The wellness industry is full of conflicting advice, making it difficult to discover practical, secure, and lasting approaches to shedding pounds. Getting rid of extra weight eventually comes down to having a nutritious diet, exercising frequently, reducing stress and having good sleep. Simple in theory, but often easier said than done.
Consequently, a lot of people are seeking out dubious pills and untested diets to lose weight swiftly, although these methods lack any sort of factual foundation. But shedding pounds and keeping them off doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or be complicated – it can be as simple as making a few changes in your lifestyle and being a bit more informed.
Nutritional therapist Victoria Hamilton, Dr Paul Barrington Chell, author of The Diet-Whisperer, and registered nutritionist Clarissa Lenherr share 23 easy-to-implement weight loss tips that actually work:
1. Try Intermittent Fasting
Research has demonstrated that partaking in periodic fasting can be advantageous. A type of diet known as time-restricted eating consists of shifting between designated fasts and periods of eating. An example of such a plan would be a 16 hour fast followed by an 8 hour window for meals. Lenherr states that limiting the amount of time spent eating can help lower insulin levels while simultaneously increasing insulin sensitivity. This would prevent excess sugar being transmitted to fat cells and result in more energy being burnt.
2. Aerobic Exercise is Key
Researchers from Duke University Medical Centre have concluded that aerobic exercise is the most beneficial form of physical activity for shedding pounds and burning fat. While the people from the research did 12 miles of walking every week, you could substitute that with biking, swimming, or even hula-hooping! The University of Waterloo performed a study that disclosed that women who participated in six weeks of hula-hooping with weighted hoops lost 3.4 cm from their waistline, along with 1.4 cm from their hips.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Studies conducted at the University of Chicago Medical Centre discovered that reducing the amount of sleep one gets can impede the success of a diet. When individuals on a diet got a full night’s sleep, over half of the weight decreased was from fat. When they decreased the amount of sleep they got, only one-fourth of their decrease in weight was due to burning fat while the rest was mostly a result of losing muscle. They experienced an increased appetite, caused by higher amounts of ghrelin. Dr Barrington Chell recommends making your bedroom an electronic-free environment, ensuring it is at a cool temperature, and lowering both noise and light levels. Additionally, he suggests establishing a sleep routine with family members.
4. Stand Up for Your Health
It could be a good idea to purchase the standing desk you have been looking at. The European Society of Cardiology published results of a study that showed that standing up instead of sitting burns an additional 0.15 kcal per minute. If a person who is 65 kilograms weighs were to stand for six hours each day instead of sitting, they could burn an additional 54 calories every 24 hours. This could add up to a total of 2.5 kilograms dropped in a year’s time and a total of 10 kilograms in four years.
5. Prioritise Protein
Incorporating increased levels of protein in your meal plan is a successful means of shedding pounds. It decreases the amount of the hormone ghrelin that stimulates hunger and increases the amount of peptide YY which triggers satiation. Researchers at the University of Missouri conducted a study that revealed that consuming 25% of your daily caloric intake in the form of protein significantly reduced urge to overeat by 60%, as well as reducing late night snacking by 50%.
6. Switch to Small Plates
Research suggests that when you use a large plate, it encourages you to eat more than you need. A meta-analysis conducted by the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research found that cutting the size of plates led to a 30 percent decrease in the average amount of food eaten. Instead of having someone else serve up your portions, it is better to do it yourself in order to maximize effectiveness, according to researchers.
7. Fill Up on Fibre
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that consuming a single daily serving (130 grams) of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils can help with shedding pounds. Lenherr asserts that dietary fibre is essential not only for increasing the bulk of stools, but also to keep us feeling full and energized while also stabilizing blood sugar levels. Maintaining even levels of glucose in the blood and feeling satiated after meals can aid in resisting desires for snacks that can lead to gaining weight.
8. Don’t Just Diet
Studies from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre have concluded that the most efficient way to slim down and decrease body fat is to combine a balanced diet with physical activity, as opposed to relying on only one approach. The individuals in the study had diets which ranged in caloric intake from 1,200 to 2,000 calories depending on their original weight, with 30% of the energy coming from fat. In addition, they all participated in 45 minutes of aerobic activity at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity for five days every week. On average, they went down 11 percent of their original weight in the span of one year.
9. Go Plant-based
The University of South Carolina found that a vegan diet leads to more weight loss than an omnivorous diet, even when carbohydrate consumption is taken into consideration. If you are not ready to completely transition your diet, why not start out by trying a vegetarian diet? A recent study provided by the Journal of the American College of Nutrition demonstrated that vegetarian diets are remarkably successful in helping one’s body lose weight compared to conventional low-calorie diets. Furthermore, these plant-based diets can improve one’s metabolism significantly as well.
10. Make it Public
Exploring your progress on a weight loss journey with other online community members may be of considerable aid in reaching the intended objective, states research conducted by the University of California. It won’t just be your sense of responsibility that drives you, but you can also draw inspiration from the support of others.
11. Drink Water
Consume two glasses of water – 500ml – prior to consuming breakfast, lunch, or dinner to drop 44 percent more weight. The study, done by the University of Birmingham, showed that the participants who did a certain activity over 12 weeks lost 2kg more than those in the control group. It has been demonstrated through research that when you drink plenty of water, your body uses fat as fuel more efficiently and uses less protein.
12. Fill Up on Green Veggies
Vegetables such as spinach, kale, and broccoli that contain chlorophyll may suppress a craving for rich, sugary, and salty treats and help in shedding weight, according to research from the University of Lund. Chlorophyll avoids the absorption of fats inside the digestive organs and increases the amount of a hormone which reduces hunger. Can’t stick green veg? You can meet your necessary chlorophyll level by taking a supplement of spirulina, chlorella or wheat grass.
