular physical activity, individuals can achieve and maintain a healthy weight and enjoy the many benefits that come with it.

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Here are 10 effective strategies for weight loss:

1. Set a realistic goal: Aiming to lose 1-2 pounds per week is a safe and achievable goal.

2. Eat a healthy and balanced diet: Focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats while limiting your intake of sugar, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods.

3. Keep a food diary: Writing down what you eat can help you be more aware of your food choices and prevent mindless eating.

4. Drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated can help curb cravings and make you feel full.

5. Practice portion control: Use smaller plates, eat slowly, and be mindful of your portion sizes to avoid overeating.

6. Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

7. Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can lead to overeating and weight gain, so aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

8. Manage stress: Stress can lead to emotional eating, so finding healthy ways to manage stress, such as exercise or meditation, can help.

9. Find a support system: Surround yourself with friends and family who support your weight loss goals, or consider joining a support group or working with a registered dietitian or personal trainer.

10. Be patient and persistent: Weight loss takes time, so be patient and stay committed to your goals even if you hit a plateau or experience setbacks.

Home exercises for fast fat burning that you should start doing to raise metabolism:

1. Jumping jacks

Jumping jacks are a popular exercise that can be done almost anywhere, and they are great for getting the heart rate up and burning calories. Here's how to do a jumping jack:

1. Start in a standing position with your feet together and your arms at your sides.

2. Jump up while simultaneously spreading your legs apart, so they're shoulder-width apart or wider, while raising your arms above your head.

3. Land gently on the balls of your feet with your knees slightly bent, and your arms extended straight overhead.

4. Jump again and bring your legs back together while lowering your arms back down to your sides.

5. Land softly on the balls of your feet with your knees slightly bent.

6. Repeat steps 2-5 for the desired number of repetitions.

It's important to maintain proper form during jumping jacks. Keep your back straight, your core engaged, and your movements controlled. Avoid locking your knees and try to land softly on the balls of your feet to reduce impact on your joints. Jumping jacks can be modified to suit your fitness level by adjusting the speed, range of motion, and intensity of the exercise

2. Burpees

Burpees are a full-body exercise that can help to build strength, endurance, and burn calories. Here's how to perform a basic burpee:

1. Begin in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Lower your body into a squatting position, placing your hands on the floor in front of you.

3. Kick your feet back into a plank position, while keeping your arms extended.

4. Lower your chest and thighs to the floor, as if you were doing a push-up.

5. Push your chest back up into a plank position.

6. Jump your feet back towards your hands into a squatting position.

7. Stand up and jump into the air, clapping your hands above your head.

8. Land softly and immediately return to the starting position, repeating the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.

It's important to maintain proper form while performing burpees. Keep your core engaged, your back straight, and your movements controlled. Avoid locking your knees and try to land softly to reduce impact on your joints. Burpees can be modified to suit your fitness level by adjusting the speed, range of motion, and intensity of the exercise.

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3. High knees

High knees is a cardiovascular exercise that can help improve endurance, coordination, and leg strength. Here are the steps to perform a high knees exercise:

1. Begin by standing straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Lift your right knee as high as you can, up towards your chest.

3. Lower your right leg back to the ground and immediately lift your left knee up towards your chest.

4. Continue alternating knees, lifting each knee as high as you can for the desired number of repetitions.

5. Increase the pace of the exercise to get your heart rate up, and move your arms in a running motion to add intensity.

It's important to maintain proper form while performing high knees. Keep your core engaged, your back straight, and your movements controlled. Try to lift your knees as high as possible to maximize the benefits of the exercise. High knees can be modified to suit your fitness level by adjusting the speed, range of motion, and intensity of the exercise.

