Are you looking to find the best way to lose weight?
Research shows that being overweight or obese leads to a higher risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, among other health conditions.
All of these conditions can cause ED, and when combined with obesity–this significantly increases the likelihood you’ll experience erectile dysfunction. According to Harvard, obesity raises the risk for two major causes of erectile dysfunction, vascular disease and diabetes.
As an erection requires additional blood flow to the penis, vascular health problems caused by weight gain can prevent blood from traveling throughout the body properly, ultimately impacting a man’s ability to gain or keep an erection. In fact, a popular study found that 31% of men who lost 33 lbs on average reported improved erectile function, compared to only 5% of men who did not lose the weight.
While there are no shortcuts to losing weight, there are medical weight loss methods and helpful tips that will help you remove those excess calories and help improve ED issues.
The following are some of the top weight-loss tips backed by science. They will help you lose weight in a healthy, sustainable, and effective way.
Weight Loss Tip #1: Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is the process of eating food deliberately. Most people tend to eat quickly and run to the next activity, but mindful eating encourages you to savor and enjoy your food without the need to rush.
You can use mindful eating to control your portion size and calorie intake. This method has been scientifically provento help people lose weight, specifically those who are considered obese.
How to do it? Here are the general guidelines when participating in mindful eating:
- Sit in a chair at a table to eat.
- Avoid using mobile phones or watching TV.
- Eat slowly. This gives your brain enough time to let you know you’re full.
- Chew slowly, savoring each bite.
- Choose foods with higher nutrient counts that’ll prevent immediate hunger.
According to the research, mindfulness can help you lose weight more effectively when performed together with a proper diet-exercise weight loss plan. By taking time to eat properly, you’ll learn to control your behavior with food and lose weight along the way.
Weight Loss Tip #2: Exercising Properly
Another important factor when trying to lose weight is exercise.
Exercising, whether it be weightlifting, jogging, cycling, swimming, or yoga, all help you lose weight.
A sedentary lifestyle, on the other hand, is not great for you. Not only does it promote weight gain, but it also contributes to a 30% higher chance of getting chronic diseases.
If you find it hard to step outside and break a sweat, you can use digital health trackers or pedometers to give you a much-needed boost. A study showed that frequent activity tracking has a positive association with weight loss.
While going to a gym and hiring a personal trainer is one way to do it, exercising outside in the sun or a personal home gym can be just as effective.
Weight Loss Tip #3: Avoid Eating Sugary Foods
Many studies have linked high sugar intake to obesity.
We get it: it’s hard not to like sugar. Sugar stimulates the reward centers of your brain, which can trick you into thinking that heavily-processed foods like brownies, cookies, and cakes are good for you.
However, healthy eating is always the preferred option if you’re looking to decrease body fat. A bad diet rich in sugar leads to increased glucose production in the body, provoking insulin to produce more fat in our tissues.
The sugar industry has always been accused of encouraging consumers to eat more sugar despite its health risks for diabetes and other issues. Instead of following that pattern, swap sugary snacks and beverages with healthy alternatives instead.
Healthy foods you can consume in place of refined sugar snacks include fruit juice, teas, whole grains, and mineral water. A low-carb diet not only exposes you to fewer calories, but it also promotes weight loss and healthy body weight.
Weight Loss Tip #4: Sleeping Snug at Night
Did you know that sleeping badly can lead to weight gain?
Poor sleep, in general, is associated with obesity and weight gain. The reason for this is that our bodies will have a decreased capacity to convert calories into energy, which may increase the stores of fat in our bodies.
In addition to that, cortisol and insulin production ramp up when you sleep badly, which can increase your risk of weight gain.
If you want to sleep better at night and achieve a healthy weight, here are some common bedroom tips to help you achieve a good night’s sleep:
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine at least 6 hours before bedtime.
- Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool.
- Keep working devices away from your bedroom.
- Take melatonin to help you sleep better.
- Make a bedtime routine to get your body accustomed to sleeping fast.
- Don’t use your bed for any other purpose besides sleep.
Weight Loss Tip #5: Avoid Stressful Situations
Stress ramps up the production of cortisol in the body. This can increase your appetite and cause cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods like doughnuts, ice cream, and pizza.
Cortisol increases the amount of insulin produced in the body, which signals your body to seek ways to refuel, usually with carbohydrates. This can lead to increased cravings for junk and processed foods.
The more cortisol you produce, the higher your cholesterol and blood pressure levels will be, which can contribute to high blood sugar levels, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, and other health issues.
Research proves that actively fighting stress through a stress and weight management program helps drastically reduce the BMI of overweight children.
Helpful methods to manage stress include:
- Breathing exercises
- Taking walks around the park or block
- Meditation
- Yoga and tai chi
Weight Loss Tip #6: Focus on your Behavior, Not the Numbers
Many people fail to achieve steady weight loss because they look at the mirror and feel like nothing’s happening.
Instead of focusing on the numbers on the scale, it’s more productive to focus on setting your behavior to meet the lifestyle you want to achieve.
For example, if you want to lose weight in 2 weeks, focus on making small changes like substituting soda for water and taking the stairs instead of going for the elevator.
You don’t have to look at the scale multiple times a day to denote your progress.
Losing weight is all about the mindset. A small decrease would mean nothing if you don’t plan on continuing the habits to live a healthy lifestyle.
Takeaways for Losing Weight
Losing weight is a struggle many of us face. In fact, nearly half of all adult Americans have tried to lose weight at some point in their lives.
What separates the winners from the failures is that the winners understand that the process of losing weight isn’t a one-off act. It’s a lifestyle change that needs your 100% commitment.
If you find yourself struggling to reach a healthy weight, consult the medical professionals at Preferred Men’s Medical Center in Ft. Lauderdale. Our trained staff can provide a medical weight loss program and a customized healthy living program to best support your overall health. We will tailor the plan to your unique needs, history, and circumstances so you can get the best results possible. Give us a call today to set an appointment with our expert medical staff.
