For many women, weight is closely linked to their perception of themselves. In extreme cases, it may even lead to body dysmorphic disorder or eating disorders. Compared to men, women find it harder to lose weight. Men have more muscle, whereas women may have more fat. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, men often seem to lose weight faster than women. Menopause may also make weight management harder for women. And the food cravings caused by premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can destroy all diet plans.

But with a healthy diet and regular exercise, women too can achieve a healthy weight.

Tips for weight management for women

1. Eat a balanced diet:

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is the first step towards weight management.

Try to include more protein in your diet. Food items like Cottage Cheese, Greek Yogurt are rich in protein and keep you feeling full for longer. Cottage Cheese and Greek Yogurt also have Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) which may help in weight loss. You also need to make your diet rich in fiber. Vegetables, fruits, legumes, berries, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are all rich in fiber. And they are packed with various nutrients essential for good health.

Reduce your intake of Refined Carbs. These are commonly found in products like bread, pasta, and other packaged food items. Replace these with whole grain food items like oats, brown rice, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, etc. Avoid processed food as much as possible. Processed food is high in calories, sugar, and sodium, but low in vital nutrients. So limit your intake of processed foods and stick to the natural goodness of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.

Avoid consuming added sugar. Sugar can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. So avoid sweets, candies, sugary drinks.

2. Avoid unhealthy drinks:

You don’t just eat calories. You drink them too. So, just eating healthy is not enough. You need to be careful about what you drink as well. Avoid sugary drinks. Choose fruits over fruit juice. Limit the sugar you put in your tea, coffee, etc.

Drink more water. Water keeps you hydrated. It may also help you calm down a food craving. Drinking water about a half-hour before a meal can help in reducing overeating. This leads to less consumption of calories. And according to a study. drinking 16.9 ounces (500 ml) of water may even increase the number of calories burned by 30% after 30–40 minutes.

3. Practice smart eating habits:

Eating habits matter a lot when you are trying to lose weight. Here are some smart eating habits that can help you in better weight management:

• Note down what you eat: Keeping a journal of what you eat can show you where you are going right or wrong. It can also help you plan your diet and motivate you to stick to it.
• Enjoy what you eat: When you eat food, keep your focus on it. Enjoy the food’s taste, smell, and texture. This will give you the feeling of fullness sooner. It will also make you more careful about what you are eating.
• Snack intelligently: Losing weight does not mean you need to starve yourself. Snacking between the meals might even help you lose weight by preventing food craving and binging later. But choose your snacks smartly. Instead of reaching out for that muffin or that packet of potato chips, reach out for healthier food. Choose fruits, berries, seeds, nuts, Greek Yogurt, etc, which are delicious as well as healthy to eat.
• Stop torturing yourself: Don’t torture yourself with over-strict or fad diets. Don’t fall into the trap of weight-loss pills. All these do more harm than good. A balanced diet and healthy lifestyle choices are what you need to lose weight without getting sick.
• Nibble, don’t gorge: Eating in small bites may also give you the feeling of fullness sooner. And when you are treating yourself to something that you know is unhealthy, nibble on it instead of taking big bites. Chew your food more slowly. Try to chew your food 50 times per bite. If you take a long time finishing one potato wafer, you are less likely to reach out for many more.
• Use smaller plates: If you don’t have enough space on your plate, you’ll put less food on it. This may help reduce your risk of overeating.
• Don’t starve yourself: An adult woman’s diet should contain no less than 800 calories per day. If you consume less than that, you might lose weight fast but might also develop several health issues. That is why it is a good idea to consult a doctor, nurse, dietician, nutritionist before you put yourself on a diet.
• Have a nutritious breakfast: A healthy breakfast that contains plenty of vital nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber can help you lose weight too. Skipping breakfast might lead to binge eating later. Having a nutritious breakfast can make your alert, improve your mood, and give you a feeling of fullness. Include items like oatmeal, Greek Yogurt, seeds, berries, fruits, etc. in your breakfast to begin the day on the right note.