4. Mountain climbers

Mountain climbers are a challenging exercise that target the core, upper body, and legs. Here's how to perform a basic mountain climber:

1. Begin in a plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than your shoulders and your feet together.

2. Draw your right knee towards your chest, keeping your left leg extended.

3. Quickly switch your legs by jumping your right leg back and extending your left leg towards your chest.

4. Continue alternating legs, moving as quickly as possible for the desired number of repetitions.

5. Increase the pace of the exercise to get your heart rate up.

It's important to maintain proper form while performing mountain climbers. Keep your core engaged, your back straight, and your movements controlled. Try to keep your hips level and avoid letting them sag or lift too high.

5. Plank jacks

Plank jacks are a full-body exercise that can help to build core stability, endurance, and coordination. Here's how to perform a basic plank jack:

1. Begin in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your feet together.

2. Keeping your core engaged and your back straight, jump your feet apart while keeping your hands in place.

3. Quickly jump your feet back together, returning to the starting position.

4. Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.

It's important to maintain proper form while performing plank jacks. Keep your core engaged, your back straight, and your movements controlled. Avoid lifting your hips too high or letting them sag

6. Squat jumps

Squat jumps are a plyometric exercise that can help to build leg strength, power, and cardiovascular endurance. Here's how to perform a basic squat jump:

1. Begin in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Lower your body into a squatting position by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.

3. Explode up from the squat position by jumping as high as you can, extending your legs and pushing your arms back.

4. Land softly by bending your knees and returning to the squat position.

5. Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.

It's important to maintain proper form while performing squat jumps. Keep your core engaged, your back straight, and your movements controlled. Avoid locking your knees and try to land softly to reduce impact on your joints.

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7. Lunges

Lunges are a great exercise to target your leg muscles, especially your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. Here's how to perform a basic lunge:

1. Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips or at your sides.

2. Take a step forward with your right leg, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.

3. Bend your right knee and lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the ground, keeping your left knee bent and hovering just above the floor.

4.Push through your right heel and lift your body back up to the starting position.

5. Repeat on the other side by stepping forward with your left leg and lowering your body into a lunge.

6. Continue alternating legs, performing the desired number of repetitions.

It's important to maintain proper form while performing lunges. Keep your upper body straight and your core engaged. Your front knee should be directly above your ankle, and your back knee should be hovering just above the floor. Avoid leaning forward or letting your knees extend beyond your toes to reduce the risk of injury. Lunges can be modified to suit your fitness level by adjusting the range of motion, the pace, and the intensity of the exercise. For instance, you can start with a shorter lunge or add weights to make the exercise more challenging.

8. Push-ups

Push-ups are a classic exercise that targets your chest, triceps, shoulders, and core. Here's how to perform a basic push-up:

1. Begin in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your feet together.

2. Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping your core engaged and your back straight.

3. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the ground, or until your arms form a 90-degree angle.

4. Push through your palms and lift your body back up to the starting position, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.

5. Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.

It's important to maintain proper form while performing push-ups. Keep your back straight, your core engaged, and your elbows close to your body. Avoid arching your back or letting your hips sag. If you're having difficulty performing push-ups, you can modify the exercise by dropping your knees to the ground or performing the exercise against a wall or elevated surface. As you become stronger, you can gradually increase the difficulty of the exercise by performing more repetitions or adding weights.

9. Sit-ups or crunches

Sit-ups and crunches are abdominal exercises that can help to strengthen your core and improve your posture. Here's how to perform a basic crunch:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.

2. Place your hands behind your head, with your fingers lightly touching your ears and your elbows pointing outwards.

3. Tighten your core and lift your shoulders off the ground, curling your upper body towards your knees.

4. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then lower your shoulders back down to the starting position.

5. Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.

It's important to maintain proper form while performing crunches. Keep your lower back flat on the ground, and avoid pulling on your head with your hands. Instead, use your abdominal muscles to lift your upper body off the ground. As you become stronger, you can increase the difficulty of the exercise by performing more repetitions or adding weights. Alternatively, you can try different variations of crunches, such as reverse crunches, oblique crunches, or bicycle crunches, to target different areas of your core.

