Losing weight doesn’t have to be hard if you go about it the right way. The problem is that there is so much advice and advertised weight-loss supplements that promis easy fat-loss. In truth, a lot of these weight-loss supplements and weight-loss advice aren’t backed by real evidence. Anyone can tell you that clicking your heels three times and drinking celery juice for breakfast will help you lose weight, but that doesn’t mean they’re right. If you are in search of real, evidence backed weight-loss advice, check out our list of weight-loss tips below.
Cut Back On Refined Carbs
Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of fuel. This is because they are more easily digestible and convert quickly into energy. When we are trying to lose weight, we want our body to instead burn off our fat stores for energy, thus resulting in weight-loss. By eating fewer carbs (especially refined carbs) our body must turn to burning our fat for fuel. This is the reasoning behind low carb diets like the Ketogenic, South Beach, and Atkins diet. So, if weight-loss is you goal, you may want to ditch your morning bagel
Eat More Protein
Protein is essential for building and repairing muscle tissue. It’s important to eat enough protein to maintain your lean muscle mass, especially if you are on a calorie restricted diet. Additionally, protein is nutrient dense and keeps you feeling fuller much longer than less protein dense foods. This will in turn reduce your chances of overeating.
Eat More Fiber
We all know fiber is important for keeping our digestive tract regular and eliminating waste. It also helps us stay fuller longer due to the density and roughage of fiber rich foods. Whole grains, whole fruits, and vegetables are all great sources of fiber.
Fill Up On Veggies
Vegetables should always be on the menu for weight-loss, not just for their important nutrients, but also for their low calorie content. Most vegetables, especially leafy green vegetables, contain very few calories in relation to other food groups. This means you can eat more of them and not go overboard with calories. They are especially useful for keeping you full when on a calorie restricted diet.
Move As Much as Possible
Of course exercise is a must for any weight-loss program, but you should aim to move more in general. The more you move, whether that’s through walking more, cleaning your house, fidgeting in your seat, or doing calf raises when you’re washing the dishes, the more calories you are burning. Although the calories burned through these small actions may not seem like a lot, they are more calories than you would burn otherwise. In combination with a regular workout routine and diet, these calories burned add up to an even greater weight-loss.
Don’t Drink Your Calories
If you are a regular soda or juice drinker, stop. Caloric beverages are nothing but empty calories for the most part, even fruit juices. You are better off eating a piece of fruit than drinking a glass of fruit juice. The whole fruit will at least provide you with fiber that will keep you satiated. Juice will provide calories without the fiber, meaning it won’t keep you from getting hungry.
Do Drink Coffee
Coffee is an easy way to boost your metabolism. Coffee contains caffeine which is a natural stimulant that spikes our metabolism and makes us feel more energized. Drinking coffee may help us burn more calories throughout the day, especially if we drink it before a workout. Tea, especially green tea, also contains caffeine and can have the same effect. Want even more of a fat burning boost? Try our green tea fat burning supplement that contains concentrated green tea extract and other ingredients to maximize fat-burning potential.
Drink Water Before, During, and After Meals
Drinking water before, during, and after a meal can make you feel fuller thus reducing your appetite and risk of overeating. It can also cleanse your palate and reduce cravings that could lead to unnecessary snacking.
Eat Slower
Oftentimes we get overexcited at mealtimes and gulf down our food before our stomach has a chance to tell our brain that we’re full. This is why we end up eating seconds and thirds before realizing we’re stuffed. By forcing yourself to slow down while eating, your body has more time to listen to it’s natural fullness signals.
Get More Sleep
When you don’t get enough sleep, you feel cranky and fatigued throughout the day. This lack of energy makes your body want to compensate by eating more energy, or food. Plus, the more tired you are, the more likely you are to opt for an easy unhealthy meal.
Eat A Protein Rich Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but only if it’s full of protein. By filling up on protein bright and early, you will stay full for hours. This will prevent you from mid-morning snacking or going overboard at lunch time. Eggs, protein shakes, and Greek yogurt are all excellent options for a protein rich breakfast.
Chew Gum To Reduce Cravings
Ever wonder why it’s near impossible to eat just one potato chip? That’s because it is full of salt, fat, and sugar that sends our taste buds into a frenzy. It tastes good, so naturally we want more. To keep yourself from overeating, chew gum in between meal times or right after. The gum will remove the taste of food from our mouth, which will make it easier for us to stop eating. If we don’t crave it any longer, we’re less likely to want it.
Lift Weights
Lifting weights is a great form of exercise that burns calories and builds muscle. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue, meaning it burns calories just for existing. By building more muscle mass, you inadvertently raise your resting metabolism. This means you’ll burn more calories daily even when you’re sitting on the couch. Over time this extra calorie burn will help you lose fat and keep it off.
Keep A Food Journal
If you’re having trouble keeping your diet in check, start keeping a food journal. Write down everything you eat, even if it’s just a bite of something. A food journal is a way to hold yourself accountable and help you understand how many calories you are taking in per day. If you haven’t noticed any weight-loss progress, take a look at your food journal and decide what changes need to be made to your diet.
Take CLA
While no magic pill for weight-loss exists, CLA might be pretty close to it. CLA is a fatty acid that is best known for its role in weight-loss. This is because CLA increases the enzymes and proteins that are involved in fat breakdown. In one study, overweight women lost 9 percent of their body fat in one years time after taking daily CLA supplements, without changing their lifestyle habits. Curious about supplementing with CLA? Check out our all natural CLA softgel supplements to boost your weight-loss efforts.
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