Weight loss is a journey, in which when you find the best way to lose weight that works for you it becomes your lifestyle. Many of us can attest to how difficult it can be to reach our weight loss goal.
We are going to discuss the seven most simple and effective strategies that can be incorporated into our daily life to lose weight.
These best ways to lose weight include; managing your insulin, intermittent fasting, sleeping well at night, eating mindfully, protein, good fat, and vegetables, managing stress levels and lastly eating plenty of fiber.
Let’s dive in.
1. Manage Insulin
Insulin is a hormone that lowers the level of glucose in the blood. It is produced and stored in the pancreas. When eating starchy food, sugars, and some carbohydrates, are digested into simple sugars in the intestine. Then pancreas releases insulin into the bloodstream when it senses the sugars. That insulin signals the muscle to absorb the sugar.
The other job of insulin is to facilitate the removal of glucose from the blood into the cells where it can be converted to energy or stored as fat. A higher level of insulin prevents fat from being changed to energy.
A high intake of carbs causes your pancreas to release too much insulin that signals your cells that there is a lot of sugar. Unused sugar ends up being stored as fat and you gain weight.
Controlling your insulin and keeping it low is crucial if you want to lose weight. That can be achieved by reducing carbohydrate intake, having at least 7 hours of sleep, and moving your body regularly in the form of exercise.
2. Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating not a diet. It consists of regular short-term fasting and eating meals within a certain period of time during the day.
Intermittent fasting carries quite a number of health benefits that include repairing slow metabolism, boosting weight loss, strengthening your immune system, repairing insulin resistance, increasing stem cells, etc. the list is endless.
The 16/8 method is the most common way of fasting. It simply refers to fasting for 16 hours and eating only during 8 hours period. You can have breakfast at 10 a.m and eat supper at 6 p.m. Avoid eating snacks in between meals.
Other people use the 5:2 method. In this method, you fast 2 times out of 7 days.
Eat healthy on your non-fasting days and on your eating periods during fasting. Studies have proved that intermitted fasting can work on weight loss.
3. Sleep well at night
Sleeping is one of the underrated things when it comes to weight loss. Poor quality sleep slows down the metabolism; the process where the physical and the chemical processes in the body convert calories to energy. When metabolism is slower, the body could store unused energy as fat which might lead to gaining weight.
The time that one spends sleeping affects the regulation of leptin; the hormone that controls appetite. It is the one that sends messages to the brain when you are full.
Insufficient sleep can also increase insulin production which also prompts fat storage.
It is ideal to have 7 hours of sound sleep as per Mayo Clinic. Remember that quantity of sleep is as good as quality sleep. Make sure to create a sleeping pattern that works for you.
4. Slow down when you eat
Most people have very busy lives and, as a result, do not have enough time to eat. They tend to grab something on the move and eat very quickly.
The main issue with this habit is that one might take more calories than the body needs because the mind would not have registered that they are full.
It is important to eat slowly and mindfully. Eating slowly can help in reducing the calorie intake and the body can produce more hormones that lead to weight loss. When the mind registers that you are full, you would have eaten a small portion.
Eating mindfully involves paying attention to how and what you eat. It is about eating slowly and without destruction. In this process, gadgets can be put aside, and the TV can be muted so that one can eat and enjoy the experience.
This technique is one of the best ways to lose weight, as it gives a person’s brain enough time to recognize the signals that they are full, which can then help to prevent over-eating.
When making a choice of what to eat, it should be food that will keep you full for a longer period of time to avoid eating more frequently.
5. Eat Protein, Good Fats, and Vegetables
Each meal should contain protein, good/healthy fats, vegetables, and a very small amount of carbohydrates.
Including protein in your meal reduces appetite and hunger levels. It boosts metabolism and increases fat burning. Lean protein is low in fat, and it can make you feel full so you’ll lose weight quickly. Great sources of protein include lean meat, chicken, turkey, eggs, seafood, and legumes.
Healthy fats may also help to make you feel more satisfied after a meal, reducing hunger and promoting weight loss. You can find healthy fat in coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts, flax seeds, olives, fatty fish, and tofu.
Vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories, they make you full without gaining weight.
6. Managing stress levels
In most cases, stress has a direct impact on our weight gain or weight loss. This also depends on each individual since our bodies react to stress differently.
When the stress hormone called cortisol rises that may lead to gaining weight. The body also processes food in a different way under stress. It affects metabolism in a negative way.
Stress also drives you to engage in unhealthy habits like bad eating habits, craving sweet things, sleeping less, not exercising, and many more.
It is advisable to have a daily routine of a healthy way of living. Maintaining it even during stressful times can help in overcoming the impacts of stress.
There are free different ways that can assist in managing stress. When is well managed, it is defiantly one of the best ways to lose weight.
7. Eating plenty of fiber
No brainer, anything that reduces your appetite can help in reducing your calorie intake. With less appetite, you may lose weight without even having to think about it.
Including plenty of fiber in your diet can leave you fuller for a longer period of time. Possibly that will lead to weight loss.
Fiber is one of the most important nutrients. It refers to carbohydrates that can’t be digested in the small intestine. In most cases is plant-based.
It is categorized into two sections which are soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water whereas Insoluble fiber does not.
Soluble fiber helps keep your gut bacteria healthy and promotes overall fat loss by reducing your appetite.
Insoluble fiber – Eating insoluble fiber helps to keep you regular, and if you do get constipated, adding more of it to your diet can get things moving.
Here are some foods that are rich in fiber
- Fruits and vegetables
- Beans and peas
- Nuts and seeds
- Whole grain bread and pasta
- Whole grain breakfast cereals
- Avocados
- Sweet potatoes
- Turnips
Amazing
Thank you