April weight loss challenge is all about losing belly fat in summers. This weight loss challenge is also about managing fatigue, eating right, increasing something called NEAT and breaking the junk cycle. This weight loss challenge will also cover improving productivity and keeping laziness at bay. Also included are some useful tips to plan and manage your everyday life in a more efficient manner
Causes of not losing fat or gaining weight in summers
Constant fatigue
- Constant fatigue not only reduces our productivity but also affects our hormones, mood and stress levels
- How to stay active in summers
- Take good quality and quantity of sleep
- Breath deeply – sitting for long hours affects our breathing pattern which makes it difficult for oxygen to reach our brain
- Practice deep breathing everyday and keep moving after every 40 – 45 minutes
- Poor posture also contributes to belly fay
- Lack of sunlight or vitamin D : don’t spend your entire day indoors
- Due to staying in the AC environment, we don’t realise the dehydration it might cause : make sure you consume sufficient fluids throughout the day
- Constant negativity causes fat build up in the body
- Not taking enough breaks / frequent breaks
- Poor diet / eating habits also leads to fat build up in the body
Lack of NEAT
- Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended for everything we do during the day when we are not sleeping
- It contributes to 10-15 % in weight loss, 70-80 % diet, 30 % activity levels, out of which 15 % is your daily fixed workout ND 10-15 % NEAT
- Walking, staying active by doing house hold chores, taking stairs etc increases NEAT
- Increasing NEAT is only possible if there is no fatigue. Walk for atleast 10,000 steps daily to see the drastic difference in your weight loss journey
- NEAT can be a real game changer in your journey for weight loss
Right diet
- Eating right, at the right time, in the right portion is following the right way
- Five must haves in the diet
- Green juice (wheat grass, barley grass)
- Eat gourd vegetables and food high in water content and fibre
- Don’t ignore protein sprouts salad and beans salad
- Have buttermilk post lunch
- Include other probiotics in your diet
- Enjoy Indian seasonal drinks and avoid fizzy drinks
- Eat small portion size and frequent meals
- Keep a gap of 2-3 hours between meals
- Eat slow, chew properly, sit and eat on the floor if posible and don’t drink water while eating
- Avoid the following in your diet
- Caffeinated drinks
- Ready to eat refined food and drinks
- Alcohol
- Processed food
Break the junk cycle
- Negative feeling gives way to junk eating and eating too much junk leads to negative feelings
- Carry out social media detox daily for 4-5 hours
- Make dumping zone, where anything that crosses your mind should go to a specific physical space
Our mind is meant for storing things, overburdening the mind can lead to feeling worn out and tired