7 Best Tips for Successful Weight Loss
We are constantly bombarded with articles and posts written by “experts” claiming they can help us slim down effectively. A major problem with these posts is that they don’t actually offer solid evidence to support their claims. Unfortunately, most of the tips are potentially dangerous and put your health in jeopardy when all you want is to lose a few pounds. If you’re looking for safe and effective ways to lose weight, you are reading the right article.
These evidence-based tips will help you achieve your goals while improving your overall health at the same time.
1. Stay hydrated
Before you start thinking “this is obvious”, try to remember the last time you drank a glass of water today. Do you drink enough water during the day? The truth is, most of us tend to overlook the importance of staying hydrated. Not only are the health benefits of drinking water numerous, but they also contribute to successful weight loss.
The journal Obesity published results of a study that showed drinking water 30 minutes before meals enhanced weight loss by 44% over a three-month period.
Research that appeared in Nutrition Reviews found that staying hydrated reduces energy intake and shows a major role in obesity prevention. It makes sense: water fills you up and makes you eat less, which is a great way to lose weight. Make sure you drink water regularly throughout the day. If you forget about water, take a bottle wherever you go or download an app to remind you.
2. Keep a food journal
A major obstacle to quick weight loss is common for most people – you are not, actually, aware of how much you eat during the day. That happens because we only count calories consumed during breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but fail to acknowledge snacks, coffee, even alcoholic drinks or sugar-laden beverages. All those items supply your body with extra calories that are, then, overlooked thus hindering your weight loss.
One study found that keeping a food journal can double weight loss, which is amazing. Researchers discovered that the more food records people kept, the more weight they lost. The simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories. No need to wait, start your food diary today!
3. Watch one less hour of TV
Most of us have a sedentary lifestyle nowadays and it’s only contributing to weight gain. Reducing your TV time can increase your weight loss efforts and help you have a healthier, more active lifestyle. Being a couch potato doesn’t make you happy, right?
A study that included 76 undergraduate students discovered that the more they watched TV, the more often they ate. Think about it this way: why would you spend all of your free time watching TV when you can do something that will benefit your health and body? “Sacrifice” one program (45-60 minutes) and instead of sitting on your couch, go and take a walk instead.
4. Use smaller plates
This is a trick that French women use to stay in shape: they eat different foods but from a smaller plate. Your brain makes you feel hungry as long as there’s food on the plate i.e. it makes you eat everything you see on the plate. Using smaller plates is a sort of visual illusion; you’re tricking your brain into eating less. No, this is not some marketing propaganda, but a scientifically proven fact. Evidence shows that both adults and children served and consumed less when they were given smaller plates as opposed to those using bigger plates who ate more food.
5. Drink green tea
Green tea has become a regular ingredient in a vast majority of weight loss products nowadays. This tea has been used for centuries thanks to its potential to improve one’s health and wellbeing. Green tea contains potent antioxidants that help you burn fat. In fact, one study showed that green tea increased fat burning both during exercise and rest. A growing body of evidence confirms that consumption of green tea has a positive impact on weight loss and weight maintenance.
6. Eat a high protein breakfast
The last thing you should do is skip breakfast or any other meal. Remember, your body needs food to function properly and this also includes weight loss! Your breakfast is important because it boosts energy levels and makes you more productive at work, but it does so much more.
A study from the Nutrition Journal found that eating breakfast produces greater appetite control and reduced subsequent intake at lunch. This means you’ll be more able to control your cravings and you won’t eat too much later on. Of course, this is vital for effective weight loss.
7. Diet + exercise
It is not uncommon for people who want to lose weight to rely on exercise only. In fact, all of us have made that mistake at one point or another. Relying only on exercise gives us a false sense of security and we eat too much (or still continue eating junk food) thinking that physical activity will make those calories go away. It doesn’t really work like that.
Successful and quick weight loss requires both diet and physical activity, which was also a result of the study from Obesity. The winning combination is a well-balanced diet paired with regular exercise. You can consult a fitness trainer to get informed about an ideal type of activity for you based on your current weight, needs and preferences, shape, and other factors.
Conclusion
It’s easy to find weight loss tips and tricks. Just enter the keyword in Google and you’ll see thousands of results. However, a vast majority of those recommendations are inaccurate and ineffective. What you need is to achieve a successful yet safe weight loss and the best way to do so is through lifestyle modifications. This article featured seven effective tips to follow so there’s no need to wait, start your weight loss endeavour today.
yogaesoteric
February 22, 2018