That favourite T-shirt you can’t wear anymore, the butterscotch ice cream that you say “No” to with a stone-heart, or how you wish you could slip back right into your wedding gown–Blame it all on the “fat”.

There’s no shying away from the fact that your extra kilos are spoiling the mirth of your life.

But, hey, you are not alone, the global stats can reassure you. 13% of adults globally fall into the “obese” category, 39% are known to be “overweight”, which includes 1 out of 5 children and adolescents too.

Besides, being overweight brings in its trail a handful of oddities like elevated blood pressure, diabetes, heart issues, and whatnot! Thus, it makes complete sense to embrace a weight loss program to fastrack things. However, not everyone’s body works the same way. Hence, you must sort out the do’s and don’ts to avoid running into unnecessary health issues.

This post offers a comprehensive understanding of things that you ought to know before starting your weight loss program.

Your Body Weight + BMI + Waist Size

When it comes to weight loss, you will need to pay attention to three important aspects – how much you weigh, your BMI, and your waist size.

The first two aspects are interrelated as it's the BMI that sets the category right and differentiates one from slim and obese. It generally also takes your height and age under consideration.

Simply put, a higher BMI can land you close to a weight-related disorder which includes the likes of type 2 Diabetes and to some extent heart problems as well. So, before hitting the gym or crashing your diet plan, do know your BMI from your doctor or you can also use a BMI Calculator that is available these days online through several apps. Usually, the BMI chart is different for men and women.

Now, comes the waist size, and here the thumb rule says for men a circumference under 40 inches is the ideal whereas for women it rests at 35 inches. Typically, anything beyond that is considered to be abdominal obesity.

After you have figured out all the details right, you will need to talk to your fitness guide to customize a weight loss program including workout patterns and diet plan.

Time To Sweat It Out

Physical activity is of utmost importance when you are on the path to losing weight fast. And it's not limited to obese adults but children as well.

While a lot of people tend to join a gym to pick up weights, simple physical activities like walking, brisk running, stitching, yoga, free squats, and push-ups go a long way to make a difference. Alternatively, making little changes to your daily routine can also help.

Here are some pointers to get you started:

• Walk every day for at least 15-30 minutes and never skip this unless you are sick and bed-ridden.
• Set new challenges for yourself every day. Like keeping a target to walk 10 mins, and then increase it by another 10, and so on.
• Live or work in a high-rise building? Awesome! Now and then, ditch the elevator and take the stairs instead.
• Engage yourself doing daily household chores like dusting, washing, cleaning. You can even mow the lawn to burn calories.
• Take your dog for a run if you have one. Or race your kids around the block.
• Try hiking on vacations.
• Cut down on binge-watching. Remember, that comfy sofa is not your friend.
• Choose a parking spot that is at least a couple of km away from your destination. That way, you will always have a fair amount of walking to do.
• Lastly, invest in a good smartwatch to monitor your fitness activities and track how many calories you are burning each day. Also, ensure you get adequate sleep.

Nutrition Basics

The first thing that you need to know when losing weight is to consume as few calories as possible.

Calories are the direct output from any food or beverage you consume, and some foods rank higher in calories compared to the rest. Take ice cream and candies for instance that are loaded with sugar. Thus, when you eat them, your body accumulates fat. However, this doesn't mean you take on a crash diet all of a sudden. That will do more harm than good in the process.

Health experts recommend that you stick to no more than losing a couple of pounds a week. When you cut down on your fast food intake, you tend to lose the water weight along with the leaner muscles. Instead, your target should be losing the store fat as without it you will be left with less energy. Simply put, you will need to develop good eating habits by following a handful of rules:

• You must eat only when you are hungry. For some people, the sight of certain foods can trigger hunger, but that's just a temptation to do the dirty work. Stick to a routine of having no more than three meals and a snack each day. Or even better, you can divide it into five or six meals over the day so that you eat in small proportions and still not feel hungry at intervals.

• No matter what your weight loss goals are, never skip a meal it will eventually lead to overeating, which in turn will add to your weight.

• Try to avoid colas and processed foods. Sip on plenty of healthy fluids. Increase intake of water, and if possible, give green tea a shot!

• Include whole grains, low-fat dairy products, green leafy vegetables a regular thing in your diet. And don't forget to include a cheat day a week, when you can munch on your favourites without a shade of guilt. The idea is to keep things balanced and embark on a happy nutrition journey to support your weight loss program.

So you see, your weight loss program doesn't have to be difficult!

By making little lifestyle changes and getting the right nutrition, sleep, and exercise, you will soon witness a new version of yourself.