There’s a lot of information out there about weight loss, including everything from fad diets to weight loss medications that are supposed to help you lose weight quickly. However, some of the strategies you hear about aren’t backed by science to prove that they work. That’s why we’ve put together this list of tips to help you lose weight effectively that are based on scientific evidence.
1. Keep Track of Your Diet and Exercise
If you want to lose weight, you need to be aware of how you eat, drink, and exercise each day. Try logging these items in a journal or online tracker. In order to lose weight, you need to maintain a caloric deficit, which means burning more calories than you consume. Keeping track of how much you eat and how much you burn can help you do this more effectively. Studies have also found that tracking diet and exercise may be helpful for weight loss because it promotes changes in behavior and provides motivation.
2. Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating means paying attention to how and where you eat. Focusing on eating can help you enjoy what you eat more and may help you lose weight. This can also help you pay more attention when your body signals that you are full, which can prevent overeating. To practice eating mindfully, try sitting down to eat at a table so you can enjoy the experience, and avoid distractions like the television or your phone. Take time to slowly chew and savor each bite, giving your brain enough time to recognize when you are full.
3. Try Intermittent Fasting
Research suggests that short-term intermittent fasting for up to 26 weeks is as effective for weight loss as maintaining a daily low-calorie diet. Intermittent fasting involves regular short-term fasts and eating meals within a shorter time period during the day. There are a few different intermittent fasting methods, but the most common is to fast for 16 hours and eat only during an 8-hour period which is typically around noon to 8 p.m. A study found that restricting the period in which you can eat often results in consuming fewer calories and can help individuals lose weight.
4. Eat More Protein
If you are trying to lose weight, you may want to consider adding more protein to your diet. Protein causes a decrease in ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and an increase in GLP-1, peptide YY, and cholecystokinin, which are satiety hormones. Studies also suggest that these hormonal effects from eating a high-protein breakfast can last several hours. Start your day with eggs, nut butters, oats, chia seed pudding, or quinoa porridge for a protein-packed breakfast that will keep hunger at bay for hours.
5. Include Plenty of Fiber in Your Diet
Fiber can increase the feeling of fullness, which may help you avoid overeating and snacking to make it easier to lose weight. Fiber comes from plants and is impossible for the small intestine to digest. This means it makes you feel full without adding extra calories. Examples of foods that are high in fiber include fruits and vegetables, whole-grain cereals and breads, whole-wheat pasta, nuts and seeds, legumes, oats, rye, and barley. Try adding high-fiber foods to your diet to help you reach your weight loss goals.
6. Cut Back on Refined Carbohydrates and Sugar
The American diet tends to be high in added sugars and refined carbohydrates. Consuming large amounts of these foods and beverages has been linked to obesity. The process of refining grains removes most of their nutrients and fiber, making foods like white rice, white bread, and regular pasta quick to digest and rapidly converted to glucose. Too much glucose causes an overproduction of insulin, which promotes fat storage and contributes to weight gain. Try swapping out refined carbohydrates and sugary foods with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and other unprocessed foods.
7. Manage Your Stress
When you experience stress, hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are released. Initially, these hormones decrease appetite. However, constant stress causes cortisol to stay in the bloodstream, which will cause an increase in appetite and the potential to eat more than necessary. Your body also responds to stress by using insulin to transport glucose from carbohydrates in your blood to your brain and muscles. If your body doesn’t use this sugar during the stress response, it will then store the sugar as fat. Try implementing methods of stress management such as yoga, meditation, breathing techniques, exercise, and hobbies to reduce the effects of stress on your weight.
8. Support Weight Loss with Supplements
If you want to lose weight, you need to support your body with the nutrients it needs to make it easier to lose weight. There are a number of weight loss supplements that help provide your body with nutrition and suppress appetite so you can make progress toward your weight loss goals. For example, studies have found that berberine may decrease body weight and BMI in overweight individuals. Appe-Curb is a supplement that supports the neurotransmitters involved in appetite control, cravings, and mood, which can help you avoid overeating and feel more energized. To support healthy liver function and boost your metabolism, try Shred It Liver Support.
More Weight Loss Tips
Losing weight is a journey that isn’t always easy. If you want to lose weight efficiently, try the above tips to help you make progress toward your weight loss goals. The key to losing weight is burning more calories than you consume. If you’re trying to burn extra calories, check out these calorie-burning exercises for weight loss to help you reach your goals.
