Weight loss has been a common concern among the newer generations. With changing lifestyle that promotes weight gain and harms health in many ways, it becomes important to maintain health with additional efforts. However, if you’re careful and inculcate certain healthy habits you might not have to make much efforts in the first place. Here are a few tips to help you out and set you on the right path to health.
1. Water is your friend
Drinking water is beneficial in losing weight, especially prior to meals. Research1 has shown that drinking water boosts metabolism up to 30% within a period of one and a half hour, thereby burning some extra calories.
Another mechanism behind weight loss from drinking water, as evidenced by study2, is by preventing you from eating in excess. It’s best to drink half a litre of water approximately half an hour before a meal. It helps in losing up to 44% more weight.
2. Breakfast of Eggs
Eggs are nutritious, especially rich in protein. Replacing usual cereal-based breakfast with eggs3 helps you eat less for the entire day, thus consuming lesser calories. If you cannot eat eggs for a reason, eating another protein-rich diet serves the same purpose.
3. Black coffee
Although consumption of coffee has been debated, particularly in people with heart issues, coffee has several health benefits, and is loaded with antioxidants. Studies4,5 have shown to increase metabolism by 3 to 11% and, thus burning calories up to 10 to 29%. It’s important not to add milk and sugar to the coffee as that will have the opposite effect by adding unnecessary calories.
4. Green Tea
Green tea is widely popular these days for being a effective weapon against weight problems. Green tea not only contains caffeine, but also catechins, a powerful antioxidant. Both of these compounds work in harmony to augment calorie burn6.
Even though the evidence is mostly mixed, several studies7, 8 have established that green tea can help in shedding some fat.
5. Reduce sugar intake
Added sugar could be the worst thing you could have as an ingredient in your diet. Not only is it a widely known fact, studies9, 10 have shown that sugar is strongly linked with risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other issues.
So, whenever you’re buying a product make sure you’ve read the labels for added sugars. You must cut down added sugar at all costs.
6. Replace your cooking oil to coconut oil
Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils. It is particularly rich in medium chain triglycerides with a different metabolism in comparison to other fats. They boost metabolism up to 120 calories/day while reducing the appetite making you eat lesser calories11,12.
However, make sure that you do not add coconut oil on top of what you’re already consuming. You must replace your current cooking oil with it.
7. Carb reduction in your diet
Studies13, 14 have shown that low-carb diet helps you in losing two to three times more weight as a standard low-fat diet. In any case, it’s better to reduce calorie intake, then take medications for the same. Apart from helping with the weight it also helps in improving health.
You must also reduce refined carbohydrates from your diet as they are ridden off precious dietary fibres. Refined carbs elevate blood sugar quickly, resulting in hunger and increased food intake within hours. Studies15, 16 have shown that refined carbs are strongly associated with obesity. Make sure to take whole carbs with dietary fibres.
It’s also great to replace unhealthy foods with vegetables and fruits and they are loaded with lots of vitamins and minerals along with dietary fibres.
8. Reduce the plate size on your table
Having a smaller size of plate on your dining table automatically reduces the amount of food you take, thus lesser calories. Though, it may sound unbelievable studies17 have shown that it actually works.
9. Maintain a record of what you eat
Recording your calorie intake is a very effective way in creating an awareness about how much calories you’re consuming. This awareness lets you control your diet, hence calorie intake. Studies18 have shown that maintaining a record of your diet helps you lose weight.
10. Carry healthy snack in your purse
If you keep a healthy snack with you all the time it will prevent you from eating something unhealthy in a situation when you’re ambushed by hunger at inappropriate time. Whole fruits, yogurt, nuts, hardboiled egg are some good options.
Conclusion
Losing weight is a science. No doubt it requires some efforts, but if you can maintain a healthy weight with diet modifications as given in this article there is nothing better than that. However, it’s always recommended, whether you’re obese, overweight, or fit, to workout at least 3-4 days every week. Not only does working out helps you lose weight, it also keeps your body, including muscles, heart and various organ systems, fit and healthy in more than one way.
