There are so many myths around the industry of losing weight. Often, people receive advice to do all kinds of crazy things, the majority of which lack evidence. However, scientists have been discovering several strategies that are effective over the years. Here are some of the sure tips that can help you to successfully lose weight.
Eat Healthy
Your primary diet should include healthy meals and snacks. Let each meal consist of 50% fruits and vegetables, 25% protein, and 25% whole grains. Your daily fiber intake should be between 20-30g. A balanced diet gives you this. Also, keep saturated fats at a minimum and do away with trans fats completely.
Drink Enough Water
It is true that drinking water can aid in losing weight. In just one and a half hours, it can boost your body’s metabolism by up to 30%. This can help in burning some extra calories. Drinking about 17 ounces of water before a meal can help you lose some weight. This is because it influences the number of calories you take in.
Drink Black Coffee
Quality coffee has a lot of antioxidants and is beneficial to your health in several ways. According to studies, caffeine boosts the body’s metabolism, thereby increasing the burning of fats. Just ensure that you don’t add much sugar or other calorie-rich ingredients to the coffee as it would cancel out the benefits.
Keep a Diary
If you’re ever going to be successful in your efforts of losing weight, then you must monitor yourself continuously. Record everything you eat throughout the day using a paper diary, an Internet program, or a mobile app. Also, remember to measure and keep records of your weight on a weekly basis so you can follow the progress.
Regular Exercise and Physical Activity
You need regular physical activity for your health to be great. If you increase it, then losing your weight won’t be a problem. A 1-hour moderate daily activity like walking can do well. If you’re not physically active, initiate the process of exercising slowly. Then, gradually increase it.
Keeping track of your physical activity is equally important in tracking your progress. Download a free mobile app that records the important perimeters of your calorie balance after completing an exercise. Some activities you could do include dog walking, dancing, gardening, and playing outdoor games.
Mindful Eating
Being aware of how, when, why, what, and where you eat can help in making better choices concerning your food. Concentrate, slow down, and savor while you’re eating. It helps to tune your body’s physiological signals so that you can know when you are full.
Don’t eat to get full but rather to be satisfied. Also, consider the food you are eating. Look at the ingredients for labeled foods. However, be careful since some of them have labels that suggest they’re all natural when they aren’t. Committing yourself to mindful eating goes a long way in making your weight loss campaign a success.
Portion Control
If you take in too much of any food, no matter what type it is, you’ll gain weight. Do not estimate a serving size or eat food out of your bag. Instead, use measurement guides, measuring cups, or just count the appropriate amount you should serve. Guesstimating can lead to overestimation and the likelihood of eating more than you should.
Are you eating out? Here are some size comparisons you could use to control how much to eat:
- 1 cup is like a baseball
- A half a cup is like a tennis ball
- A quarter of a cup is like a golf ball
- An ounce of nuts is like a loose handful
- 3 ounces of meat is like a deck of cards
Control Stimulus and Cue
Some environmental and social cues might encourage undesired eating. For instance, there are people who can overeat when they are watching TV. Others cannot pass by a candy bowl without picking a piece. Whatever your stimulus might be, take note of it and keep it under control.
Good Planning
Stock your kitchen with foods that do trigger weight gain. Remove anything that is junk and processed from your shelves and replace it with simple and healthy choices. This helps to prevent careless eating that may damper your plan of shedding some pounds. Also, keep your meals structured.
Never Give Up
Sometimes, pounds might not come off as fast as you desire, leading to discouragement. This is normal. At other times, sticking to your plan might get difficult. If you’re going to be successful in losing weight, then you’ll require a lot of perseverance. Unless you have a medical issue, never give up no matter how difficult the situation may seem.
Say No to Liquid Calories
It’s quite easy to consume a lot of calories throughout your day from teas, sugar-sweetened sodas, alcohol, or juices. This way, you render your efforts of shedding some pounds useless. Unless you’re taking a healthy meal supplement, just take water, coffee, or unsweetened tea.
If you need some taste, splash some fresh orange or lemon into the water or drinks. Also, do not confuse thirst with hunger. Take a drink of water in case you think you’re hungry and it’s not yet lunchtime or snack time. It could really go a long way in shedding your extra pounds.
Enhance Social Support
It is very crucial to seek for the support of your friends and loved ones in the endeavor of losing weight. You could also use other avenues such as individual or group counseling, positive social network, work employee-assistance programs, and exercise clubs.
Conclusion
With so many myths out there about how to successfully shed those extra pounds, it may be difficult for you to determine the right way to go. However, the major things you should stick to are maintaining healthy eating habits and increasing physical activity. It may not be easy to do so but you should never give up. For more tips and weight loss help, contact Mediplan Diet today!