13. Be Mindful While Eating
In our busy lives, it is often alluring to do multiple things at once. Maybe you’re nibbling on something while working at your desk, or swiping on your cellular whilst viewing the television. Doing multiple activities at once may seem time efficient, yet if consumed with other tasks while eating, it can lead to excessive amounts of food. Research indicates that mindful eating leads to greater weight loss.
Instead of consuming food while engaging in other activities such as watching TV, working, or browsing your phone, take a moment to eat without any interruptions. Take notice of your physical sensations and clues given when you are eating. This can aid you in consuming significantly less yet still be satiated.
14. Reduce Stress
Life can be incredibly stressful, particularly during a pandemic. When we are under pressure, our bodies create greater levels of the hormone cortisol. Growing cortisol levels can affect your appetite and cravings for food that is bad for you. As a result, stress can lead to weight gain. Consequently, you can lose weight without exercising by minimizing your tension.
If you want to drop some pounds, explore different methods of coping with your stress. Meditation and therapy can help you decrease stress. One could also keep a diary, or focus on proper breathing exercises.
15. Avoid Sugar
There is no way around it: sugar is tasty. However, consuming excessive amounts of sugar can have an adverse effect on our physical health, leading to more weight and presenting the possibility of several illnesses, including diabetes.
When we ingest items with a high sugar content, we usually do not find ourselves feeling satiated. This could lead to us consuming a lot more calories and ultimately gaining weight. An uncomplicated method for shedding pounds is to eradicate all sweetened drinks such as soft drinks and fruit juices and substitute them with water. You can cut down on the added sugar in your diet by decreasing your intake of desserts and opting for options with reduced sugar content.
16. Drink Tea
Although coffee is more prevalent in the U.S. than tea, drinking tea has immense health benefits and should not be ignored. Various flavours of tea, like cinnamon and mint, could possibly assist in weight loss. Mint can help to reduce hunger, while cinnamon can bring down blood glucose levels. Peppermint tea may also help your body digest fats. Avoid using sugar when deciding what drink you would like.
17. Get Cooking
Obtaining take-away, dining in a restaurant, or grabbing something from the drive-thru is usually simpler than preparing an entire meal. Eating out usually results in a tasty meal, however these types of food are usually high in calories and fat content, making them indulgent and delicious. Unfortunately, when done regularly, this can lead to an increase in body weight.
When you prepare your own meals in the kitchen, you can regulate what ingredients are included. You may even discover that you have a passion for preparing meals and ensuring that your diet consists of a variety of fresh, high-quality foods. If you’re a veteran in the kitchen or just starting out, try cooking more meals at home to help you reduce your weight.
18. Keep a Food Journal
Being responsible for your goals is an important part of any weight-loss effort. It is possible to stay responsibly in control of one’s food consumption by documenting the meals eaten throughout the day in a diary. In doing this, you can keep an eye on what you eat and recognize occasions when you are liable to deviate from your food plan. You can keep track of your meals either by writing in a notebook or by making use of a selection of specialized applications.
19. Weigh Yourself Regularly
One of the most effective means of discovering if you are getting closer to your weight-loss goals or having a relapse and gaining weight is to be aware of your weight. It is not wise to weigh yourself all the time since your body weight can change throughout the day; however, periodically weighing yourself is a smart move so that you can figure out if you are putting on or slimming down. You can list your weight each day in your diet log.
If you observe an increase, you can make alterations to your eating habits accordingly. If you observe a decrease in weight, it will motivate you to stick to your diet.
20. Watch Snacking
We all enjoy nibbling on something, whether it be packing something for a journey, having something stored away in our workplace desk, or breaking open a bag of popcorn when we watch a film. It can be difficult to monitor our food intake when we snack.
Eating nutritious snacks throughout the day can help to increase your metabolism. It is important to keep track of those snacks you eat and make sure not to have too much of them.
21. Avoid Fad Diets
If you’re trying to drop some pounds, it can be challenging to stay away from diets that claim you can quickly shed the pounds through drinking shakes multiple times daily, or just drinking hot water with some lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup. It is not feasible to keep these diets up for a long period of time in order to maintain weight loss.
Over time, doing fad diets can damage your metabolism. This will make it more difficult to maintain a healthy weight for a long period of time. If you’re committed to losing weight, it’s best to steer clear of juice detoxes, cabbage soup regimes and other unhealthy fad diets.
22. Take Care of Your Gut Health
Losing weight is a complex topic, and it is not fully grasped by researchers yet. Investigations are beginning to suggest that obesity may be related to having an uneven number of specific bacterial species in our intestines. You can help your gut health by adding probiotic supplements to your daily routine, or incorporating fermented foods into your diet.
23. Get Lots of Vitamin D
Researchers have not been able to entirely comprehend the association between Vitamin D and shedding pounds, but they have observed that those who are heavier usually have less of this vitamin in their circulation. When individuals drop pounds, they generally observe an uptick in their vitamin D levels.
You can increase your Vitamin D intake by utilizing a dietary supplement, spending more time outdoors, or consuming meals with Vitamin D. Engaging in such activities may aid in weight loss and also grant bonus amenities such as increased bone strength.
Losing weight can be incredibly difficult. It is practically unfeasible for a typical American citizen to maintain a strict diet and exercise program whilst dealing with job and family commitments. It should be noted that dieting and exercising may be fruitless if not done properly. Fortunately, there is an alternative route to losing a significant amount of weight without exhaustive exercise.
