Weight Loss Program You Can Follow At Home

by Anand Thakkar, MD. ~

Many of us want to lose weight. But relatively few of us know how to go about it effectively. You want to follow a weight loss program in the privacy of your home, but do not know where to start. We have got you covered. Below is an easy to follow weight loss program.

For the first few weeks on a new diet, progress comes thick and fast. But then, after a while, it begins to taper off. And, eventually, our weight plateaus or we gain it all back again. The key to successful weight loss is sustainability. It isn’t just about cutting calories or doing more exercise. It’s also about setting up your environment for success and getting your mindset right.

If you are looking to lose weight at home, then this guide is for you. In it, you’ll learn strategies that work in both the short and long-term. And you’ll find out how you can keep off the excess pounds for good.

Step 1: Get Your Mind Right

Before beginning any weight loss program, it is critical to get your mind in the right place.

Many people approach losing weight in an all-or-nothing fashion. It’s the idea that you have to “go big or go home.”

But research suggests that this kind of do-or-die approach isn’t beneficial. That’s because it can put you in a kind of thinking trap. For instance, if you miss a workout, you assume you don’t have the “strength” to achieve weight loss. You view yourself as a failure and fall off the bandwagon entirely, going back to your old routine.

A better approach is to simply “lean in” to your weight loss program. Try seeing it as an experiment – something you’re trying out. If you miss a gym class or eat a donut, no big deal. Just get back with the program the next day and carry on.

Research also shows that weight loss is something that you have to want for you, not somebody else. When it is something you are doing for another person you won’t be as motivated to follow through. So just following a diet because your doctor says so may not help you.

Step 2: Choose A Diet Plan

The next step is to choose a diet plan for you that you can follow at home. Which you choose depends very much on the foods you like to eat.

There are several diets touted for weight loss.

Low calorie diets keep the composition of the diet the same but lower calories. So when you go on one of these diets, you simply eat smaller amounts. These diets sound easy in principle, but lowering calories long-term is challenging for most people.

The second approach is to cut carbs. These diets reduce intake of breads, pastas, potatoes and refined sugars. Low-carb diets tend to produce rapid weight loss. However, you will need to eat high-fat food all the time which you may find unpalatable.

Another approach is the classic “low fat” approach. These cut out fatty products, like full fat milk and butter, and replace them with low-fat alternatives. However, weight loss may not be as high as on some other popular diets.

Perhaps the best diet for weight loss is the whole food, plant-based diet. Here, you eat mainly plant foods in their unprocessed form.

There are two benefits to this approach.

1. Being able to eat until you are satisfied
2. No need to actively count calories

Here are some examples of what you might eat on this diet:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with flax seed and berries
• Lunch: Salad with hummus and whole grain bread
• Dinner: Lentil stew with celery, carrot and onion
• Snack: Apple, pear, orange

When you eat sufficient bulk and fiber, the body tends to regulate calorie intake automatically.

Step 3: Start Exercising

While diet is important, you can accelerate progress with exercise. But what exercises can you do at home that are effective?

Pushups

Pushups are a potent exercise that engages all of the major muscle groups in the upper body and the core.

To perform a pushup:

1. Start in the plank position.
2. Bend your elbows outwardly, allowing your chest to move towards the floor in a controlled manner
3. Push back up again until you are back in the plank position, completing as many repetitions as you can.

If you can’t complete a full push up, you can always drop down to your knees.

Squats

Bodyweight squats are another great move that you can do at home without the need for any equipment.

1. Begin in a standing position with your hands to prayer position in front of your chest.
2. Now begin to bend at the hips, as though you were about to sit in an invisible chair.
3. Keep going down until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
4. Engage the glutes and push up through your heels to return you to standing position.

If you are in good health, you should be able to complete between 10 and 20 repetitions.

Burpees

If you are looking for an exercise that taxes your strength and cardiovascular system, you can also try burpees. What’s great about this movement is that it is a high-intensity exercise and excellent for fat loss.

1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart
2. Then squat down as low as you can go and put your hands on the floor in front of you.
3. Lean into your hands and kick your legs out behind you so that you are in plank position
4. Use your abs to bring your feet back underneath you, bending at the knee.
5. Jump back up in the air and repeat as many times as you can. (20 times is a good place to start).

Weight Loss At Home Tips

Here are some general tips for losing weight at home:

• Go grocery shopping on a full stomach
• Mix up your eating plan to keep it interesting: don’t eat the same foods every day
• Remember that slow and steady wins the race. Losing weight too fast can take its toll on your mind and body
• Use tools to track your progress. Weight loss apps can help.
• Be mindful when eating. Try to avoid eating while doing something else, like driving, walking or watching the TV.
• Find ways to deal with your emotional eating. If you feel down, have a hot bath or try yoga instead.

About The Author

Dr. Anand Thakkar is a licensed Internal Medicine physician. He is Board Certified in Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine. He has been a member of the teaching faculty for students at Chicago Medical School and has been featured on ABC, FOX, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, and Forbes as a recognized authority in wellness, fitness & nutrition, weight loss, anti-aging, hormones & metabolic medicine, holistic medicine, lifestyle coaching and women’s & men’s health. His mission is to help people become the healthiest versions of themselves using movement, nutrition, and a whole-body approach to medical care. If you would like him and his team to help you take steps towards a healthier lifestyle, contact Chicago Weight Loss Clinic to see what resources are available to you and schedule a free consultation. Find a location nearest to you.

This blog is for informational purposes only. Do not make any major changes to your lifestyle, diet, or exercise without the supervision of a licensed medical professional.