More than half of the adult population is either overweight or obese. Carrying around excess weight puts people at risk of serious diseases like heart attacks, cancer, strokes, and arthritis. Fortunately, it’s never too late to shrink fat cells and achieve a healthy weight. At Balanced Bodies Anti-Aging Clinic in Lawrenceville, GA, we recommend that patients book a telehealth consultation to find out more about natural fat reduction.
Fat Reduction: How Can You Shrink Fat Cells Naturally?
The amount of fat stored in the body can be changed at any age. Many of the natural fat loss methods are related to the patient’s lifestyle. Eating right is one of the most important factors to affect a person’s appearance and body composition. At the clinic, we often help our weight loss patients come up with a meal plan. We also recommend that they do several types of exercise every week. A combination of cardio, HIIT, and strength training is usually best.
Some people find shrinking fat cells more challenging than others because they have a hormonal imbalance or a nutrient deficiency. We ask these patients to come to the clinic, so they can get diagnosed and treated. Sometimes, a one-off vitamin IV or injection is enough to resolve the problem and kick-start the weight loss journey. At other times, patients need ongoing hormone replacement therapy.
Eating Right
Your diet has a massive effect on your weight. If you’re like most people, you’re eating too much and the wrong kinds of foods. During your first consultation, we’ll determine how many calories you should be consuming per day to lose a moderate amount of weight. This depends on your gender, age, weight, and activity levels. Then, we’ll examine how many calories you’re currently ingesting.
You can speed up and facilitate your fat loss journey by eating healthy foods. Substitute sugary snacks with nutritious, low-sugar ones, and choose whole grains instead of eating refined carbs. If you choose the right foods, you might not have to eat substantially less than before. Instead, you’ll simply replace high-calorie options with low-calorie ones. Foods rich in protein help you feel fuller for longer, so they are a great choice.
Doing Cardio
Cardio is one of the most common and accessible forms of exercise. It includes activities like running, brisk walking, swimming, cycling, and some kinds of dancing. The goal of cardio is to improve your heart health, but many studies have shown that it also helps to reduce excess fat deposits. We recommend that you do 130-150 minutes of cardio per week. This translates to roughly 20 minutes per day.
If you haven’t done exercise for many years, start slowly to prevent injury and excessive fatigue. Go for a 10-minute walk around the block every day, or walk on a treadmill at the gym. Over time, cardio will start to feel easier, so you can increase the duration and intensity. Choose low-impact exercises like swimming or cycling if you have joint problems.
HIIT
High-intensity interval training is suitable for people who are already moderately active. It involves performing quick bursts of exercise and then resting for a few seconds. Experts have found that doing HIIT two to four times a week effectively reduces the size of patients’ fat cells and encourages the body to break down unwanted tissues. This form of exercise is an excellent choice for busy people because it doesn’t require a significant time commitment.
When compared to continuous activities like jogging or cycling, HIIT provides people with much faster results. Therefore, three to four 20-minute routines per week are enough. HIIT is often taught in fitness classes, but it can be done at home. Beginners can start by sprinting for 30 seconds, then walking for 30 seconds, then repeating this cycle approximately 20 times.
Strength Training
Cardio on its own is less effective than a combination of cardio and strength training. During strength training, your muscles contract against resistance, so you build muscle mass and increase your body’s strength over time. This type of exercise is particularly good at reducing the amount of visceral fat, which surrounds the organs.
Strength training also boosts the body’s metabolic rate, so calories are burned more quickly. We usually recommend that weight loss patients start with two to three strength training sessions a week. They could involve using resistance bands, lifting weights, or doing bodyweight exercises. Once patients become used to this form of exercise, they can increase the frequency to four times a week until their fat has melted away.
Getting Enough Sleep
Sleeping less than six hours per night increases the risk of obesity because it alters the hunger hormones and leads to increased appetite. Although everyone is different, most patients do well with seven to eight hours of sleep per night. People who struggle to fall asleep can try following a set bedtime routine, limiting the use of electronic devices in the evening, and cutting out caffeine after 4 pm.
Getting the Right Vitamins
In the US, almost everyone has a nutrient deficiency. It’s extremely hard to eat right because there are so many unhealthy food options, and they are often cheaper and more accessible than healthy alternatives. Some of the key nutrients that help with fat reduction are vitamins B and D, iron, and magnesium. During your telehealth consultation, we’ll go through a list of symptoms to determine whether you could be missing an important nutrient.
If so, we’ll invite you to the clinic for further testing. Once you know which vitamins and minerals you’re missing, you can change your diet. We also offer vitamin injections and IVs, so we can kick-start your weight loss journey.
Fasting
Intermittent fasting has been used successfully by millions of people. This technique involves limiting food intake to certain hours of the day. There are several variations, but a popular option is the 16/8 diet, which involves not eating for 16 hours at a time and then having one to three meals within eight hours. Some other options are the Eat Stop Eat method, the 5:2 diet, and the Warrior diet.
Fasting is effective because it prolongs the period during which your body has used up the food you’ve eaten and is burning off fat. You might be able to reduce your body fat by up to 12 pounds within a few weeks when using this method.
Checking Your Hormonal Balance
Leptin, insulin, growth hormones, and sexual hormones impact a patient’s appetite, metabolism, and ability to lose fat. As people grow older, their bodies sometimes stop producing enough estrogen or testosterone, and their digestion changes. This makes it difficult for them to lose excess fat, even though they are leading a healthy lifestyle.
Fortunately, there is a solution. At the clinic, we offer hormone replacement therapy to patients who struggle with symptoms related to their sexual hormones.
Should You Book a Telehealth Consultation Now?
If you’ve never tried to lose weight, you can get started now by making some of the suggested lifestyle changes. Initially, you might be successful on your own. However, you’ll likely need encouragement and accountability at some point during your weight loss journey. If you feel stuck or you’re worried about sliding into old patterns, reach out to us. We’ll help keep you on track with regular appointments and tests.
You might also need our help if you’ve been trying to lose weight unsuccessfully for a while. In this case, you might have a hormonal imbalance or nutrient deficiency that is preventing you from achieving your goals. We can help you find and resolve the problem.
Why Choose a Virtual Consultation?
Virtual appointments are faster and cheaper than in-person consultations. You can join your video call from home, your workplace, or even your car. There are no wait times, and you don’t have to spend time driving to the clinic and back home. Most appointments related to fat reduction can be conducted online. If we believe that you need lab testing or treatment, we’ll invite you to book an in-person meeting after your initial consultation.
Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals Now
The body’s composition can be changed at any age, and it’s never too late. During your first consultation, we discuss your lifestyle to determine which factors are contributing to your weight issues. We might advise you to change your diet and exercise routine and get more sleep. If you have a nutrient deficiency or hormonal imbalance, we offer treatment. Call us at Balanced Bodies Anti-Aging Clinic in Lawrenceville, GA to book a telehealth consultation.