Just when we think of ‘weight loss’, all we can think of is a tedious uphill climb, isn’t it?
Look at anyone’s New Year resolution list, and weight loss would probably be right on top! But, following a strict regime with respect to diet and exercise and to sustain it requires serious determination and efforts. Take alone the task of following a diet buying, cooking, packing those calories restricted, exactly measured meals is a mammoth of a task. For those of us who are working, it’s even harder to do while running against the clock the whole day. in the morning, or coming home late from work with no energy left to cook. It’s especially hard when you have to also cook for the whole family, and they are not dieting with you. All of this leads to you giving up eventually. Eventually – you may give it up altogether.
If this sounds similar to your weight loss journey, read on further.
Before we move ahead, let’s understand what are the factors that can negatively impact your weight loss journey
Less Physical Activity
Modern transportation and other conveniences like food delivery and online shopping has made our life easy but also our bodies lethargic and yes, lazy. All these conveniences have led to an increase in energy intake and a decrease in energy expenditure.
Not Sleeping Enough
Did you know? Poor sleep is one of the culprits that make you obese. Good sleep can have a very good effect on your waistline. Inadequate sleep affects the hormones and also alters the hunger hormones.
Not Drinking Enough Water
Drinking water will boost your metabolism by around 24-30% over a period of 1-1.5 hours and help you burn calories faster. A study has shown that drinking half a liter of water 30 minutes before your meal will help you eat fewer calories.
Stress
During stress situations, cortisol levels increase and blood sugar levels rise, as proteins in the body are converted to serve as additional fuel. The unused glucose then ends up being stored as fat once the stress is over, resulting in weight gain.
Age
As you age, your metabolic rate declines gradually. Many studies have confirmed a decline in body weight, changes in body fat, and BMI among the elderly.
Alcohol
Increased consumption of energy from alcohol can certainly promote a positive energy balance and finally the weight gain. How? 1 gram of alcohol provides 7.1 kcal on an average, which is very close to the calories provided by the same amount of fat (9kcal/g)
And above all, Skewed Eating Habits
An old English proverb rightly says, “Don’t dig your grave with your own knife and fork.”
Food intake and physical activity go hand in hand. Energy intake should be matched with energy expenditure. Increased energy consumption and decreased energy expenditure can lead to positive energy balance and weight gain.
How to lose weight effectively and sustainably?
To help lose weight effectively, a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day is effective for a healthy and sustainable weight loss. This could be achieved by a balanced diet and well-planned physical exercises. Depending upon your calorie intake throughout the day, a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity is a must. Talking about diet, one important thing is to improve on your protein intake. A protein-rich diet helps in increasing metabolism, which assists in calorie burning and is great to control appetite. Adding a quality whey protein supplement in the diet is an easy and effective way of increasing your protein intake
Meal replacement for weight loss
What if we get a magic formula that is easy to make and can be had anywhere, anytime instead of a full meal? A good meal replacement may be just what you are looking for?
They are designed to control your portion size and to provide the nutrition of a full meal within a well-defined number of calories
With controlled calories and high-quality whey protein per serving, it can help you with natural weight loss. This is not all; soluble fibers present in the meal replacers can work on your stubborn, jiggling belly fat too.
A meal replacer with essential nutrients and whey protein also prevents the risk of fat deposition and obesity, which can happen due to a deficiency of certain micronutrients.
Role of Whey Protein for Weight Loss
Whey Protein regulates several hormonal processes
A good intake of whey protein can increase your appetite-reducing hormones GLP-1, peptide YY, and cholecystokinin while reducing your levels of hunger hormone– ghrelin, which helps in suppressing appetite.
Whey Proteins have a higher thermic effect
The thermic effect of food refers to the number of calories needed by your body to digest, absorb, and process the nutrients in your meals. Whey Protein increases your metabolism by making your body use more energy to digest them.
Whey Protein burns calories faster
Since protein affects the thermic effect and regulates hormonal processes; it can improve metabolism. This can help
support calorie burning effectively.
Whey Protein Suppresses Appetite
Whey Protein has some potent appetite suppressing powers. According to the studies, whey tends to more effective than other protein sources.
———————————————————————————————————————————
Now that we have understood the importance of a quality protein in the weight loss journey, it is important to choose the right supplement, to boost our efforts multifold.
Choose a meal replacement with high-quality whey protein, with no added sugar, which is fortified with soluble fiber and all the vital minerals and vitamins, to give you complete nutrition, so you don’t miss on essential nutrients while losing weight. Give GNC’s Total Lean Shake 25 a try, which comes in 3 delicious flavors.
One thing that you must keep in mind is that when you are cutting down on calories, your metabolism can be affected. Your body is bound to implement its defense mechanism and go into ‘energy-saving’ mode. Hence, a good thermogenic supplement will give your metabolism that much-needed kick
Finally, know that the weight loss journey isn’t an overnight process but your diligent efforts, right food & exercise regime will help you get there.
