Recently, a young lady asked me how she could lose 10kg in a month. I told her that it was unhealthy to lose 10kg in a month. Losing 1kg a week is hard not to talk of 2. 5kg. That’s overworking your body.
Losing 10kg a month is very tough. You would have to work your ass off exercising and do extreme dieting to achieve that. Even if you are able to do that, you will gain all the weight back because you denied yourself so many things during that one month period.
The best thing you can do for yourself if you are trying to lose weight is set realistic weight loss goals and give yourself time to achieve them. You can lose 5kg in a month if you are willing to put in the work and be disciplined to stick to a healthy diet.
You must take your weight loss goals seriously and take things one step at a time. If you joke around, you wont see results. You should also make changes to your diet and lifestyle if you truly want to see changes in your body.
Weight loss occurs first in the kitchen. No matter how hard and how long you work out, if you are not eating the right foods, you are just punishing your body. You must take conscious decisions to change what you eat and the beverages you drink.
Here are 10 safe ways to lose 5kg in a month without overworking yourself:
1. Drink warm water first thing in the morning to cleanse your system and propel bowel movement. You can add some slices of lemon or lime to your warm water but don’t do this daily. Limit it to twice a week because of the acidity of both fruits. Just drink plain warm water to kick start your day and in a month, you will see changes not only in your body but on your skin too.
2. Do more aerobics exercises. Doing aerobic exercise also knowns as cardio is a form of physical activity that increases your heart rate to burn more calories. These exercises also strengthens your heart, lungs and legs. Doing cardio exercises consistently is one of the most effective ways to achieve weight loss. You can go for long walks, jog, run, run on the stairs, skip, cycle or dance. These exercises with a healthy diet will help you lose 5kg in a month.
3. Don’t overlook resistance training. Resistance training is good for you if you want to lose weight fast. Lifting weights helps you build muscle and increases strength. Using gym equipment or performing bodyweight exercises at home are two easy and effective ways to start resistance training and enhance weight loss. This way, you are pushing yourself to achieve more in a little time. These exercises boost your metabolism and make weight loss faster.
4. Cut down on refined carbohydrates. In this part of the world where our foods are mainly white carbohydrates, cutting back on them can be hard but you must limit them in your diet if you want to lose weight. Cutting down on carbs is a simple way to improve the quality of your diet. Refined carbs have been stripped of their nutrients and fiber content during processing so you are basically eating chaff. They are high in calories, low in nutrients, spikes blood sugar and increases hunger pangs. Stay away from white carbs and refined carbs if you want to lose 5kg in a month.
5. Embrace intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting means cycling between periods of eating and fasting, with fasts typically lasting 16–24 hours. Doing this can reduce the amount you eat by limiting the time frame in which food is consumed and enhance weight loss.
6. Drink water. Water is your best friend if you want to lose weight. In addition to eating right, choosing better beverages is another simple way to melt those extra weight you have been carrying about. Avoid soda, fizzy drinks, artificial fruit juices and energy drinks. These drinks are loaded with sugar and are not healthy for you. You can add fruits to your water for different flavour and drink throughout the day. Water helps keep you full, reduce your calorie consumption and promote weight loss.
7. Count your calories. You must be deliberate about how much calories you consume in a day if you want weight loss to happen. You need to lose more calories than you consume. You can do this by either decreasing your calorie intake or increasing your daily physical activity. Counting calories keeps you accountable and increases awareness of how your diet impacts your weight loss journey. You can’t be consuming more than you burn during exercises and expect weight loss to happen. This thing is not magic, what you give is what you get.
8. Eat high protein foods. Eating a high protein breakfast is a great way to start your day and stay on track on your weight loss journey. When you increase your protein intake, you will lose weight because high protein foods reduces your appetite and cuts down on the calories you consume all day. Eggs, yogurt, oats, white meat, fish, high protein shakes should be your best friends if you want to lose weight. This is how to lose 5kg in a month through exercise and diet.
9. Eat your vegetables. Vegetables are nutrient dense. They supply your body with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber for low calories. If you cannot afford spinach, kale, celery, leek, parsley and lettuce, go for our local ugu and green vegetables, and reap the benefits. Eating vegetables is linked to increased weight loss and a lower risk of obesity. They also decrease your daily calorie intake which in turn aids weight loss.
10. Sleep well. You cannot lose weight if you don’t sleep well. Setting a regular sleep schedule and sticking to it is another important way to live a healthy life especially if you want to lose 5kg in a month. Minimize distractions during bedtime, sleep in a dark room, avoid television, computers, phones before bed. Try to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Enjoying a good night rest will help you reach your weight loss goals. You should know that sleep deprivation can increase hunger which can mess up your plans to lose weight.
In addition to the points above, move around more during the day if you want to lose 5kg in a month. Using the stairs during the day, walking around the house, stretching and walking while on the phone or when watching your favorite programme on television can improve calorie burn and aid weight loss.