25+ Weight Loss Tips That Are Actually Evidence-Based
People are often advised to do all sorts of crazy things to loss weight, most of which have no evidence behind them.
However, over the years, many scientists have found a number of strategies that seem to be effective.
We bring you 25+ weight loss tips that are actually evidence-based.
1. Drink Water, Especially Before Meals
It is often claimed that drinking water can help with weight loss and surprisingly its true.
Drinking water can boost metabolism by 25–30% over a period of 1–1.5 hours, helping you to burn off a few more calories.
One study showed that drinking a half-liter (17 ounces) of water about half an hour before meals helped dieters to eat fewer calories and lose 45% more weight, compared to those who didn’t drink the water.
2. Eat Eggs For Breakfast
Eating whole eggs can have various sorts of benefits, including helping you lose weight.
Studies show that replacing a grain based breakfast with whole eggs can help you eat fewer calories for the next 36 hours as well as lose more weight and body fat.
If you don’t eat eggs, that’s fine. Any source of quality protein for breakfast should do this trick.
3. Lift Weights
One of the worst side effects of dieting is that it tends to cause muscle loss and metabolic slowdown, which is often referred to as starvation mode.
The best way to prevent this is ,by doing some sort of resistance exercise such as lifting weights.
Studies show that weight lifting can help to keep your metabolism high and prevent you from losing precious muscle mass.
Of course, it’s important just not to lose fat , but you also need to build muscle.
4. Drink Green Tea
Like coffee, green tea also has many health benefits, one of them being weight loss.
Though green tea contains small amounts of caffeine, but it is loaded with powerful antioxidants called catechins, which are believed to work synergistically with caffeine to enhance fat burning.
However the evidence is mixed, many studies show that green tea (either as a beverage or a green tea extract supplement) can help you lose weight.
5. Eat More Vegetables and Fruits
Vegetables and fruits have several properties that also makes them effective for weight loss.
They contain few calories but a lot of fiber.
Studies show that people who eat vegetables and fruits regularly tend to weigh less.
These foods are also very nutritious, so eating them is important for your health and fitness.
6. Take a Glucomannan Supplement
Glucomannan is a fiber which has been linked to weight loss in several studies.
This type of fiber absorbs water and sits in your gut for a while, making you feel more full and helping you eat fewer calorie diet.
Studies have shown that people who supplement with glucomannan lose a bit more weight than those who don’t .
7. Cut Back on Added Sugar
Added sugar is one of the worst ingredients used in the modern diet. Most people consumes added sugar too much.
Studies have shown that sugar consumption is strongly associated with an increased risk of obesity, as well as conditions including type 2 diabetes and heart disease also.
If you want to lose weight, make sure to cut back on added sugar.
Just make sure to read labels on the packaging ingredients, because even so called health foods can also be loaded with sugar.
8. Eat Less Refined Carbs
Refined carbohydrates includes sugar and grains which have been stripped of their fibrous, nutritious parts. These include white bread and pasta too.
Studies show that refined carbs can spike blood sugar rapidly, which leads to hunger, cravings and increased food intake a few hours later. Eating refined carbs is also strongly linked to obesity.
If you are going to eat carbs, so make sure to eat them with their natural fiber.
9. Go on a Low-Carb Diet
If you want to get all the benefits of carb restriction, then consider going all the way to a low-carb diet.
Various studies show that such a regimen can help you lose 2–3 times as much weight as a standard low-fat diet while also improving your health.
10. Don’t Do Sugary Drinks, Including Soda and Fruit Juice
Sugar is bad, but sugar in liquid form is even worse.
Studies have shown that calories from liquid sugar may be the single most fattening aspect of the modern diet.
For example, one study showed that sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to a 60-65% increased risk of obesity in children for each daily serving.
Keep in mind that this applies to fruit juice as well, which contains a similar amount of sugar as a soft drink.
Eat whole fruit, but limit or avoid fruit juice if possible.
11. Exercise Portion Control or Count Calories
Portion control , simply eating less ,or counting calories can be very useful.
Some studies show that keeping a food diary or taking pictures of your meals can also help you to lose weight.
Anything that increases your awareness towards what you are eating is likely to be beneficial.
12. In Case You Get Hungry, Keep Healthy Food Around.
Keeping healthy food around you can help prevent you from eating something unhealthy if you become excessively hungry.
Foods that are easily portable and simple to prepare include whole fruits, nuts, baby carrots, yogurt and hard-boiled eggs.
