So if you guys have followed my recent posts the past few months, I have successfully lost a lot of weight and my 8 years of depression, anxiety , fatigue is pretty much gone. It was a combination of weight lifting (which releases endorphins). boxing training, meditating, supplements like vitamind d, b fish oil, magnesium and many more.
But for this post I will focus on fat loss, which I think can be a massive factor in alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety. As you lose weight you become more confident, feel more accomplished, feel more motivated, feel less tired, and your sleep will improve.
Here is a draft of what I would like to include in my future youtube channel, which will be aimed around encouraging people to exercise to improve their mental health, as well as strength training, power lifting, fitness etc. Every video would include photos, videos and a random mental health tip towards the end.
Feedback would be appreciated
Draft
Weight loss tips and strategies you can use to burn fat and be the fittest and healthiest version of yourself
Why is weight loss so hard
Many people are overweight due to factors that could be mostly out of their control, such as being raised and fed unhealthy foods and adopting bad food habits at a young age, thyroid problems, genetics, joint pain, arthritis etc which can make physical activity hard. Regardless of whether or not being overweight is from something in their control or not, it is always better to show them encouragement and support rather than belittle or insult them.
-Losing weight is hard. Obesity rates is increasing every year, and billion dollar fast food companies are making more money than ever. Junk food provides our brains with a pleasurable instant dopamine hit. A lot of people, especially those who suffer from depression, rely on junk food and the instant pleasure to hide and push away the pain they feel.
When we eat junk foods the reward circuits within our brains activate and release the chemical dopamine. Our brains can become overwhelmed by the pleasure from these rewarding foods and in response, the brain adapts and makes more receptors for dopamine. Prices of healthy foods are skyrocketing while junk/fast food is dirt cheap and more easily accessible than ever. And let’s be honest, if broccoli and chicken had the same nutritional value as a pizza or burger. Who would honestly eat the chicken and broccoli? Junk food in general tastes better than healthy food.
Tip 1 – Eat fewer calories. Ideally, you should eat approximately 500-1000 calories below your maintenance level. If you eat more calories than you burn, it would not matter how much you have exercised, you will still gain weight.
Tip 2 – Do heavy weight lifting. Muscles burn more calories than fat. AS you regularly perform strength training and build muscle, you will burn more calories even by resting, compared to if you have high body fat. By lifting weights regularly, your body will effectively turn into a calorie burning machine.
Tip 3 – Consume 4-6 smaller meals a day rather than 2-3 large meals a day. Do not skip breakfast. Eating smaller portioned meals throughout the day boosts your metabolism and if those smaller spread out meals are rich in nutrients, you will feel fuller, less hungry and your body will be leaner in no time.
Tip 4 – Use of fat burners
Fat burners are very effective for those who are looking to lose stubborn fat. Why are they effective, well because some fat burners are also pre workouts, so they also enhance focus, mood and increase energy. When looking for a fat burner, look for key ingredients such as green tea and L-carnitine, as these ingredients play a key role to convert fat into energy. Green tea extract helps boost metabolism. Some good pre workouts include Oxyshred, hydroxycut hardcore, Fireball and burn Xt.
Tip 5 – do cardio exercises
Cardiovascular exercises are a great way to burn calories. It is especially effective for those who struggle with over eating, because cardio can burn off the extra food you eat. If you get bored of doing the same cardio exercise, you can switch it up and try different cardio exercises, such as skipping, step ups, bike riding, heavy bag training, walking, running etc. If you find it too dull and boring, you can go with a friend or hire a trainer.
Other useful tips include getting proper sleep, drinking lots of water before meals, chewing your food slowly, trying keto and low carb diets, removing junk food and temptations around the house.
Finally, exercise also helps to promote cell growth. This is beneficial for your skin because it helps to replace old and damaged skin cells with new, healthy ones. As a result, regular exercise can help improve your skin's overall appearance and texture.
Mental health tip – replace/reframe negative thoughts with more positive or neutral ones
Negative thoughts can wreak havoc on your life, exacerbating symptoms of mental health illnesses such as depression, anxiety stress and low self-esteem. A common mistake people make when dealing with negative thoughts is that they try to shut off the thoughts and push it away, this will only make it worse.
A more effective, realistic way to reframe or deal with negative thoughts is to replace them with a more positive or neutral thought. An example of reframing a negative thought is, instead of saying “this workout is too intense and painful, I can’t do it” to “I can do this. I will feel accomplished and proud of myself when I complete this challenging workout”
Reframing and replacing negative thoughts is very crucial, as negative thought patterns can reinforce bad habits such as catastrophizing (assuming the worst possible outcome), self-doubt and making automatic negative assumptions.
