Losing weight is something many of us want to do, but few are able to do. This is shown in the ever-rising numbers of people who are obese. The morbidly obese can now have weight loss surgery and have it covered by their health insurance company, but those who don’t quite meet that criteria are often left to put more weight on, placing themselves at greater risk, until they do qualify. An interesting answer to this is turning out to be the gastric balloon.
What Is the Gastric Balloon?
Very simply put, it is a device that is inserted into the stomach and then filled with either air or a saline solution. The balloon takes up space in your stomach, meaning you can’t eat as much and that you feel fuller quicker. Because of this forced reduction in calorie intake, you will lose weight. The balloon stays in place for six months, which should be long enough for you to develop some new, healthy habits, ensuring the weight that you lost stays off as well.
How to Maximize the Balloon’s Effects
There are several things you can do in order to make sure you get the most out of your balloon and manage to keep the weight off once it is removed:
- Always have breakfast, boosting your metabolism to help burn calories.
- Eat small meals often – five or six small meals is better than three big ones – and make sure they are rich in fiber. This will improve your digestive system and give you more energy. More energy means more calories burnt.
- Drink a glass of water with your meal every time you eat. This will help to improve your digestion. Make sure you drink plenty of water during the day as well.
- Walk 20 minutes up a hill, or on a treadmill. A 15% inclination is perfect. This will force your body to work hard, getting the heart pumping more oxygen to your brain and your muscles. In so doing, you will start to melt the fat off. Walking at a 15% incline doubles the amount of calories you would burn if you were walking on a flat surface.
- Use weights to build muscle mass. You must start to get toned up, or you will end up looking like a bag of bones wrapped in skin. Muscle tissue also burns more calories, even after a workout. Plus, you will feel better for it and look better for it as well.
If you implement these five tips into your daily routine, it should take you no time to develop a beautiful, thin body. The gastric balloon will give you that initial head start to make a go of it, but you do have to maintain your results yourself. It takes around two weeks for an action to become a habit, and the same amount of time for a habit to be lost. Start implementing the five tips above immediately, and they will be second nature by the time you have your balloon removed.
