The internet is abuzz with stories and posts of their weight loss journey and every day there is a new weight loss program or a diet supplement which is the talk of the town. If you are motivated by their success and start your weight loss program, it may not be an easy journey as most of them will leave you hungry and dissatisfied. Most of the time people give up on these programs due to lack of willpower to control hunger. You don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight as there are some scientifically-backed strategies that can help lose weight effectively. Here are some of them:
Your diet and exercise pattern: The foremost thing to do is maintain a journal of the things you eat and the amount of exercise you undertake every day. If you are keen on losing weight the next thing to do is keep track of your diet and exercise plan. There are many online trackers to keep a note of these things. Moreover, there are many apps that can be installed on your smartphone to track your diet and exercise which can help in managing weight. Researchers believe that there is a connection between controlling food intake and weight loss.
Eat less processed foods: There is evidence of the fact that processed foods contain a lot of calories, fat, sodium, and sugar with very little quantity of essential nutrients. Moreover, as per recent studies consuming processed food is linked to addictive eating which results in overeating and weight gain. Hence it is best to avoid all kinds of processed foods for a quick weight loss.
Eat food that is rich in protein and fiber: It is essential to include a lot of fiber in your diet as it can make you feel full and help you eat less, leading to weight loss. Food that is rich in fiber includes fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts, pulses, beans, oats, whole-wheat pasta, and whole-grain bread. It is also essential to include food like oats, eggs, sardines, nuts, etc which contains protein in your diet. It not only makes you feel full longer but also controls the hormone ghrelin that causes hunger.
Boosting good gut bacteria: Bacteria is present in large numbers in a human gut while there are some harmful bacteria that are useful too, which aids in converting the food consumed into energy. Food also aids to increase the good bacteria that help a great deal for weight loss. Many grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts contain fiber which also increases gut bacteria. There are certain probiotics present in food like onion, garlic, chicory root, avocado, banana, etc that increase the growth of good gut bacteria and help in weight control. So it is essential to include these gut bacteria boosting food in your diet for effective weight loss.
Intermittent fasting: It is a type of eating pattern wherein a person fasts for a short period of time. Followed this fasting method for 24 weeks have seen better weight loss when compared to alternate-day fasting. In an alternate day fasting, people fast for one day and eat normally the next day, but it is recommended that one should not overeat on non-fasting days. Another method of fasting that has seen effective results is 16 hours fast and eat during the next 8 hours. Eating during a restricted period resulted in taking fewer calories and also leads to weight loss.
Eating more fruits and vegetables: Your daily diet should include a major portion of fruits and vegetables as that promotes weight loss. There are also specific fruits like Garcinia Cambogia which is a tropical fruit and is a good weight loss supplement. You may wonder, does Garcinia Cambogia work, but many reviews and research suggest it is a wonder fruit to reduce weight. This helps the body to consume less fat and reduces appetite. Garcinia Cambogia is also useful to control diabetes, blood pressure and also keeps the bad cholesterol levels low.
Consume less sugar and carbs: Increase in simple carbs and sugar consumption is seen as a reason for the rise in obesity. Foods like pasta, bread, and white rice contain carbs that can lead to a high level of sugars in the body, which is converted into glucose. An increase in glucose levels results in an imbalance in insulin and leads to weight gain. Instead of simple carbs consume complex carbs as they take longer to convert to energy and keeps the stomach feel full.
Increase water intake: Water is an essential liquid and is the best fluid a person should drink. Though it contains no calories it offers many health benefits and keeps your body hydrated. Drinking water increases metabolism and other bodily functions. You tend to eat less by drinking water before a meal. It is also a great alternative for sugary drinks which only increases the calorie content.
Quality sleep: A quality sleep of about 6 to 7 hours every night is essential for various reasons including weight loss. As per studies, too little sleep and weight gain are interrelated. When a person does not sleep well at night it can lead to a slow metabolism. When the metabolism slows down all the unused energy is converted into fat and leads to weight gain. Poor sleep can also increase the hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin which leads to binge eating. It also increases the production of cortisol and insulin which causes fat storage.
Exercise regularly: Apart from diet control another essential thing to do in a weight loss program is regular exercise. It is important to have it as part of your daily routine which includes anything from walking to running. Resistance training can also be included in your regimen to build muscle mass, it aids in burning more calories. Include cardio exercises to lose weight quickly.
Weight loss cannot happen immediately, it takes time and patience. The best way to achieve great results is to eat balanced food and lead a healthy lifestyle.