As a society, we are guilty of leading more sedentary lifestyles year on year. While advancements in technology are largely a positive thing, many innovations reduce the need for us to move which is causing more and more of us to become overweight. If you are one of the many people who are about to embark on a weight loss journey, the first thing to accept is that there is going to be a long road ahead full of ups and downs. The worst thing you can do is view weight loss as a short-term endeavour.

When it comes to weight loss, there are two main options. The first and most common is to make natural changes to your life in an attempt to lead a healthier lifestyle. These often focus on your food intake and activity levels. The second option, which is becoming increasingly common, is to turn to surgery. Throughout this article, we will explore both of these options with a focus on how they can be used in conjunction with one another.

Natural Ways To Lose Weight 

Eat a balanced diet

The first place most people turn to when trying to lose weight is their diet. What you eat and how much food you consume is likely to be the single biggest contributing factor towards your weight. While there’s lots of talk about different diets, the simplest way to approach your new food plan is to aim for a balanced diet.

A balanced diet should see your meals formed of different food groups. This should include five portions of fruit and veg a day and should see starchy foods such as potatoes or pasta form the base of your meals. You’ll also want to aim for around a gram of protein per every kilogram of body weight and around three servings of dairy per day. 

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Cut down on foods high in sugar and fat

While it’s important to focus on what you are putting in your body, it’s also important to know what not to put in your body. Food and drinks that are high in sugar or saturated fat should be reduced or even eliminated from your diet. This includes fizzy drinks, cakes, milk chocolate and fried foods.

Exercise regularly

It’s not all about what you eat. Exercising regularly will also greatly speed up your weight loss journey. While any form of exercise will be beneficiary, your focus should be on cardiovascular exercise which increase your heart and burn a greater amount of calories.

Finding a cardio-based activity that you enjoy will help keep you consistent with your exercise regime. This could be individual activities like running or swimming but you could also play a team sport if you prefer a slightly more competitive environment.

Surgery For Weight Loss

Liposuction

Liposuction is one of the most common surgeries used by people trying to lose weight. The surgery sees excess fat removed and is performed on a specific area of the body. The most common areas of the body where liposuction is performed include the stomach, buttocks, thighs and chin.

Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty or a tummy tuck procedure achieves a similar result to liposuction surgeries but is used to remove excess skin rather than excess fat. The main reason people turn to abdominoplasty over liposuction is to remove stretch marks that have been caused by weight loss. Due to their slightly different outcomes, some people choose to undergo both liposuction and tummy tuck surgeries. 

Gastric bypass/sleeve

The most extreme type of weight loss surgery comes in the form of gastric surgery or bariatric surgery. Common examples include gastric bypass surgery and gastric sleeve surgery. These types of surgery focus on reducing the size of the stomach to suppress appetite so you find it easier to consume less food.

How To Combine Weight Loss With Surgery

If you are considering both options when it comes to weight loss, it’s important to know how they can complement each other. You should start by focusing on natural methods to lose weight as these are safer and healthier. As mentioned already, this includes paying close attention to the foods you consume and increasing your activity levels.

If you can’t arrive at your destination solely through natural methods, you could use surgery to supplement your efforts. It’s important you don’t solely rely on surgery. For example, having a gastric bypass but choosing not to eat a balanced diet is not healthy and will likely not be effective.

It’s also worth pointing out that surgery can be used to clean up the unwanted effects of extreme weight loss. If you are able to lose a large amount of weight, you might be left with unwanted stretch marks and excess skin. These issues can be tidied up with a tummy tuck procedure as mentioned above. If you do choose to go under the knife, ensure you turn to a qualified cosmetic surgeon in Manchester, London or another major city where the best surgeons tend to be based.