3 Tips You Need to Fight Obesity by Focusing on Wellness Activities
If you struggle with your weight, you know that it is a seemingly impossible battle. Fad diets, conflicting information from experts, busy schedules, and waning motivation are just a few of the hurdles standing in your path to losing weight. Now that the focus is shifting from dieting to living a healthy lifestyle centered on wellness-focused activities, you may find it easier to win the battle against obesity once and for all.
1. Make Working Out Fun
If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, it is difficult to break your habits and exercise regularly. If you avoid working out because you don’t want to join a gym, you are not alone. Fortunately, you can start moving more and begin looking forward to working out if you find a workout routine that is enjoyable.
One way to begin is to go walking with a friend. You’ll feel less like you’re working out and more like you’re getting time to catch up when you turn your walk into an hour of talking and laughing. It’s also better to work out with someone who will help you stay accountable. This accountability partner should be someone you trust and enjoy spending time with; choose someone who will not judge you while keeping you on track.
Another way to find an enjoyable workout routine is to try out various YouTube exercise videos. With a quick search, you can find free workout routines for beginners. You also can search by the type of exercise you think you’d like to do, from yoga to indoor walking. If you want to skip the search, check out this list of best YouTube workout videos from Thrillist.
You also can schedule times to do online workouts with your accountability partner – consider video chatting during the workout to motivate one another. The best part about using online workout videos – other than saving tons of money on a gym membership – is that you can try out as many as you’d like until you find the one that you enjoy the most.
2. Get Plenty of Rest
It seems counter intuitive to think of resting when you’re trying to lead a healthy lifestyle, but getting plenty of sleep is a key component of wellness. Sleep and rest help you learn, process memories, restore your energy, and repair muscles. Strive to get seven to eight hours of sleep per night and take steps to improve the quality of your sleep.
Wind down before bedtime instead of exercising right before bed. Also, put away your electronics about an hour before you hit the sheets. Dim bedroom lights and declutter so that you can relax and drift off to sleep more quickly.
3. Eat a Balanced Diet
The only diet you should think about when fighting obesity is a balanced one. Take a new approach to eating by taking the word “diet” out of your vocabulary. Choose whole foods and grains, water, and lean proteins. Watch your portion sizes and avoid rewarding yourself for working out with food.
Have healthy snacks like almonds, carrot sticks, and celery on hand and fill up by drinking enough water each day. Share healthy recipes with your accountability partner and plan meals together on the weekend so you are set for the week ahead and don’t find yourself at a drive-thru on a busy night.
If you have tried everything to fight obesity but aren’t successful, talk to your doctor about bariatric surgery. This option especially is recommended for people with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40, but people with a lower BMI coupled with health concerns also are eligible. For more information on bariatric surgery click here.
Keep in mind that bariatric surgery reduces the size of your stomach and physically limits the amount of food you can consume. Patients often see rapid, significant weight loss, but you will need a brief hospital stay and have the potential for long-term vitamin deficiencies if you don’t maintain a proper diet.
You can fight obesity if you focus on wellness activities. Find an enjoyable workout routine, get plenty of rest, and eat a balanced diet. If you continue to struggle, talk to a doctor about bariatric surgery.
