Congratulations on your first step to a healthier you! Healthy weight loss can be exciting and depressing all in one. Let this be your road map—the place to start for the tools and knowledge you will need to take your journey successfully toward a Healthy weight loss.

There can be very many reasons that signal a weight loss journey for people. Maybe you want to enjoy a healthier life and overall well-being. Maybe you need more energy or confidence. Business aside, you—either way—will need to know your “why.” A clear purpose will anchor you to the why during the most challenging moments; it will remind you that you are working for a change, a better one.

Setting Realistic Goals:

It’s hard not to set ambitious goals for instant weight reduction. The key is realistic and attainable goals for sustained success. Shoot for losing between 1 and 2 pounds in a span of a week’s time. This allows you time to adjust to this process, and it makes it easier for binding habits of losing weight to stick.

Before you get started for healthy weight loss, first you have to become aware of your habits and routines. What do you usually eat during the course of a day? Is it low in calories, high, or combination? In everyday life, how active are you? Try keeping a food diary for a week.

Lose weight: This aim is for the process. To implement it in a healthy way, food and exercise should combine healthily. Focus on what actions are long-term sustainable and enjoyable. Look at this as an investment in long-term health and happiness.

Knowing Your Metabolism

Your metabolism is the internal engine of your body. It is the process of converting the food and drink you consume into energy.  When trying to lose weight, it is very vital to understand your metabolism to know how many calories to consume daily in order for healthy weight Loss.

Why it is important

If you really want to lose some weight, you should be assured of creating an overall calorie deficit. This will be the case when you are burning more calories than what you are consuming.  Knowing your BMR provides a benchmark where you can start calculating the daily intake that will enable you to make this deficit.

If you have a good metabolism your body burns fats easily, but if your metabolism is slow, you need more time to burn the calories which means stores the fat in the body.

Tips for healthy weight loss

There are lots of ways to lose weight, from small changes like watching your meals to strict diet plans. 

Now let’s dig into the wider different ways to cut your extra fats.

1. Find out your goal, what is your targeted weight

If you are looking for more than 10 kilos you need to be consistent and if you do it properly it will start to show the result within four weeks.

2. Calorie counting

You can start portion counting without any scale initially.

Nuts: Handful of nuts.

Carbs:Rice portion around your fist or 1 cup or 1 chapati or ½ naan and double the size for men.

Protein: For women, 1 palm size of your hand and for men it’s 2 palm size of your hand. And also 1 cup yogurt or dal.

Vegetables and fruits: Portion size for vegetables are the same as carbs around your clenched fist. Fruits that can fit in your hand are a handful of everything, like small apples, small bananas.

3. Low carb diet

Always choose food that is low in calories and high in fiber.

Non-starchy vegetables: Including Green leafy vegetables, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, eggplants, okra, onion, tomatoes.

Fats and oils: coconut oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, mustard oil, avocado oil, ghee, nuts, seeds, dairy products, legumes.

Protein: paneer, tofu, beans, pulses, eggs, chicken, fish, red meat.

Fiber:Cucumber, millets (in the form of chapati), lettuce,broccoli, green beans,spinach. 

4. High protein diet

Incorporate your meal with 40-50% of protein along with good fats, and 10-30% carbs depending on the body. Before starting the diet it’s always recommended to consult a doctor.

Foods that include; 

• Lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans.
• Tofu, low-fat dairy products.
• Chicken, eggs, and seafood.
• Almonds, peanuts, walnuts, chia seeds, and hemp seeds.

5. Low fat diet

Diet consists of moderate to high portions of carbs, moderate protein  and low fats.

It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, lean meat (chicken), eggs, low-fat dairy products, tofu, and whole grains. Fish is good for a low fat diet.

Limit the fried foods, sweet treats, fatty meat.

Benefits:

• Helps to lower your weight.
• Lower your cholesterol level.
• It helps to reduce the risk of heart disease.

6. The Vegan diet

Vegan food means only plant-based food. People who follow the vegan diet don’t eat animal products including milk, cheese, yogurt. It is a great healthy weight loss option. If you want to follow the vegan diet, it is important to prioritize the unprocessed plant food. Remember that not all plant-based packaged foods are healthy, so try to explore the best choices and choose which suits you.