4. Exercise right:

Along with a healthy diet, you also need to do regular exercise.

• Resistance Training: Resistance training is one of the best exercises for weight loss. It will help you build muscle and increase your endurance. It is especially helpful for women over 50 as it can also help in preserving bone mineral density. This resistance training can protect older women against osteoporosis. It also increases the rate of calorie burning while at rest. Resistance training includes exercising like lifting weights, body-weight exercises.
• Cardio: For younger women, Cardio or Aerobic exercise can work well. Cardio exercises increase your heart rate to burn extra calories. Try to include 20 to 40 minutes of cardio every day.
• HIIT: If you can’t exercise every day, you can also try HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). Doing HIIT a few times in a week can help you burn calories, reduce belly fat, and increase weight loss. An intense burst of movement alternating with brief periods of recovery keeps your heart rate elevated and helps in burning calories.
• Yoga: If you are not comfortable with intense exercises, try Yoga. Yoga can prevent weight gain and help you burn fat and calories. And Yoga is also beneficial for reducing stress and anxiety and prevent emotional binge eating.
• Walking: Walking is a moderate intensity exercise that can help in weight loss, strengthen your bones and muscles, boost your immunity, and give you various other health benefits. Being a moderate-intensity exercise, anyone can walk for weight management and good health. Minimum 30 minutes of walking per day is recommended. The advantages of walking go beyond physical fitness. It can even improve your mood and make you feel happier.
• Stay active: Even if you can’t exercise every day, you can still try to adopt a more active lifestyle. Travel short distances by walking instead of driving. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk whenever you have a few minutes free. As per an estimate, non-exercise-related activities may account for 50% of the calories burned in a day.

5. Sleep Well:

Irregular or insufficient sleep may also lead to weight gain. A study by researchers at the University of Colorado found that one week of sleeping about 5 hours in a day caused an average weight gain of 2 pounds in the participants.

Sleep deprivation can cause changes in the hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. It can reduce the hormone Leptin which suppresses hunger and also encourages the body to spend energy. Lack of sleep reduces the brain’s ability to make reasoned decisions. It may also affect your motivation to lose weight. Sleep deprivation may lead to binge eating too. All this may cause weight gain.

So, try to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day. And keep a regular sleep schedule. If you have difficultly falling asleep, consult a doctor.

6. Take Probiotics:

Probiotics are a type of beneficial bacteria. These helpful bacteria can improve your gut health and excretion of fat. Probiotics can also alter hormone levels leading to a reduction in appetite. All of this can help with weight loss. Lactobacillus gasseri probiotic can decrease belly fat and overall weight.

Probiotics can be consumed easily through food or supplements. Probiotics are naturally present in most fermented food. Food items that are rich in probiotics include yogurt, pickles, kefir, kombucha, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, sourdough bread, and some cheeses.

7. Beat the stress and be happy:

Negative moods like stress, anxiety, depression can lead to emotional binge eating. Such negative emotions can also disturb your sleep cycle, demotivate you from your weight loss goals, and may lead you to give up exercise and start eating unhealthy food.

Try to relax by doing things you enjoy. Listening to soothing music, walking in the park, keeping a journal, socializing with friends, taking up a hobby, and other such pleasant activities can help. In short, stay happy. When you are happy, you are more likely to stick with your resolve to losing weight.

And when you set your weight management goals, be realistic. Unrealistic goals can lead to disappointment, demotivation, and derail you from your weight loss plans.

Weight management can be a hard battle for women. But it can be won. With proper modifications in your diet and lifestyle, you too can achieve a healthy weight.

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Healthy habits may add a decade to your life. Here’s how.

If you want to live healthier and longer, take care of the five crucial health factors. These are:

1. Healthy Diet: 

A healthy diet is a key factor in maintaining better health. It can protect you against many chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, even some cancers. Proper diet is also important for better immunity.