10. Bicycle crunches

Bicycle crunches are a variation of the traditional crunch exercise that target not only your abdominal muscles, but also your obliques (the muscles on the sides of your abdomen). Here's how to perform bicycle crunches:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.

2. Place your hands behind your head, with your fingers lightly touching your ears and your elbows pointing outwards.

3. Lift your shoulders off the ground, curling your upper body towards your knees.

4. Straighten your right leg and lift it a few inches off the ground, while simultaneously twisting your upper body to bring your left elbow towards your right knee.

5. Switch sides by bringing your right elbow towards your left knee, while straightening your left leg and lifting it off the ground.

6. Continue alternating sides, pedaling your legs as if you were riding a bicycle.

7. Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.

It's important to maintain proper form while performing bicycle crunches. Keep your lower back flat on the ground, and avoid pulling on your head with your hands. Instead, use your abdominal muscles to lift your upper body off the ground, and focus on twisting your torso to engage your oblique muscles. As you become stronger, you can increase the difficulty of the exercise by performing more repetitions or adding weights.

11. Jump rope

Jump rope is a fun and effective cardiovascular exercise that can help to improve your coordination, endurance, and agility. Here's how to jump rope:

1. Choose a jump rope that is the appropriate length for your height. To determine the correct length, stand on the middle of the rope and pull the handles up towards your armpits. The handles should reach your armpits or slightly below.

2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the jump rope handles at your sides, with your elbows close to your body.

3. Swing the jump rope over your head and jump over the rope with both feet as it approaches your feet.

4. Land on the balls of your feet, with your knees slightly bent to absorb the impact.

5. Continue jumping over the rope, keeping a steady rhythm.

6. Once you feel comfortable with the basic jump, try to increase your speed and vary your footwork by jumping on one foot, hopping from side to side, or performing double-unders (where the rope passes under your feet twice per jump).

7. To stop jumping, slow down your pace and let the rope come to a stop.

It's important to maintain proper form while jumping rope. Keep your shoulders relaxed, your elbows close to your body, and your wrists and hands relaxed. Focus on landing softly on the balls of your feet and keeping your core engaged to maintain your balance.

12. Stair stepping or stair climbing

Stair stepping or stair climbing is a great cardiovascular exercise that targets your lower body muscles, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Here's how to perform stair stepping:

1. Find a set of stairs or a stair stepper machine. If you're using stairs outside, make sure they are safe and free from any obstacles.

2. Begin by stepping up onto the first step with your right foot, followed by your left foot.

3. Step back down with your right foot, followed by your left foot.

4. Repeat this step up-step down sequence, alternating your lead foot with each repetition.

5. Continue stepping up and down for a set period of time or a desired number of repetitions.

7. To increase the intensity of the exercise, you can add weights, increase the speed of your stepping, or take two steps at a time.

When performing stair stepping or climbing, it's important to maintain good posture and proper form. Keep your shoulders back, your core engaged, and your gaze forward to help maintain your balance. Avoid leaning forward or hunching your shoulders, and make sure your foot lands securely on the stair before taking the next step. It's also important to listen to your body and rest if you feel tired or experience any pain.

13. Dancing or aerobics

Dancing or aerobics are fun and effective cardiovascular exercises that can help to improve your coordination, endurance, and overall fitness. Here's how to get started with dancing or aerobics:

1. Find a comfortable and spacious area where you can move freely without any obstructions or hazards. Make sure you have enough room to move your arms and legs in all directions.

2. Choose some music that you enjoy and that has a lively beat. You can use a playlist, a CD, or a streaming service to find music that fits your taste and energy level.

3. Start moving your body to the beat of the music. You can start with simple movements like stepping side-to-side, marching in place, or swinging your arms.

4. Gradually increase the intensity of your movements by incorporating more complex dance steps, such as grapevines, twists, shimmies, and jumps.

5. Follow along with an instructional video or take a dance or aerobics class to learn new moves and get guidance on proper form.

