If you’ve landed on this page, chances are you’ve already come across a lot of unfounded “weight loss tips” online. It can feel overwhelming; there’s a lot of information out there, and the weight-loss industry is brimming with misconceptions.
Based on a lot of unsubstantiated information, people are making drastic changes to their diet and exercise regime, often harming their bodies in the process. With science-based weight-loss tips you can focus on what actually matters: your health.
Before we continue, however, remember this: there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss. That is, depending on your weight loss goals, your body type, health and lifestyle, you’ll have to do your research to determine what works best for you.
Eat protein, fat, and vegetables
Though it may sound counter-intuitive at first, to lose weight, you have to keep eating, but you have to eat the right things. One approach, and our weight loss tip for this section, is to only eat protein, fat and vegetables. Notice that carbs don’t make the cut.
While there’s nothing wrong with carbohydrates, per-se, the way carbs are consumed in modern day society comes at a cost, including increased blood sugar and insulin levels, often leading to weight gain. As a result, diets low in carbohydrates, such as the Ketogenic and Atkins diets, are widely-accepted for weight loss.
- Protein – Eating high-quality protein helps a person retain muscle mass and reduce body fat. Retaining muscle mass for weight loss is crucial because muscles require the body to consume more calories. Remember that protein isn’t a synonym for meat; you can find high-quality protein in a wide range of sources, including eggs, fish, poultry, meat, low-fat milk, beans, and nuts.
- Fats – By increasing your consumption of fats and reducing or eliminating carbohydrates, your body becomes a fat-burning machine, because there isn’t anything else to burn! This focus on fats essentially shifts your metabolism, but note that some fats are healthier than others due to their added nutritional value. Among these are: avocados, nuts, flax seed and coconuts.
- Vegetables – Vegetables provide our most important vitamins, minerals, as well as crucial dietary fibers. They usually come with few calories, but lots of fiber, which also makes us feel “full” and eat less. These include dark, leafy greens, tomatoes, onions, and peppers, to name just a few.
Best exercises for weight loss
Exercise helps to regulate your weight by consuming extra calories that would otherwise be stored as fat. Though increasing exercise is a widely accepted weight loss tip, reliable information isn’t always readily available.
Researchers repeatedly demonstrate that daily physical exercise, paired with healthier eating habits, is the most effective and healthy way to regulate your weight. Aside from dieting, exercise is one of the most common techniques people use to lose excess pounds. That said, choosing the right exercises, or fitness plan, for weight loss isn’t always a simple task, and often depends on your physical condition.
Two types of exercise, HIIT training and Cardio, tend to show the best results for individuals trying to lose weight.
HIIT training (anaerobic exercise)
Considered one of the most effective approaches to weight loss, HIIT training, which stands for High Intensity Interval Training, improves both your physical and mental health. The exercises used in HIIT training increase your metabolism and keep the calories burning even after the workout is complete. However, HIIT isn’t for everyone. It is physically demanding and can lead to injury if performed without experience or supervision.
A few popular, and highly effective, HIIT exercises include burpees, sprints, push ups, and mountain climbers.
Cardio (aerobic exercise)
Cardio exercises are a more moderate approach to losing weight, but effective nonetheless. It tends to be less risky on the body, which is good for those of you that haven’t been exercising regularly. Cardio also increases lung capacity and mental clarity.
Some common cardio exercises include jogging, running, swimming and cycling. These are exercises you can start today, without having to pay for a gym membership or fancy equipment.
What about calories and portion control?
Weight loss tips around calories and portion control usually advise the following: if you limit your calorie intake per day and/or meal, you will inevitably lose weight, especially if combined with calorie burning activities, like regular exercise.
That said, calorie and portion control isn’t for everyone because it requires keeping track of every calorie that goes into your body. In a society where most social interactions revolve around sharing a meal, this approach is difficult to sustain in the long term. But, does it work for weight loss?: Yes, it does, and you also become keenly aware of your eating habits.
Easy weight loss tips
Here are a few weight loss tips you can apply right away:
- Eat slowly and chew your food properly. In doing so, your stomach will recognize when it’s full and you’re less likely to overeat, making portion control easier. You’ll also notice that your digestion will improve significantly.
- Avoid sugars, including unhealthy carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are converted to sugars in the body. If you’re following the approach outlined above, where you eat proteins, fats and vegetables, don’t include carbohydrates to the mix.
- Ensure you’re staying properly hydrated by regularly drinking water. Water helps our body absorb nutrients, flush out toxins and makes up for fluid lost during exercise.
- Commit to doing exercise daily for a minimum of 10 minutes. If you already do that, explore HIIT fitness plans and push yourself harder.
Conclusion
New research in nutrition and weight loss is uncovering that weight loss has more to do with energy management, including, but not limited to, food quality, sleep, physical activity, diet, and stress levels. Fully understanding these parameters and their effect on weight loss in your own life will require many changes in your overall lifestyle.
In the meantime, try some of the above-mentioned suggestions to balance healthy eating with regular exercise. Commit to a plan and you’ll be losing weight in no time!