13. Take Probiotic Supplements
Taking probiotic supplements containing bacteria of the Lactobacillus subfamily have been shown to reduce fat mass to loss weight.
Keep in mind that , the same doesn’t apply to all the Lactobacillus species.
However, Some studies have linked L. acidophilus with weight gain.
14. Beat Your Food Addiction
A recent study found that around 20% of people in North America and Europe fulfill the criteria for food addiction .
If you experience overpowering cravings and can’t seem to curb your eating ,no matter how hard you try, you may suffer from addiction.
In this case, seek professional help. Trying to lose weight without first combating the food addiction is next to impossible.
15. Do Aerobic Exercise
Doing aerobic exercise (cardio) is an excellent way to burn calories and also to improve your physical and mental health.
It appears to be particularly effective for losing belly fat, the unhealthy fat that tends to build up around your organs which can cause metabolic disease.
16. Drink Coffee (Preferably Black)
Coffee has been unfairly demonized. Quality coffee is loaded with antioxidants and can also have numerous health benefits.
Studies show that the caffeine in coffee can boost metabolism by 4–11% and increase fat burning by up to 10–30%.
Just make sure, not to add a bunch of sugar or other high-calorie ingredients to your coffee ,because that will completely negate any benefits.
17. Eat More Fiber
Fiber is often recommended for weight loss also.
Although the evidence is mixed, some studies show that fiber (especially viscous fiber) can increase satiety and also helps to you control your weight over the long term.
Also Read : 25 + Foods that Can Give You More Energy
18. Try Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting, a popular eating pattern in which people cycle between periods of fasting and eating.
Short-term studies suggest intermittent fasting is an effective way for weight loss as continuous calorie restriction.
Additionally, it may reduce the loss of muscle mass which is typically associated with low-calorie diets.
However, high quality studies are needed before any stronger claims can be made.
19. Get Good Sleep
Sleep is highly under rated but may prove to be just as important as eating healthy and exercising.
Studies shows that poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for obesity, as it is linked to around 90% increased risk of obesity in children and 55% in adults .
20. Eat Spicy Foods
Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which is a spicy compound that can boost metabolism and reduce your appetite slightly.
However, people may develop tolerance to the effects of capsaicin over time, which may result to limit its long-term effectiveness.
21. Eat More Protein
Protein is the single most important nutrient effective for losing weight.
Eating a high-protein diet has been shown to boost metabolism by 85–100 calories per day while shaving 441 calories per day off your diet.
One study also showed that eating around 25-30% of your daily calories as protein reduced obsessive thoughts about food by 60% while cutting desire for late-night snacking in half.
Simply adding protein to your diet is one of the easiest and most effective ways to lose weight.
22. Supplement With Whey Protein
If you struggle to get enough protein in your diet, taking a supplement such as protein powder can also help.
One study showed that replacing some of your calories with whey protein can cause weight loss of approximately about 8 to 10 pounds over time while increasing muscle mass.
23. Use Smaller Plates
Using smaller plates has been shown that it helps some people automatically eat fewer calories.
However, the plate-size effect doesn’t appear to affect everyone. Those who are overweight seem to be more affected.
24. Eat Whole, Single-Ingredient Foods
If you want to be slim, leaner, healthier person, then one of the best things you can do for yourself is to eat whole, single-ingredient foods.
These foods are naturally filling and it is very difficult to gain weight if the majority of your diet is based on them.
25. Don’t Diet — Eat Healthy Instead
One of the biggest problems with the diets is that they rarely work in the long term.
If anything, people who diet tend to gain more weight over time, and studies have shown that dieting is a consistent predictor of future weight gain.
Instead of going on a diet, aim to become a healthier, happier and fitter person. Your main Focus should be on nourishing your body instead of depriving it.
Weight loss should then follow naturally.
26. Chew More Slowly
Your brain may take a while to register that you’ve had enough to eat.
Some studies show that chewing at a slow rate can help you to eat fewer calories and increase the production of hormones linked to weight loss.
Also consider chewing your food more thoroughly. Studies show that increased chewing may also reduce calorie intake at a meal.
These practices are a component of mindful eating, which aims to help you slow down your food intake and pay attention to each bite you are taking.
CONCLUSION :
Various techniques can aid your weight loss goals.
Some of the above tips are purely dietary, involving eating more protein or cutting back on added sugar too.
Also ,others such as improving sleep quality or adding a workout routine are more lifestyle based.
If you implement some of these handful tips, you’ll be well on your way to your weight loss goals.