Do you want to lose weight but are afraid to take to most of the information on the internet about weight loss? It’s true that consuming the best meal replacement shakes for weight loss can work remarkably well. But there’s also nothing wrong with learning and using the five tips to lose weight, according to science.
This article highlights the five science-backed tips to lose weight without endangering your overall health.
Top 5 tips to lose weight as proven by science
Follow these tips, and you will complete your weight loss in much better shape than you started:
Eat more fibre
When soluble fibre absorbs water, it forms a gel that helps slow down the digestion of the food you consume. This keeps you feeling fuller for longer and effectively kills off hunger cravings. Moreover, fibre also helps control blood glucose in the human body. In other words, you end up reducing your calorie intake.
Fibre is a part of plant foods that the human body cannot digest. But it makes sense to consume fibre-rich foods, and your digestive system will thank you.
Examples of fibre-rich foods are:
- Vegetables
- Legumes such as lentils and beans
- Whole grains
- Fruits
Blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries are also excellent sources of insoluble and soluble nutrient-rich fibres. These foods help protect against chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. These plant foods also offer several other health benefits because they are antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Other rich sources of fibre include:
- Tree nuts
- Non-starchy vegetables
- Lentils
- Seeds, etc.
Minimize or eliminate sugar intake
Cutting back on sugar is an excellent way of minimizing the build up of fat in your body. You will find sugar in most beverages and ultra-processed foods. Even fruit juices are not sugar-free. Sugar is also present in high-fat foods like ice cream and candy and those high in carbs such as pasta and bread.
You can lower sugar intake by replacing all sugary beverages with plain drinking water. For example, avoid fruit drinks and soda since they are loaded with sugar. By replacing the calories in one sweetened beverage daily with water, you save hundreds of calories every week.
Get quality sleep every night
Many people interested in losing weight should not take getting high-quality sleep for granted. Getting quality sleep every night is critical to wellness and health. Sleep is crucial in brain function, immune health, and more.
In addition, numerous scientific studies reveal that lack of sleep increases cortisol production, which boosts your body’s fat storage. Another study even showed that those who slept for at least 5 hours or less every night had more fat in their bodies than individuals who caught some Z’s for 7 hours or more every night.
Furthermore, if you don’t have enough sleep, your body increases the production of the appetite hormone called ghrelin. When this happens, you will start craving sugary foods and eventually eat more than you should to quell your hunger.
When this cycle repeats daily, you will start gaining weight as you consume sugary foods, and your body stores excess calories as fat.
Manage stress
When stressed, the human body produces – and increases – cortisol production. Cortisol is the dreaded stress hormone that significantly increases visceral fat in the human body. Too much cortisol pushes your body to start storing fat in your midsection and soon increases deeper visceral fat.
Therefore, ensure you don’t allow chronic stress to take over your health and life. Instead, engage in mind-body activities like meditation and yoga, taking hot baths, or going for nature walks to reduce stress levels.
Focus on physical activities that work the large muscle groups in your body
Another aspect of taming fat involves physical activities. Performing workouts that work for every large muscle group – like your lower body – offers the most benefits. This is because large muscles burn more fat and calories and affect those hormones that regulate blood sugar and weight control.
Therefore, focus on deadlifts, squats, cycling, or running, which are dynamic exercises you should consider. Exercises also reduce inflammation in the human body and boost insulin sensitivity.
Focusing on a healthy lifestyle is crucial in helping you lose excess weight. Therefore, take these five tips to heart, apply them to your daily life, and you will start noticing visible and health-beneficial changes in your body.
