Losing weight is something you should be proud of once you have reached your goals.
Now comes the tricky part of the weight loss journey – keeping the pounds off and maintaining healthy body weight.
What do you need to do now?
Read on for some suggestions.
Pay Attention to Carbs
Do not consume too many carbohydrates as this can wreak havoc on your excellent efforts. Foods that are high in carbs are those that contain a plentiful supply of starch or sugar. To be more specific, limit the carbs in your daily diet that are made up of a high glycemic load (GL).
The reason for this is because too many GL carbohydrates will encourage the body to hunger for more and more this can lead to weight gain.
If you are still trying to drop extra pounds, then follow this rule when it comes to carbs: on a daily basis make sure that carbs make up less than one-sixth of the total number of calories you consume.
To continue after the weight is gone, eat foods that are low in carbs such as strawberries, soybeans, and some proteins such as eggs and meat. Make sure that the carbs are low in their level of GL. This will help you to feel fuller sooner, and you will not crave any particular food.
Eat Lots of Veggies
Foods that are low in their caloric density are excellent when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. Vegetables fit into this category. When choosing vegetables to eat look for ones that are high in fibre and nutrients but low in starch and have a low GI index.
Fibre is Essential
Fibre is necessary for the functioning of the bowels, and it is also key to maintaining appropriate body weight. You should take in an average of 25 grammes of fibre on a daily basis. Of the 25 grammes, at least 10 grammes should be insoluble fibre.
Some sources of insoluble fibre include green beans, dark green leafy vegetables, seeds and nuts, whole wheat products and wheat oat. Some sources of soluble fibre include nuts, flax seed, apples, oranges, carrots, dried beans and peas, and oat bran. Some foods contain both types of fibre. Don’t discount fibre in your pursuit of the ideal weight!
Exercise and the Metabolic Rate
Regular physical activity can help you to maintain your ideal weight, and it will also serve to increase your metabolic rate. Once your metabolic rate has gone up due to healthy lifestyle changes, it will stay up even when you are not exercising. What this means is that you will burn more energy no matter what you are doing.
To accomplish this, you need to aim to burn approximately 300 calories per day by being engaged in some form of exercise.
The rate at which people burn calories that they take in is called metabolic rate. Everyone’s metabolic rate is not the same. It has to do with some mitochondria that are in the cells. Mitochondria can be likened to factories of energy that are burned as a fuel source for the body.
Exercising out on a regular basis makes it possible for the cells in the muscles to build up. Helps to increase the number of mitochondria that is housed there. This, in turn, will improve your metabolism not just today or tomorrow but far into the future.