Vegan food includes;

• Legumes – Chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, pulses, kidney beans, green grams.
• Whole grains – White rice, brown rice, refined pasta, quinoa, barley, oats, millets.
• Vegetables – Leafy greens, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, green peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms.
• Fruits – All types of fruits are good. Try to include berries, avocado in your diet.
• Non-dairy milk – Almond, oats, and coconut milk
• Nuts and seeds
• Vegetable oil

        Vegan food you may want to limit

• Vegan sweetener – Stevia, agave syrup, maple syrup, and date syrup.
• Highly processed vegan food – ice-cream, cheese, cookie, chips, sugary drinks, and sauces may contain lots of added sugar.
• Sugar added dairy-free milk 

Easy and Healthy Weight Loss Recipes

Here are five recipes for healthy weight loss, which are not only easy to prepare but also delicious. 

1. Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

•  1 Bananas
•  ½  cup of milk 
•  ½ cup of greek yogurt

Direction: Blend all together until smooth and creamy.

For optional protein boost add chia seeds or almond butter or peanut butter.

2. Beans Salad

Ingredients:

• Tomato
• Cucumber
• Red bell paper
• Onion
• Boiled chickpeas
• Boiled black beans
• Boiled Kidney beans
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• Cilantro

Direction: Combine all the ingredients and mix it. Ready to eat.

3. Dal-Khichadi

 Ingredients:

•  1 cup moong dal
• 1/2 cup rice
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Salt to taste
• Ghee or oil to cook

Direction:

1. Add ghee/oil in a pressure cooker. After the addition of cumin seeds, add the chopped onion and fry until it is translucent.
2. Add the chopped tomato and fry until it is cooked.
3. Then add the washed moong dal and rice. Stir it for about a minute until everything is mixed well.
4. Add the turmeric, coriander powder, salt, and 3 cups of water.
5. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or until the rice and dal are cooked through.
6. Serve it hot with some raita or salad on the side.

Food options for long-term Success

Not So Boring Bites: 

Brace yourself for those pangs of starvation. You are going to kick those bad snacking buddies to the curb and replace them with good stuff.

• Fruit topped with peanut butter—for that filling fiber and protein
• Fresh crunchy veggies with hummus—when you want to gnaw and get in that fat
• Greek yogurt and berries—the perfect sweet for this protein-packed treat.
• Almonds: Supplies with desired satiating healthy fats and proteins.

Healthy Weight Loss at Home: Sample Diet Plan

Breakfast (∼ 300 calories)

• Scrambled eggs with baby spinach on whole wheat toast
• Berries and a bit of granola with Greek yogurt

Lunch (∼ 400 calories)

• Grilled chicken breast on a bed of side salad (greens and veggies) + side of quinoa, dressed with olive oil and vinegar
• Whole wheat roll with lentil soup

Dinner (∼ 500 calories)

• Salmon baked with lemon and herbs + roasted vegetables
• Fruit with Almond butter
• Vegetables with Hummus
• Greek Yogurt with Fruit
• Almonds

These are just ideas. You can modify the size or the individual items in any meal to fit your individual calorie levels and tastes.

Conclusion

Healthy weight loss is nothing but eating healthy food in the right proportion with specific time intervals. You also have to focus on your daily habits such as;

Intuitive: eat slowly, savor your food. listen to your body’s signals for hunger and when you feel full

No eating with screens: Remember to focus on the food that you eat and stay away from screens while eating.

Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water that will keep you full throughout the day, flush out all the toxins, and will help in digestion.

Be Active: Find ways to have fun with activities like brisk walking, running  or cycling. Do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most, if not all, days of the week.

Get Enough Sleep: You need to get an ample, quality sleep of at least 7 – 8 hours daily. Failure to get enough sleep will definitely hijack your hormones; those that are in control of hunger and metabolism.

Make it a Lifestyle: Not a short-lived ‘yo-yo’, it is, in fact, a habit practice which you could maintain for a lifetime.

Read More on Healthy Weight Loss Ideas

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/weight-loss-recipes/rcs-20077256
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/diet-and-weight-loss
• https://www.eatingwell.com/article/290194/7-day-vegan-meal-plan-1200-calories/