Weight loss happens through a combination of physiological, biological, and chemical processes that take place inside the body, and as intimidating as it may sound, it all boils down to maintaining a calorie deficit (consuming lesser calories, spending more). A majority of people consider weight loss as a short-time project that involves food deprivation, sweating it out relentlessly in the gym, and cutting out major food groups (including staying away from most veggies and fruits) – all to fit into an old pair of jeans or look leaner for their best friend’s wedding. And a large percentage of people who manage to lose weight find it extremely difficult to sustain their weight loss because they hadn’t employed the right means to shave off extra weight. To maintain goal weight and remain fit for life, it would be prudent to employ strategies for sustainable weight loss. In this post, we list out 12 tricks that would help you remain lean for life.

1. Portion Control: It’s a practice essential not only to lose weight, but to maintain the goal weight as well. Portion control involves being aware of the correct amount of food and serving sizes so that you do not fall out of calorie deficit. So, stop eyeballing food quantity and serving sizes, and measure your food. Follow these “10 Tips on How To Portion Control Food.”
2. Replace Junk Breakfast with Traditional Breakfast Options: There’s no doubt that pouring processed cereals into a bowl of milk and applying jam on white bread quickly gives you instant boost of energy and they are easy breakfast options to make. But come to think of it, these foods fall into the category of “junk”  because they are high in sugar and empty calories, and consuming them on a regular basis, would lead to weight gain. Do we really need to eat desserts and junk food for breakfast? For sustainable weight loss, opt for nutritious breakfast options like poha, idli, dosa, oats, etc., to start the day on a healthy note.
2. Pick Low-Glycemic Foods That Do Not Spike Insulin: Eating foods with high glycemic index (sugar, cookies, pastries, sweets) cause sharp insulin spikes that eventually lead to weight gain as extra calories get stored as fat in the body. Pick foods with low glycemic index (less than 55) to lose weight effectively. Some examples of low GI foods are apple, chickpeas, lentils, soy beans, brown rice, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, onion, radish, spinach, sweet potato, yam, etc.
3. Swap Refined Carbs with Complex Carbs: Not all carbs are bad and there’s no need to cut whole carbs from your diet. Complex carbs that actually help to lose weight by regulating blood sugar levels and keeping you full for longer. What you should be dreading are refined and simple carbs such as white sugar, refined flour, which cause sharp spikes in insulin levels and creation of new fat cells.
4. Include a Protein Source with Each Meal: Protein is absolutely necessary for the smooth functioning of the body. When it comes to weight loss, protein keeps us fuller for longer, builds muscle, keeps metabolism high, and that’s why it’s important to include good amount of protein in each meal. Find out the right source of protein to include to lose weight on the Rati Beauty diet.
5. Quit Added Sugar: Salt is not your enemy, sugar is! Added sugar is something you should absolutely give up, not only to lose weight but to prevent life-threatening diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
6. Make Lifestyle Changes: To lose weight successfully and to sustain that weight loss, one needs to make lifestyle changes. Exercise and healthy eating should be part of one’s lifestyle, not means to get to a certain size, shape or number on the weighing scale. Steer away from unhealthy food, come out of sedentary lifestyle, and be active through the day.
7. Make Exercise a Part of your Routine: Consider working out as a non-negotiable aspect of your life and squeeze in time for exercise at least three to four times a week. Exercise not only helps with weight loss, it also keeps your body and mind healthy.
8. Completely Cut Out Transfat: It’s a toxic ingredient commonly found in many processed food items like cakes, chips, cookies, fast food, etc. Transfat not only increases health risks, it also mobilizes fat from other parts of your body to the belly area! Do read ingredients of packaged foods to eliminate any chances of “transfat” getting into your daily diet.
9. Stop Shopping For Hyperpalatable Foods: These are mostly processed and unhealthy food, high in calories, with unhealthy fat, sugar, and sodium. The flavours in hyperpalatable food trigger the release of endorphins and dopamine, which are also called as the “happy hormones,” pushing you to reach out for such kind of unhealthy food all over again, creating an effect similar to drug addiction. Regular consumption of fast/junk food, all of which come under hyperpalatable foods cause leptin resistance (where the brain does not acknowledge signals from leptin hormone and continues to keep you in a state of hunger), and you would be unable to reach satiety even after eating large quantities of food. High fat, sugar, sodium laced foods activate the pleasure center of the brain, creating sharp insulin spikes, and trigger conversion of excess calories into fat molecules. So, stop shopping for hyperpalatable foods such as brownies, cookies, candies, burgers, pizza, etc.
10. Cut Down Readymade/Takeaway Foods: High in calories, transfat, sugar, high sodium with empty calories, cut down the consumption of readymade/takeaway foods.
11. Sleep for 8 Hours: Sleep deprivation has a direct link to weight gain and it’s one of the main reason why people find it extremely difficult to lose weight. Always maintain a good sleep schedule and get 8 hours of sleep because sleep deprivation can lower metabolism, increase cravings for unhealthy food, and also increase stress hormone cortisol (which is a major reasonf or weight gain). In fact, sleeping for lesser than 7 hours, slows down metabolism and all the extra calories would get stored as fat instead of getting burnt. To lose weight and to maintain weight, do sleep for at least 7 hours each night.
12. Rati Beauty diet not only helps you lose weight, it’s a diet that can be continued for life because it is not based on the concept of food deprivation or severe calorie restriction. You can eat normal, everyday food without starving, and sustain your weight loss.

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