Losing weight doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Simple changes to your lifestyle will produce results.
Most of us know that eating a little less, and exercising a little more does the trick, but in an industry crowded with mixed messages on tips to lose weight, it can get confusing.
These simple weight loss tips have been tried and tested. They might not transform your body overnight, but they will help it attain a slightly better, healthier shape in the longer term.
1. Drink more water
Because water is involved in many metabolic processes in your body, being dehydrated has the potential to slow your metabolism down, which can hamper weight loss.
There’s also a theory that having a glass of water before a meal can make you feel satisfied faster, meaning you eat less calories.
A 2009 study by the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise in Virginia confirmed this connection, showing that water consumption acutely reduces meal energy intake among middle-aged and older adults.
2. Be prepared
When hunger strikes, dieters can often fall off track by opting for sugary snacks to curb cravings. Having healthy but filling snacks at the ready can prevent this.
Similarly, planning meals can keep you on track and stop you binging. It’s also easier to manage a calorie deficit if you’re planning ahead.
When eating out at restaurants, it’s a good idea to have a look at menus before to ensure you make healthy choices.
3. Make green tea your tipple
The bitter-tasting refreshment has been of growing interest for dieters because of its ability to stimulate fat oxidation. How does it work? It’s all down to the catechin polyphenols. Absent in black tea as a result of its fermentation process, catechins are thought to stimulate fat oxidation and have the potential to increase fat metabolism.
Worth raising a warm glass to.
4. Spice up your mealtimes
Making your meals flavoursome and enjoyable is an important part of maintaining weight loss. Looking forward to tasty yet healthy dinners will help you change your relationship to food and install healthy lifestyle habits.
Chilli peppers aren't just full of flavour, they're also thought to have fat burning properties. According to a 2010 study by the American Chemical Society, capsaicin - found in chilli peppers - may cause weight loss and fight fat build up.
This has led scientists to consider further research into how red chilli peppers can be used to treat obesity.
5. Savour. Every. Mouthful.
Focus your mind on your food and enjoy every fork. This is the art of mindful eating. Not only are you likely to enjoy it more, you’re allowing yourself to listen to your stomach and when it is feeling full.
Many watch television or multitask while eating, which distracts the mind and can result in over eating. Eating on the go can also contribute to bloating.
6. Exercise more
Adding more activity to your daily routine – walking to work or using the stairs – is a sure fire way to aid weight loss. Weight lifting is also really important to stop your body losing muscle mass.
When you introduce a calorie deficit into your diet and your body notices low energy levels over a prolonged period, it may enter 'starvation mode' where it starts to break down muscle for energy and your metabolism slows down.
Lifting weights and other resistance exercises will prevent you losing muscle mass and speed up your metabolism fast.
7. Use smaller plates and bowls
Trading in your huge dinner plate for a slightly smaller one is a very simple but effective weight loss tip. You can ‘fill your plate’ without breaking the rules. This can help with portion control.
8. Keep a food diary
Weight loss is all about changing lifestyle habits. Record what you eat and when and it should be easy to spot bad habits. This will also allow you to block out meal times so you can practice mindful eating.
9. Watch your intake of refined carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates include white bread and pasta – often stripped of the most nutritious parts. Studies show that these can cause a spike in blood pressure which can later cause cravings.
Eating whole wheat and whole grain bread and pasta is best.
10. Sleep more
Getting your eight hours shut eye is just as important as your diet and exercise regime when it comes to weight loss. In a study by the University of Leeds, 1,615 adults reported how long they slept and kept records of food intake.
Indicators of overall metabolic health such as blood pressure, blood cholesterol, blood sugar, and thyroid function were monitored, as well as weight and waist circumference recorded.
Those who slept for six hours or less a night had waists that were on average 1.1 inches (3cm) larger than those who slept for nine hours.
