Introduction
You’ve asked the question “How to lose weight in 4 months?” The answer you’ll find below is not a traditional dieting fix. Traditional diets leave you feeling deprived, and hungry and ultimately fail. You know this because you’ve probably tried dieting the traditional way. What you’re going to read below is a more holistic method of losing weight that does not involve starving yourself. Better yet, it works! The approach below is based on three principles:
- Developing a new mindset
- Making new food choices
- Creating a new lifestyle around steps 1 and 2.
If you’re ready then let’s get started.
Developing a New Mindset
Most people just jump into a diet by focusing on calorie restriction. However, developing a new mindset is the first step in any weight loss journey.
The first change to your mindset is that you are going to have to change your eating habits. Your current eating habits got you to where you are today. Continuing to eat the same way will keep you where you are.
The second step is understanding that this is a long-term lifestyle change. To do otherwise is to create another cycle of yo-yo dieting.
And third, you absolutely must develop the mindset that you can and will be successful. Believe in yourself! Believe that you can do this!
Now let’s talk about some of the challenges that you might face as we explore the topic of how to lose weight in 4 months.
Emotional Eating
Emotional eating refers to consuming food as a means of coping with emotions, rather than in response to hunger. Here are some of the common feelings that cause people to emotionally eat.
Boredom can also lead to mindless eating. We’ve all done this, mindlessly snacking while watching TV. If the show was engaging, you wouldn’t be snacking. You’d be glued to the TV screen. If you catch yourself doing this, either find something more interesting on TV or switch to drinking a glass of water. An unusual way around this is to change where you’re seated. You may have unconsciously anchored a particular seating position with eating. Changing where you sit may break the eating pattern.
Stress creates a flight or fight response in the body. This can lead to an increased appetite so that the body has enough energy to run from a tiger. However, because you’re probably not running from a tiger, the increased energy (glucose) can lead to weight gain. Try adding stress-reduction techniques like meditation, deep breathing exercises, or even a short walk to your daily activities.
Eating can sometimes provide temporary comfort during periods of sadness or loneliness. Eating helps in these situations because it increases the sugar in your body, increasing dopamine, serotonin, and endorphin levels. There are the “feel good” hormones. However, while you feel good for the moment, when the sugar crash comes, the same feelings of sadness or loneliness return. Instead of eating, reach out to friends, or family Or, you might try activities that help uplift your mood, such as physical exercise or engaging in creative pursuits.
Employing visualization techniques
Visualization is a tool that can help reshape your mindset. Use it as a reinforcement of your weight loss goals. Visualize yourself at your desired weight, feeling confident and healthy. Imagine the positive changes that you will have after reaching your goal. This might include such things as increased energy levels, improved mood, and the ability to participate in activities you previously avoided.
For example, imagine yourself fitting comfortably into your favorite pair of jeans and looking amazing. Imagine the compliments you get from your friends as they see you at your new weight. Imagine their approving looks and the compliments you’ll hear them saying. Above all, imagine how fantastic you’ll feel having achieved your goal..
Setting realistic, achievable goals
Finally, with regard to your mindset, set realistic and achievable goals. After the initial water weight loss that most people experience, the target should be 1-2 pounds per week. Losing more than that can be unhealthy. Being unrealistic in your weight loss goal will lead to frustration. Frustration then leads to despair. And despair turns into failure as you give up.
Remember, you didn’t become overweight in a day so don’t expect to lose weight in a day. There will be ups and downs. Don’t become discouraged. Instead, adopt a mindset of steady progress. Finally, remember to celebrate your small victories along the way
Making New Food Choices
Now it’s time for the second step in your “How to Lose Weight in 4 Months” journey. Learning to make new food choices. Remember, we’re focusing on a mind-body holistic approach not just a simple starve-yourself diet.
Restricting Calories Alone Will Not Work
Say diet to almost anyone and they’ll tell you to eat less. This is the old “calories in/calories out” approach where you will lose weight as long as the calories you eat are less than the calories you burn. Does this work? Yes and no. Yes, it works for short-term weight loss. And no, it doesn’t work for long-term weight loss.
So, why doesn’t calorie restriction work in the long term? And by long term here we mean 4 months or beyond. These diets do not consider the role metabolism plays in weight loss.
What is metabolism? Metabolism is defined as the amount of energy your body burns to keep you alive. This includes your heartbeat, breathing, digestion, cell reproduction, and everything else that occurs in the body.
Here is an equation that represents how the body balances energy.
Total energy in (food calories) = Metabolism + Activity (physical movement).