But for this post I will focus on fat loss, which I think can be a massive factor in alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety. As you lose weight you become more confident, feel more accomplished, feel more motivated, feel less tired, and your sleep will improve.
Here is a draft of what I would like to include in my future youtube channel, which will be aimed around encouraging people to exercise to improve their mental health, as well as strength training, power lifting, fitness etc. Every video would include photos, videos and a random mental health tip towards the end.
Feedback would be appreciated
Draft
Weight loss tips and strategies you can use to burn fat and be the fittest and healthiest version of yourself
Why is weight loss so hard
Many people are overweight due to factors that could be mostly out of their control, such as being raised and fed unhealthy foods and adopting bad food habits at a young age, thyroid problems, genetics, joint pain, arthritis etc which can make physical activity hard. Regardless of whether or not being overweight is from something in their control or not, it is always better to show them encouragement and support rather than belittle or insult them.
-Losing weight is hard. Obesity rates is increasing every year, and billion dollar fast food companies are making more money than ever. Junk food provides our brains with a pleasurable instant dopamine hit. A lot of people, especially those who suffer from depression, rely on junk food and the instant pleasure to hide and push away the pain they feel.
When we eat junk foods the reward circuits within our brains activate and release the chemical dopamine. Our brains can become overwhelmed by the pleasure from these rewarding foods and in response, the brain adapts and makes more receptors for dopamine. Prices of healthy foods are skyrocketing while junk/fast food is dirt cheap and more easily accessible than ever. And let’s be honest, if broccoli and chicken had the same nutritional value as a pizza or burger. Who would honestly eat the chicken and broccoli? Junk food in general tastes better than healthy food.
Tip 1 – Eat fewer calories. Ideally, you should eat approximately 500-1000 calories below your maintenance level. If you eat more calories than you burn, it would not matter how much you have exercised, you will still gain weight.
Tip 2 – Do heavy weight lifting. Muscles burn more calories than fat. AS you regularly perform strength training and build muscle, you will burn more calories even by resting, compared to if you have high body fat. By lifting weights regularly, your body will effectively turn into a calorie burning machine.
Tip 3 – Consume 4-6 smaller meals a day rather than 2-3 large meals a day. Do not skip breakfast. Eating smaller portioned meals throughout the day boosts your metabolism and if those smaller spread out meals are rich in nutrients, you will feel fuller, less hungry and your body will be leaner in no time.
Tip 4 – Use of fat burners
Fat burners are very effective for those who are looking to lose stubborn fat. Why are they effective, well because some fat burners are also pre workouts, so they also enhance focus, mood and increase energy. When looking for a fat burner, look for key ingredients such as green tea and L-carnitine, as these ingredients play a key role to convert fat into energy. Green tea extract helps boost metabolism. Some good pre workouts include Oxyshred, hydroxycut hardcore, Fireball and burn Xt.
Tip 5 – do cardio exercises
Cardiovascular exercises are a great way to burn calories. It is especially effective for those who struggle with over eating, because cardio can burn off the extra food you eat. If you get bored of doing the same cardio exercise, you can switch it up and try different cardio exercises, such as skipping, step ups, bike riding, heavy bag training, walking, running etc. If you find it too dull and boring, you can go with a friend or hire a trainer.
Other useful tips include getting proper sleep, drinking lots of water before meals, chewing your food slowly, trying keto and low carb diets, removing junk food and temptations around the house.
Finally, exercise also helps to promote cell growth. This is beneficial for your skin because it helps to replace old and damaged skin cells with new, healthy ones. As a result, regular exercise can help improve your skin's overall appearance and texture.
Mental health tip – replace/reframe negative thoughts with more positive or neutral ones
Negative thoughts can wreak havoc on your life, exacerbating symptoms of mental health illnesses such as depression, anxiety stress and low self-esteem. A common mistake people make when dealing with negative thoughts is that they try to shut off the thoughts and push it away, this will only make it worse.
A more effective, realistic way to reframe or deal with negative thoughts is to replace them with a more positive or neutral thought. An example of reframing a negative thought is, instead of saying “this workout is too intense and painful, I can’t do it” to “I can do this. I will feel accomplished and proud of myself when I complete this challenging workout”
Reframing and replacing negative thoughts is very crucial, as negative thought patterns can reinforce bad habits such as catastrophizing (assuming the worst possible outcome), self-doubt and making automatic negative assumptions.
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