Go online and look for ways to lose weight and you’ve got a million different options! Losing weight is something that we’ve all had concerns with. There are so many diets, meal replacement plans, and supplements out there, but we’ve got to choose the right strategies that will have an effective impact on us. Let’s show you some methods that could help you.
Weight Loss Supplements
The world of weight loss supplements is something that we’ve all considered. There are many brands for you to choose from, such as hugely popular brands like Saxenda. And as Saxenda will be replaced by Wegovy as the leading weight loss supplement, it might be time to reappraise this approach. Weight loss supplements work by preventing the body from digesting a proportion of the food we consume, and while in theory, this means we can overconsume, we have to look at this approach in the round.
Intermittent Fasting
This is a very popular trend, not just for losing weight but for overall health. Intermittent fasting involves short-term fasts or consuming meals within a brief timeframe. This is something I personally do, and have done for the past few years and find it suits my lifestyle very well. There are many different ways to do it, such as alternate-day fasting where you fast every other day; the 5:2 diet, where you consume 500 to 600 calories on to 2 days out of 7; and the 16/8 method, where you eat in an 8-hour window, for example between midday and 8 pm. However, in order to do this effectively, you have to avoid overeating and focus on foods that make you feel full.
Mindful Eating
We can all eat mindlessly in front of the television and go until we are full to the point of bursting. We can also eat quickly while we are on the go, so we’re not aware of what we are consuming. Mindful eating involves eating slowly, choosing foods, that keep you nourished while also paying attention to the foods and avoiding distractions.
Balancing Out Your Gut Bacteria
As there are approximately 37 trillion bacteria, one emerging area of research is focusing on maintaining the balance of that bacteria to maintain our weight. The ways to increase good gut bacteria include:
- Eating prebiotics. Prebiotic fibre is found in many fruits and vegetables, for example, onions, asparagus, garlic, and avocado. You can also find it in grains, such as barley and oats.
- Plants. Ensuring that you eat approximately 75% plant-based foods and vegetables can increase your fibre intake.
- Fermented foods. There’s a wide variety available, from yoghurts to kimchi and sauerkraut.
Eating Fibre
Dietary fibre such as legumes, vegetables and whole grains can increase your satiety which could lead to weight loss. Because dietary fibre cannot be digested in the small intestine, this increases the feeling of fullness. Sugar and starch can be easily digested in the small intestine, meaning that you are hungry a short time later, so focusing on high fibre and consuming 21 to 25 grams of fibre a day for women and between 30 and 38 grams for men every day is the recommendation.
Protein at Breakfast Time
Because protein can regulate our fullness hormones, eating a high-protein breakfast such as oats, eggs, and seed butters can also get you a head start on the day.
Tracking Your Diet
A very simple approach, but how many of us actually track our meals? Getting a health app or food tracker can help you to understand where you may be eating more than is necessary. Additionally, you need to track your physical activity which you can also do with these many health apps.
Resisting the Western Diet
The hardest thing for most of us is cutting back on the things that we know are bad, but are abundant. Sometimes we have to remember that if we have more sugar in our foods, such as bread and sweets, these foods are quicker to digest, which means they convert to glucose quicker and stimulate insulin, which results in fat storage. Looking at your sugar intake, including carbohydrate-laden foods, and swapping to healthy options can make you realize how much you are consuming. For example, if you think you’re being healthy by consuming fruit juice this is a highly concentrated form of fruit, which is very high in sugar but doesn’t have the fibre to balance it out. Swapping to fruit-infused water or herbal teas can help.
Of the ways to manage your health out there, losing weight has the biggest impact on your mindset and perception. Hopefully, some of these methods can give you some insight.
