What Is Weight Management?
If you’re trying to bulk up and get a more muscular-looking body, it’s all about adding more weight to your resistance trainers. But working out is also about subtracting the weight from your own body to make for a healthier body and mind.
Losing weight and keeping a healthy weight is a major challenge, and things like inactivity and poor diet can cause your weight to fluctuate in inconvenient ways. But weight management techniques can help to keep your body at a stable place.
Weight management refers to reaching a target body weight and employing healthy lifestyle changes to keep it there.
Here’s an overview of how to achieve, and maintain, your target physique:
The Importance of Weight Management
Losing weight is much easier said than done, especially in America. In fact, over 42% of Americans were considered to be obese in 2017-2018, and it’s believed that this number has only risen since then, which is a major concern.
And this is a problem, as obesity is a risk factor for an extreme number of serious health problems, such as type II diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and even cancer. Not to mention, it can also have an effect on your joints, as well as emotional aspects like self-esteem.
Plus, hypertension, high cholesterol, and even sleep apnea can see improvements with proper weight management.
Maintaining a healthy body weight can increase your quality of life and make you less susceptible to physical ailments and illnesses. Not to mention, it can help you gain confidence and become more comfortable in your own skin. There’s really not much better than that!
Lose Big
In the past, people used to use the BMI to see if a person's weight was a healthy one. However, the use of this technique has been phased out due to its fundamental flaws.
Calculating your BMI (Body Mass Index) used to be popular. This is your weight divided by the square of your height in kilometers.
A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 was considered within the healthy weight range. Historically, anything 25.0 or above is considered overweight, and then anything 30.0 or higher is considered obese.
However, the BMI has been replaced with a more personalized approach.
BMI is a highly contested topic in some circles. These criteria cannot differentiate between body fat and lean tissue/muscle content. Many medical circles no longer consider this technique to lead to meaningful weight loss or a healthier life.
Losing weight isn’t necessary for everyone, and you should still work out and eat healthy no matter what. However, losing weight and keeping it off can immensely improve your well-being.
Let’s look at some ways to achieve that:
How To Maintain a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight doesn’t mean you need to cut out chocolate cake completely or do an insane workout routine every single day. In most cases, all it takes are just a few changes to your lifestyle in order to lead a healthier one.
Exercise Habits (And Make it Fun)
It’s no secret that regular physical activity is one of the best ways to lose weight. In order to shed some pounds, you need to be in a calorie deficit, meaning that you’re consuming fewer calories than you’re burning.
Doing this through malnutrition is extremely dangerous, so it’s much healthier to do some intense exercise to burn extra calories throughout the day while still eating a balanced diet in accordance with dietary guidelines.
In general, you need to be in a deficit of about 500 calories a day in order to lose a pound in a week. This can be accomplished through a solid mix of strength training and fat-burning cardio.
Strength Training and Cardio
Cardio will help you burn fat and lose weight rather quickly by speeding up your heart rate. Doing things like running, rowing, HIIT routines, or hiking are great ways to get your blood pumping and your fat burning to see long-term changes.
However, strength training is just as important. This will help develop your muscles to build a physique that looks more satisfying and is more functionally fit.
You’ll look more toned and healthy overall if you burn fat while continuing to train your muscles. And if you want results fast, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a Gorilla Bow on hand.
We Get By With a Little Help From Our Friends
One of the biggest reasons why so many people struggle to keep off weight is because they feel unmotivated to work out. That’s why you need to make it fun and exciting, as this will make you more encouraged to wake up every day and put in the work.
You can try working out with a friend, curating a pumped-up workout playlist, or setting personal goals for yourself so that you can feel major accomplishments when you surpass them. Additionally, it helps to change up your routine every now and then so that your workout doesn’t become stale.
The Gorilla Bow All-Access Membership is the perfect way to keep yourself in check and hold yourself accountable without ever losing interest. With on-demand classes, as well as live fitness instructor courses, you’ll never need to do the same workout twice.
Make Nutrition Your Mission
As much as we wish you could eat everything you want just as long as you put in the work with your fitness routine, the unfortunate reality is that eating right is equally important for weight management. But eating healthy doesn’t mean you need to give up on everything you once enjoyed.
It’s important that your diet is high in things like fruits, fiber, vegetables, protein (especially lean meat), and even carbohydrates (with an emphasis on whole grains). This is especially essential if you work out often, as you need to make sure you’re giving your body the energy it needs.
Managing weight does not mean you should skip meals. If you’re hungry, you should eat something. In fact, skipping breakfast can make you feel immense hunger later in the day, which often leads to eating too much to compensate. With that said, it’s a lot more about what you’re putting into your body than how much you’re putting in your body.
It’s always great to try to replace some less-healthy foods with options that are much better. For example, instead of going for a sugary mixed berry cereal in the morning, go for a mixed berry smoothie with some added protein powder, peanut butter, and greek yogurt. It’s more delicious, more nutritious, and the high protein will be a great muscle-rebuilder after your intense mobility training workout.
Fads are Bad
You’ve seen all of those commercials that claim to offer the secrets to “lose weight fast.” While many of them may actually help you lose weight fast, these are probably fad diets and exercise programs that aren’t proven healthy weight loss options.
Leading a healthy lifestyle that incorporates weight management means engaging in healthy habits in every aspect of your day. If you can create a routine of regular exercise and positive eating, you’ll be much more likely to experience successful weight loss compared to those who lose weight fast.
The reason is that many of the fad diets don’t preach holistic health. They only focus on a single aspect of fat loss without actually helping you to learn habits that will keep the weight off for the future. And for that reason, many people who fall into fad programs will lose weight fast and then regain it again even quicker.
People who lose weight gradually are more successful at keeping the weight off. So don’t become discouraged if you don’t see the results immediately after a week or two. With time and patience, you’ll be surpassing your goals in no time.
Don’t Stress
Stress has a cyclical relationship with weight. Individuals who are overweight often feel a large amount of stress regarding their body image or health. And feeling stressed can contribute to a higher risk of overeating, frequent drinking, or other coping mechanisms.
By trying to decrease your stress, you can positively impact your physical and mental health. Be sure to end your day with a relaxing activity like reading a good book, watching a favorite TV show, or hanging out with some friends. Not to mention, exercising is a great stress reliever as well.
Don’t Weight Any Longer
Losing weight is hard, and keeping it off might be even harder. But by just making a few lifestyle changes, you can reach your goals and achieve physical health in no time.
Exercising is undoubtedly important, and you can help yourself stick to a routine by working out with a friend or setting personal goals. Also, eating a balanced diet can have equally profound effects on managing your weight.
On top of that, avoiding fad diets and reducing your stress can help you manage your weight, mood, and overall well-being and excellence. If you put in a little work, all of the pieces will fall into place.
Sources:
Health Risks Obesity Prevention | Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
Counting calories: Get back to weight-loss basics | The Mayo Clinic
Healthy Eating: Recognizing Your Hunger Signals | University of Michigan
Losing Weight | Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and Physical Activity | CDC
Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress | The Mayo Clinic
Body mass index (BMI): Is the formula flawed? | Medical News Today
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