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To lose weight, you have to change your diet.
That doesn't mean restricting calories severely or embarking on a faddy eating plan - you simply need a balanced diet. Our meal plans will help you eat right and lose weight, but before you get started, we explain the reasons why we overeat, how juicing and protein can help boost weight loss and why we should watch our sugar levels. And don't miss our top weight loss tips that could make a big difference to your results!
Apart from being more positive and confident, losing weight will also improve your health significantly. Find out how, and use our list of benefits for motivation ...
A great way to stay motivated to get in shape is to remind yourself of all the reasons it will benefit your life. Many people who lose weight often find their confidence increases, making them feel more open-minded about what they can achieve.
This often means they are more likely to go for a promotion at work or try a new challenge that they wouldn't have thought possible beforehand.
Aside from looking great and feeling more confident about your own abilities - alone good enough reasons already - there's also numerous health benefits that losing weight can bring.
Aside from looking great and feeling more confident about your own abilities - alone good enough reasons already - there's also numerous health benefits that losing weight can bring.
Many of the benefits could extend and vastly improve your quality of life. When you feel like skipping a workout, or reaching for the chocolate tray, here are some more good reasons why you'll want to stay on track ...
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1. Improved energy levels. Regular exercise will increase your energy levels. The more time we spend sitting around doing nothing, the more lethargic we tend to feel. Exercise increases oxygen and blood flow throughout the body, boosting energy.
2. Better quality of sleep. Those who are overweight develop extra tissue that thickens your windpipe wall, narrowing your airway, which can interfere with sleep. The combination of losing weight and regular exercise will lead to better sleep and is also more likely to make you wake up feeling rested and fully prepared for the day ahead.
It can also increase sleep quality. However, if you're someone who currently struggles to get to sleep, then avoid exercising too late in the evening, as this may be counterproductive.
3. Better flexibility and movement. Quite simply, our bodies were made to move. The more we exercise, the more mobile we become and the less risk we have of losing mobility later in life. Think about it: if you have strong legs and arms, you will be more capable of pushing yourself up out of a chair - a movement that uses the legs and arms.
4. Stronger immunity. Exercise boosts your immune system, making your body more resilient to illness and disease.
5. Reduced risk of certain cancers. Regular exercise is thought to reduce your risk of breast and bowel cancer. It can reduce breast cancer risk by around 20 per cent.
6. Reduced blood pressure. Around 30 percent of the UK population has high blood pressure. It's known as the 'silent killer' as it often shows no signs and can increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. Exercise will reduce your blood pressure in the long term if you do it regularly.
7. Reduced risk of heart disease. This is the leading cause of death in the UK and worldwide, with roughly one in ten women dying from coronary heart disease. Regular exercise reduces
your risk.
your risk.
8. Improved cholesterol levels. If you're overweight you are more likely to have high levels of LDL cholesterol, the 'bad' type of cholesterol that circulates through the blood, narrowing the arteries, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Exercise will increase the levels of HDL 'good' cholesterol in the body. HDL cholesterol helps to remove bad cholesterol from artery walls. This therefore reduces heart attack risk.
9. Less risk of osteoarthritis. Often caused by being overweight, osteoarthritis can be painful and debilitating. Even losing a small amount of weight could help those who already have osteoarthritis. Studies show that losing as little as five per cent of your body weight within five months can improve mobility and relieve pain.
10. Reduced risk of back pain. Being overweight puts extra pressure on the spine, which can lead to back problems and pain. Studies show that overweight people are more likely to suffer.
11. Reduced risk of dementia. Dementia currently affects 850,000 people in the UK, with 40,000 of them being young people. Plus an estimated 1 million people in the UK will have it by 2025. Alzheimer's Society recommends regular exercise (along with not smoking and a healthy diet) as one of three key ways to reduce your risk.
12. Reduced risk of osteoporosis. Thought to affect 3 million people in the UK, osteoporosis occurs when the struts that make up the sheath-like structures in bones become thin, causing bones to become fragile and break. Weight bearing exercise such as running or resistance training can improve bone density and reduce your risk.
13. Less likely to be depressed. Mind, the mental health charity, endorses exercise as a way to reduce symptoms of mild depression. Aim for 20 to 50 minutes of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise three to five times per week.