Your body wants to balance the energy in (food) with the total energy =expenditure(metabolism + activity). If you reduce the calories for a prolonged period of time the body reduces your metabolism to balance the equation. In dieting this is known as a plateau. If you’ve ever been on a calorie-restricted diet you’ve probably experienced this.
If prolonged calorie restriction does not work then what does?
Understanding the Role of Hormones
The two hormones that are most significant in weight loss are insulin and cortisol.
Reducing Insulin
Insulin is a fat-storing hormone. Think of insulin as a switch. When insulin is high the body stores fat. When insulin is low, the body burns fat. The body will not burn fat as long as your insulin remains above a fasting level. Managing your insulin level is the key to long-term sustainable weight loss. So how do you do this?
Eliminate Sugar. Sugar is a major culprit when it comes to insulin spikes. Remember, sugar is not only found in obvious sources like candy and soda but also hidden in products like salad dressings and pasta sauces. Check labels and opt for sugar-free alternatives when possible.
Eliminate processed food. Processed foods often contain hidden sugars that can lead to weight gain. Swap them out for whole, unprocessed foods.
Eliminate starchy foods like white bread, pasta, and potatoes. These foods break down into sugar and cause insulin spikes. Replace them with lower-carb alternatives like non-starchy vegetables.
The bottom line is to reduce your carbohydrate intake. Eat foods low on the glycemic index.
Doing the above will lead to a quick initial drop in body weight. This initial drop is water weight. It occurs as your body rids itself of the excess glucose floating around in your system. Celebrate it and be aware that as your body eliminates the extra water, your rate of weight loss will slow as the body switches to burning fat. Stay committed to your new eating habits and set the stage for long-term success.
Reducing Cortisol
High cortisol levels can contribute to weight gain. The body responds to stress by creating glucose from glycogen stores in the liver. This provides instant extra energy that may be needed to outrun a tiger. However, in today’s world, we don’t outrun tigers so there is no activity to burn off the excess glucose. What happens when you have excess glucose? That’s right, the insulin goes up and so does body fat. Managing chronic stress is one of the keys to reducing weight.
Add stress-reducing activities like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing into your daily routine. Even taking a short walk or spending time with friends and family can help alleviate stress.
Prioritize your sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night to help regulate cortisol production. Create a bedtime routine. Maintain a consistent sleep schedule to improve sleep quality.
Finally, engage in some sort of exercise. Even if it’s just walking for a few minutes a day. This will both reduce stress and tone the body.:
Intermittent Fasting
Don’t panic. You’re not going to have to go on a hunger strike. Intermittent fasting is a method of restricting calories without crashing your metabolism. Here’s how to add intermittent fasting into your daily routine, three times a week, skip breakfast:
Skip breakfast on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. On these days eat your normal lunch and dinner. Doing this restricts your calories three days a week. This approach reduces your calorie intake, forcing your body to burn fat while keeping you from plateauing.
One last thing, no snacking between meals! This allows insulin levels to return to normal.
Fat and Protein
Consuming healthy fats with your meal will make you feel fuller after a meal. Some examples of healthy fats include extra virgin olive oil, avocados, and fatty fish like salmon or sardines. Use olive oil and lemon juice to make a salad dressing. Another way to enjoy healthy fats is to make guacamole and dip cucumber slices or celery sticks. Forget the old adage that “fat makes you fat”. Current nutritional research has disproven this old saw. Your body needs healthy fats to function properly. Just avoid the ”bad” fats (any seed oils such as corn, soy, or peanut oils for example).
If you want to avoid saggy skin as you lose weight, eat protein. Protein is the building block of the body. Keto and Paleo diets are examples of higher protein diets. You can easily eat 0.5 grams of protein per pound of your desired body weight. If your desired weight is 150 pounds then eat 75 grams of protein a day. Avoid protein powders or protein bars. These also contain hidden sugars. These are a no-no.
Adding Probiotics
Probiotics improve gut health. A healthier gut biome can lead to increased production of “feel good” hormones like serotonin. When you’re feeling good you’re less inclined to emotionally eat
Certain foods naturally contain probiotics. Adding fermented foods like raw sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt (with no added sugar), or kefi will boost your gut’s microbiome. If you’re unable to consume fermented foods or need an extra boost, consider taking a high-quality probiotic supplement.
Conclusion
So, there you have it, how to achieve your goal of losing weight in 4 months.
Boiling it down, remember the following:
- Adopt a new mindset.
- Make new choices for food
- Turn this into a lifestyle instead of a short-term fix.
If you do this, you’ll not only lose weight in a sustainable way, you’ll be healthier, happier, and have more energy.
So, embrace this journey.
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