6. Aim to work up a sweat and maintain a steady pace throughout your dance or aerobics session. If you need to take a break, do so, but try to get back into the rhythm as soon as possible.

7. Cool down by gradually slowing down your movements and stretching your muscles. This can help to prevent injury and reduce muscle soreness.

When doing dancing or aerobics, it's important to wear comfortable and supportive footwear and clothing that allows you to move freely. Make sure to stay hydrated and take breaks as needed. It's also important to listen to your body and adjust the intensity of your workout as needed.

14. Yoga or Pilates

Yoga and Pilates are both mind-body exercises that focus on improving flexibility, strength, balance, and relaxation. Here's how to get started with yoga or Pilates:

Yoga:

1. Find a quiet and comfortable space where you can practice yoga without distractions or interruptions. You may want to use a yoga mat for cushioning and grip.

2. Choose a yoga sequence or style that fits your level of experience and interests. There are many different types of yoga, including Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Restorative.

3. Start with a warm-up to prepare your body for the yoga poses. This may include gentle stretches, deep breathing, and relaxation techniques.

4. Move through the yoga poses or asanas, focusing on proper alignment, breathing, and mindfulness. Start with basic poses like downward dog, plank, and warrior I, and gradually build up to more advanced poses as your strength and flexibility improve.

5. End your yoga practice with a cool-down, including a few final stretches and relaxation techniques.

Pilates:

1. Find a quiet and comfortable space where you can practice Pilates without distractions or interruptions. You may want to use a Pilates mat or other cushioning for comfort.

2. Choose a Pilates sequence or style that fits your level of experience and interests. There are many different types of Pilates, including mat Pilates, Reformer Pilates, and Tower Pilates.

3. Start with a warm-up to prepare your body for the Pilates exercises. This may include breathing exercises, gentle stretches, and alignment cues.

4. Move through the Pilates exercises, focusing on proper alignment, breath control, and mindful movement. Start with basic exercises like the Hundred, the Roll-Up, and the Single Leg Stretch, and gradually build up to more advanced exercises as your strength and control improve.

5. End your Pilates practice with a cool-down, including some gentle stretches and relaxation techniques.

When doing yoga or Pilates, it's important to listen to your body and avoid any poses or exercises that cause pain or discomfort. It's also important to breathe deeply and stay present in the moment, focusing on your body and your breath. As with any exercise, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or concerns.

15. Resistance band exercises

Resistance band exercises are a great way to build strength and tone your muscles without the need for heavy weights or gym equipment. Here's how to get started with resistance band exercises:

1. Choose the right resistance band for your fitness level and the exercise you want to do. Resistance bands come in different colors or with different levels of resistance, so choose one that feels challenging but still allows you to maintain proper form.

2. Find a comfortable and safe space where you can exercise. You may want to stand on a non-slip surface or use a mat for cushioning.

3. Choose a resistance band exercise that targets the muscle group you want to work. Some common resistance band exercises include bicep curls, tricep extensions, squats, and rows.

4. Secure the resistance band in place by anchoring it under your feet, around a sturdy object, or by using a door attachment.

5. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold the resistance band handles or wrap the band around your hands, depending on the exercise you're doing.

6. Slowly and deliberately perform the exercise, focusing on maintaining proper form and controlled movements. Keep your core engaged and your posture upright.

7. Complete the desired number of repetitions and sets, then take a break before moving on to the next exercise.

8. Cool down with some stretching and relaxation techniques.

It's important to choose resistance band exercises that are appropriate for your fitness level and to start with lighter resistance bands to avoid injury.

Remember that each of these exercises has different degrees of difficulty. If you are not able to do the most difficult form, you can do the different phases of the given exercises. For example: For burpees, if you are unable to do a push-up, do a light jump and squat alone. Don't give up!

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About the Creator

Marcin Dryja

Hi,

I have been involved in personal training for many years working with clients every day. Sports and fitness have sparked a passion in me that I want to expand in every aspect.

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