A good quality diet is rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and low in salt, sugars, saturated & trans-fats. A healthy diet includes staples like cereals, fruits, vegetables, starchy tubers or roots, and animal products like meat, fish, eggs, and milk. Try to eat fruits and vegetables of all colors. And reduce your intake of salt, sugars, and unhealthy fats. It is also important to observe proper meal times. Erratic eating habits and long gaps between meals can also adversely affect health.

2. Regular Exercise:

Only proper diet isn’t enough to maintain good health. You need regular exercise too. An active lifestyle can save you from many diseases like Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular problems, etc. Regular moderate exercise like walking for at least 30 minutes, five days a week can help you feel healthier and happier.

Exercise helps in managing healthy body weight, lowers blood cholesterol, and reduces the risk of a heart attack. It can also reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes and may even save you from some cancers. Regular exercise also helps in managing blood pressure. It reduces the risk of Osteoporosis and is essential for maintaining strong bones, muscles, and joints.

When you stay active, you have better immunity. This can help in quicker recovery from injuries and diseases. Exercise also ensures better sleep and improves mood, making you feel happier and more relaxed.

3. Maintain a Healthy Body Mass Index:

Obesity is not just uncomfortable, it can lead to many serious health issues. Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, some forms of cancer, anemia, infertility, etc. Your weight can also put too much strain on your back and joints, reduce immunity, and increase the risk of osteoporosis. So, maintaining a healthy body weight is essential for good health. Better Body Mass Index helps in managing non-insulin-dependent diabetes, increases energy levels, improves your self-esteem and makes you feel better.

So, try to maintain a healthy BMI. A balanced diet and regular exercise can help you achieve it.

Tip: How to calculate your BMI?

Use this simple formula: BMI = kg/m2 where kg is a person’s weight in kilograms and m2 is their height in meters squared.

Healthy BMI range for adults (18-65 years) is 18.5 to 24.9.

4. Proper Sleep:

Good sleep is essential for better health. Sleep deprivation or sleep deficiency can impact your health, mood, and performance. Sleep helps in maintaining healthy brain functions and better overall physical health. It also supports growth and development in children and teenagers.

Lack of sleep makes you more vulnerable to heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. It also increases the risk of accidents, putting you and others around you at risk. If you don’t take enough sleep, it will also affect your mood.

So, no matter how busy you are, take enough sleep. 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day is enough for most adults. Children need more sleep than adults. Make sure your sleep time is tuned to your body clock. A regular sleep schedule and quiet time before sleeping helps in better sleep. Avoid heavy meals or heavy exercise before sleeping. Try to keep your bedroom quiet and clutter-free. Don’t stare at your smartphone or computer for long duration before sleeping. Remember, sleep is not only essential for rest, it is important for better health too.

5. Positive Outlook:

People are often told to be positive. A positive outlook is essential for a happy life. Now it has been proved that positivity and optimism can also help you live a healthier life. Our thoughts and feelings can impact our bodily functions. Thinking negatively all the time can affect your sleep and give you stress and hypertension. It may even lower your immunity. Positive emotions strengthen your immune system, prevent depression, and make you feel happier and healthier. Positivity can save you from hypertension and heart disease and help you achieve better weight control and healthier blood sugar levels. Even when facing serious illness like cancer, positive outlook can help in speedier recovery.

So, maintain a positive outlook, think positive thoughts, and try to focus on the good things in life. It will make you feel happy. It will also help you have a better health.

Healthy lifestyle habits can give you longer and healthier life. Better life choices can give you better health. Avoid things that can hurt your health like smoking or excessive drinking. Maintain an active lifestyle and good weight. Remember that a healthy lifestyle with regular physical exercise, a well-balanced diet, proper hydration, and sufficient sleep can do wonders for your physical and mental health. Just a little care and you can easily add a decade to your life.

The post Want to live a longer and healthier life? Adopt these 5 healthy habits. appeared first on WellnessHub Nourishing Your Mind, Body, and Soul.