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Best weight loss strategies

In order to lose weight, people starve themselves to death, eat only a tomato for a meal, drink honey and lemon to lose weight, take to fad diets, consume weight loss pills or crash diet. This results in either being hospitalized or makes us victims of bulimia. Today dieticians, health professionals and doctors don’t recommend the above quick escapades but advice a better, easy to follow ways. Losing weight is certainly not an easy journey. It takes time, commitment, encouragement and, most of all, patience to lose weight. In your quest to lose weight, you must stage a coup by following these best ways to lose weight. Watch yourself become more confident about your appearance and see yourself shedding those unwanted pounds safely.

Cook your own meals

Our lifestyles are fast paced and filled with ever growing responsibilities. This leaves us with less time to take care of ourselves, let alone cook our own meals. To save time, we end up eating pre-packaged foods or restaurant food. Even though we are unaware of it, these foods are not only high in fat but are also high in calories. The idea of letting go of eating at restaurants and cooking one’s own meals can seem daunting at first. However, by pre-planning your meals and by doing the prep work like chopping and dicing the vegetables and meat in advance, one can cook and put together a healthy meal in no time.

Eat smaller, more frequent meals

Instead of skipping meals or starving to lose weight, dieticians, health professionals and doctors all over the world encourage eating smaller meals instead of three large meals. They also recommend eating five small meals or eating meals every 2-3 hours. By eating five small meals or eating meals every 2-3 hours, one can boost their metabolism. This way, one can give their body energy, keep feeling full and keep hunger at bay. By adopting this strategy, one’s body will not store calories as fat but burn calories as one constantly fuels their body with food, control appetite, reduce chances of overeating, keep the blood sugar steady and decrease cravings.

Eat slowly

One of the best strategies to lose weight is to eat slowly. Two new studies have now revealed that obese people eat faster than their counterparts i.e. slimmer people. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island also have proved that eating faster increases the amount of food consumption. If one chews their food thoroughly and eats it slowly, one will feel full sooner and are less likely to overeat at mealtimes. For decades, dietitians, doctors and nutritionists have encouraged this strategy as it has been found out that people who eat slowly tend to eat less and, as a result, weigh less. The reason for this is that one doesn’t feel satiated from their stomach, but rather it comes from the brain. The body and the brain take their own time to communicate with each other to tell one to stop eating because they are full.

Exercise

Though the very thought of exercising and working out often freaks people out, research has proved that exercise is the best strategy to lose weight and burn calories. A great way to start exercising is to just start walking. One can start walking in the neighborhood or at the local park. After you have settled down to walking for a certain period of time, you can either start walking at a fast pace or try your hand at either slow walking or slow running. Another great way to lose weight is to swim as it not only burns calories faster without putting extra stress on the body, but is a good alternative for people who have joint problems or who have not exercised in a long time. You can also exercise with a fun activity like cycling, skiing, playing tennis, table tennis, badminton, dancing or simply with a frisbee.

Cut calories

Our lifestyles are such that we consume a lot of sugary, fatty and calorific foods. This results in weight gain. One of the best ways to lose weight is to cut down on sugary, fatty and calorific foods and eat more of wholegrain bread i.e. brown bread, fruits and vegetables. One also needs to cut out unhealthy treats like confectionaries, sugary biscuits and crisps between meals. The studies conducted by Mayo Clinic states that the calories one consumes either turn into fat or physical energy. And if you are consuming more calories than you’re burning off, then it will immediately lead you to gain weight.

Increase the fiber content

It may come as a surprise to anyone that even nature comes to our aid when one wants to lose weight. Fiber, nature’s amazing food, helps not only to lose weight but also makes sure that our digestive system runs smoothly so that it can detox our body, boost our metabolism and make us feel healthier. Research has proved that fiber gives a satiated feeling and stays in our stomach longer, thereby slowing down the rate of digestion. In addition to this, fiber also aids in moving the fat through our digestive system faster so that one absorbs less of it. Some of the fiber-rich foods to lose weight are oatmeal, vegetable salads, single serving of whole grain bread, legumes, vegetables, fruits, brown rice and whole grains.

Drink water

Another way to lose weight comes from nature; in fact, from our own kitchen sink. Still trying to figure it out? Well, it’s water. Studies show that drinking a glass of water 15-20 minutes prior to breakfast, lunch, and dinner helps one lose weight easily as this not only gives a satiated feeling but also dissolves the stomach juice needed for a proper digestion, as well as keep hunger at bay. Yes, it’s true that drinking water 15-20 minutes prior to breakfast, lunch and dinner or drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner reduces appetite for food and speeds up metabolism while cutting back on portions.

Avoid soda and alcohol

The culprit of all causes i.e., soda is to be avoided at all costs if you need to lose weight as even an eight-ounce can of soda contains more than 100 calories. Because soda is a sugary beverage, which is the enemy of weight loss, replace soda with fresh squeezed juice or homemade lemonade. Some people are under the assumption that consuming diet soda will help in weight loss. This is far from the truth. In reality, diet soda is even worse than regular soda. Similarly, one must also avoid alcohol because it actually stimulates your appetite and is a source of calories. Though one may have eaten full, research shows that drinking alcohol before or during a meal, results in overeating and subsequent weight gain.

Weight loss buddy

To lose weight can sometimes be an uphill task. For this, another strategy to lose weight is to find a weight loss buddy. A weight loss buddy can be a family member, a friend, a colleague or even a spouse. With a weight loss buddy, one can be motivated, motivate, get encouraged and encourage each other to work through the weight loss plan. One can even sign up for a gym membership or any kind of classes where one can find people with a similar goal. Once you find that weight loss buddy, losing weight will no longer seem like an uphill task but, in fact, will be a piece of cake.

Food journal

Multitasking, grabbing food while on the move, watching TV while munching, these are a few of the bad habits one adopts and becomes slave to. These will skyrocket our weight. However, there is a simple solution and that is to keep a food diary or a food journal. Note down everything, what and when you eat during each and every day. Do a trial for one week and review it. Studies show that a food diary or food journal not only aids in losing weight, it also turbo-charges it. It also helps you consume fewer calories and outdoes and outshines exercises.

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