How to Lose Weight in 12 Simple Steps

“Successful weight loss takes programming, not willpower” - Phil McGraw

Introduction to Weight Loss

Maintaining a healthy weight and consuming a healthy diet is an essential part of life. It helps one stay away from various health problems including obesity and overweight. A World Health Organization (WHO) report shows that overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk factors for global deaths. Obesity presents physical stress on multiple body processes and is also associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and certain cancers. Therefore, many clinicians and nutritionists recommend maintaining a healthy weight or following a weight loss program before it affects the quality of life. So, if you are worried about weight gain and looking for weight loss tips, then take a look at these tips that may help you shake off those extra calories, and lose weight.

1. Drink Plenty of Water

Water not only helps in hydration, it also plays a potentially important role in reducing energy intakes, and thereby in obesity prevention. Rather than opting for a hypocaloric diet or beverage alone, combining this with good volume of water intake can help you to lose weight. In a 2010 study performed on middle aged and older adults, there was a decline of 44% in weight over 12 weeks. The individuals consumed 500 ml water prior to each main meal that resulted in greater weight loss than a hypocaloric diet alone. Some results have also established that consuming 1.5 L of excessive water helps in weight reduction, body fat reduction, and appetite suppression in overweight women. Another study performed on overweight children to check the effect of water drinking on the Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) showed great results. An increase of 25% in REE, following the drinking of 10 ml/kg of cold water in overweight children was observed, which lasted for over 40 min.

2. Increase Protein Intake

Recommended protein intake lies in the range of 0.8–0.9 g protein/kg/day. But protein intake higher than this has a greater potential for weight loss, fat loss, and lean mass retention. A high protein diet has been suggested as a promising strategy for weight loss as it provides dual benefits of improving satiety and decreasing fat mass in individuals.

Reports suggest that after the consumption of an isocaloric meal containing 68% protein, significantly greater satiety was observed compared with a 10% protein meal. Increased satiety has a direct relation with weight loss; it helps to reduce energy intake, and further weight loss.

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3. Drink Green Tea

Green tea confers numerous health benefits including anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, antibacterial, antiangiogenic, antioxidative, neuroprotective and cholesterol-lowering effects. Studies reveal that long-term consumption of tea catechins could be beneficial against high-fat diet-induced obesity. It helps reduce body weight by increasing postprandial thermogenesis and fat oxidation. So, try adding a cup of green tea in your daily routine to avail its benefits.

4. Select a Smart Meal Plan

For speedy weight loss results, selecting the right quantity and quality of food is important. Eating the right combination of fresh fruits, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy will give your body the energy it needs, and also manage your weight.

5. Consume More Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

Cutting back on calories is not the answer to successful weight loss; you also need to increase the quality of what you eat. Fruits and vegetables are part of a well-balanced and healthy diet plan. They provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and nutrients that are important for maintaining good health. The WHO report recommends that adults should consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, excluding starchy vegetables. You can even prepare lower-calorie recipes at home by substituting low-calorie fruits and vegetables in place of higher-calorie ingredients. According to a study, Carica papaya and Morinda citrifolia exhibit high lipase inhibition helpful for the management of obesity and maintaining body weight. Even Allium cepa, Lactuca sativa, & Capsicum annum are also rich vegetable sources containing potential anti-obesity phytochemicals.

6. Schedule Your Workouts

Regular exercise or small workouts are a crucial part of any weight loss program. It helps burn calories, maintains muscle mass and boosts your metabolism. Clinicians also educate their patients on the importance of doing some physical activity daily and maintaining overall health.

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7. Begin with a Walking Program

Walking is unique because of its safety, accessibility, and popularity. A 15-minutes walk or choosing stairs rather than the elevator is a good way to start. And ideally if you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, it could help to burn approximately 150 calories per day. Studies show that brisk walking along with diet therapy helps in reducing BMI and skinfold thickness. You can also move to jogging and running once you are habituated to walking.

8. Opt for Healthy Snacks

Eating a snack or two between meals can curb hunger and might help you to eat less when you finally sit down to supper. But the snacks should be healthy and full of nutrients so that they don’t adversely affect your health. For example, a cup of grapes and a handful of walnuts is a good choice. You can pick up popcorn for munching; they are low in fat and high in fiber. Yogurt is also a good option; it provides calcium and fiber which fills nutritional gaps very well. These healthy snacks can be eaten directly or consumed in combination with daily meals without adding weight to your body.

9. Go for Low Carb Diet

Restricting carbohydrate in your diet is an effective option to lose weight. Studies reveal that low-carbohydrate diet shows a favorable effect on body weight and major cardiovascular risk factors. Low carb diets increase the energy expenditure; people lose more weight as compared to reduced calorie intake alone. Sweet potatoes, breads, pastas, and so on, should be avoided once you are into weight loss program.

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10. Avoid Foods That Contain Trans Fats

Foods containing trans fats may have enhanced taste and texture but they are very harmful for health. Cakes, pies, biscuits, cream-filled candies, and so on, contain an alarming amount of sugar and fat. Long-term consumption of trans fatty acids (TFA) increases visceral adiposity and insulin resistance. This leads to increase in the weight and belly fat. According to a study, increased TFA intake leads to an increase in abdominal circumference in men and body weight in women.

11. Add Spice to Your Food

Spices just don’t add flavor to the food, they are also a good way of managing weight. According to a study, red chili, curcumin, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and ginger, have shown to exhibit effects against obesity. The possible mechanism is through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. For example, curcumin directly interacts with adipocytes, leading to weight loss.

12. Bowl of Soup Before Meals

A freshly prepared soup full of vegetables is a healthy source of energy and also an effective weight management strategy. Soup as a pre-load reduces food intake and maintains satiety.