"Eat less and exercise more," if you are someone who is trying to lose weight - you may have heard this advice before. While doing both correctly may help you get certain results, there are other strategies that one must apply to lose weight effectively. There are no shortcuts to lose weight; eating a healthy diet, engaging in exercises and making healthy changes in your lifestyle are the key to shed those kilos. Remember, this is not a quick process; it needs patience and hard work to achieve your goal. Do not, in any case, fall for temptations that can ruin your effort for weight loss. If you have been trying to lose weight, we have jot down some science-backed tips to cut the flab.
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Follow a healthy diet and avoid going in extremes for weight loss and good health
Tips To Lose Weight
Here Are Some Tips by Dr. Debjani Benarjee, Head of Dietetics, PSRI Hospital To Lose Weight:
1. It is claimed that drinking a glassful of water before eating your meal can help you lose weight. According to National Center For Biotechnology Information (NCBI), drinking lots of water is commonly espoused in weight loss regimen and is regarded as healthy. A study showed that drinking half-litre water about a half an hour before meals helps dieters eat fewer calories and lose at least 44 percent more weight.
2. Cut back on added sugar. Added sugar is the worst ingredient in the modern diet and we all consume it in various forms. Its consumption is strongly associated with the risk of obesity along with other health conditions.
3. Eat whole fruits rather than drinking fruit juice. Whole fruits contain lots of fibre content, which is said to keep you fuller for longer, moreover, prevent you from overeating.
4. According to Harvard Health Publishing by Harvard Medical School, eating small frequent meals may help lose weight. Eat at least five to six small healthy meals every day to lose weight.
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Weight loss: Eat whole fruits rather than drinking fruit juice
5. Do not consume too much sodium, as it tends to retain water, which further bloats you up. After eating salty foods or drinks, your body tends to remove water from your cells into your bloodstream. Your blood volume increases, cells become dehydrated, and you start to feel thirsty.
6. Drink green tea to lose weight; it comes packed with antioxidants that help combat cell damaging free-radicals in the body and boost immunity system. It has active ingredients known as catechins that help in boosting metabolism, which further help in losing weight.
7. Include more protein in your diet as it helps you stay fuller for longer. Moreover, as per the NCBI, it helps boost metabolism, which further helps you lose weight.
8. Do not diet, rather eat healthy. As per the NCBI, dieting is a consistent predictor of future weight gain. Instead of going on a diet, make it your goal to become a healthier and fitter person naturally. Focus on nourishing your body, instead of depriving it.
9. Whenever hunger strikes in between the meals, we all tend to eat whatever we can grab. On a weight loss diet, we take extra care to plan out our main meals and forget about snacks. As we are not prepared in advance with snacks, we tend to consume unhealthy, processed and fried snacks and munchies like chips or sugary cookies. It would be a great idea to plan ahead your snacks menu and keep healthy snacks handy whenever you feel mid-day hunger.
10. Our body needs a multitude of nutrients and a particular class of foods just won't be enough. It's true that consuming proteins is important for weight loss but that doesn't mean that you keep hogging on those eggs, chicken or cottage cheese. Even for weight loss, our body needs complete nutrition. So, it's wise to include a variety of foods in your diet. Different foods have different nutritional qualities; try to avail all the important nutrients that would keep you healthy and will also help you in achieving your fitness goals.
11. Its only human to crave for delicious foods, even if those foods are not too good for our health. It's important to curb your urges and stay away from unhealthy foods. But, to devoid yourself completely the happiness of eating yummy foods may also be not right for you. You may not feel well from within and might succumb to the temptations and go berserk eating the foods you had been depriving yourself of. So, a smart way of going about this is allowing yourself 'cheat days' in between, but not too often.
12. No matter what you eat or don't eat, your efforts might go to waste if you don't lead a physically active life. It is important to indulge in some form or another of physical routine to burn the calories ingested, even those coming from healthy foods. It would be best if you commit yourself to a regular workout regime. If that's not possible due to some reason, try to be physically active in your day-to-day routine. Prefer walking over driving, take stairs instead of elevator, and avoid sitting for too long. These small but significant acts will make you an active and healthy person along with helping you lose weight.
(Also Read: 5 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism and Burn More Calories)
Weight loss: Include more protein in your diet as it helps you stay fuller for longer
Tips By Delhi-Based Dietician Ritu Arora:
- Drink one glass of water on an empty stomach so that the good bacteria could start working on the gut. Water acts as a natural probiotic. According to the Japanese water therapy, staying hydrated is a key to losing weight.
- Take one teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil every day to avoid acidity and other digestive issues.
- Avoid consuming raw salads or fruits after 5:00 pm; this will help avoid bloating and conditions like irritable bowel syndrome.
Follow these simple tips to ensure a healthy and long-term weight loss. Stay healthy!
(This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.)