5 Small Changes to Help You Lose Weight Big Time
Weight loss doesn’t necessarily equate to marathon workouts and drastic changes in your diet. In fact, a study revealed that not only is it possible to lose a couple of pounds taking tiny alterations in your eating habits and lifestyle, but it is also considered more beneficial for your health in the long run.
Based on a research published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, long-lasting weight loss results manifest more in cases where only small changes are made in a person’s routine, particularly in his food choices and physical activities. These changes can actually be considered the best ways to lose weight.
If you’re looking to put this to the test, here are five small lifestyle changes you can do that will help you reap the benefits of sustainable weight loss:
1. Don’t Be Afraid of Fat
When people hear the phrase “weight loss,” they automatically think it means avoiding fat altogether. However, diet and nutrition experts have already debunked the notion that fat is all that bad.
The truth is that there are also “good fats” that are beneficial – necessary, even – to have a healthy body. This includes omega-3 fatty acids as well as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats which can be found in avocados, olive oil, flaxseed, walnuts, tuna, salmon, and dark chocolate.
2. Have a Rainbow Meal
The different hues of vegetables and fruits indicate which vitamins and minerals they contain. This means that to get a balanced diet, you need to have meals with foods that have varying colors every day.
The colors of the contents of your plate are an indicator of the nutrients you are getting and the greater the variety, the more nutrients you get. The key is to have at least three differently-hued fruits and vegetables to ensure that you get enough variation for each meal. This will also help stimulate your appetite for fiber-rich foods that aid in weight loss, especially if plated nicely.
3. Reduce Starches and Sugars
Although this may seem like a big leap, reducing your starch and sugar intake is one of the most effective and easily achieved routine changes in weight loss. This is because once you try limiting your rice and cake portions, you will start feeling less hungry which will result in less food consumption and, ultimately, a decrease in weight.
It will also help your body use up your stored fat as fuel for energy rather than carbohydrates from sugary and starchy food products you eat. With this fuel switch, you not only get a slimmer physique, but you also enjoy longer lasting energy.
To top that off, lessening your carbohydrate intake also reduces insulin levels that can promote better kidney performance. When this happens, you’ll experience less bloating and a lower water weight. With this single change, you should be able to lose as much as 10 pounds in just one week.
4. Go with Healthy Coffee
Generally, coffee is a healthy beverage. However, many people make the mistake of consuming sweetened versions of this drink which makes it a tad less healthy and a lot more packed with calories.
Instead of sipping Frappuccino or any kind of cake-in-a-cup version of coffee, consume this caffeinated drink brewed and prepared the traditional way. This will help you avoid the additional 80 to 200 calories in your daily diet.
5. Eat (Don’t Juice) Fruits
Fruits, in general, are healthy and can help provide you with the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay in tip-top shape. However, drinking fruits may not be the best idea if your goal is to lose weight.
Rather than juicing it, you should eat the entire fruit. This is because, while drinking fruit juices allows you to get most of its nutrient content, it doesn’t offer you the fiber you need to cleanse your gut.
Aside from that, drinking fruits aren’t as filling for your tummy as actually eating its flesh. The feeling of fullness happens when the brain gets a signal triggered by the production of saliva in the mouth. This only happens when you chew food. Again, this can affect your weight loss attempt since there’s a high probability that you would eat more if you don’t feel full enough.
Lose Weight, One Baby Step at a Time
Getting down to a healthy weight is a big dream for some, but it doesn’t necessarily require huge dietary changes and extreme workouts.
Monitoring your food intake and deciding on small changes in your routine that you want to focus on are still the best ways to lose weight, especially if you’re truly dedicated to your health goals.
AUTHOR BIO
Vandana Luthra founded VLCC in New Delhi, India as a beauty and slimming services centre in 1989. Today, it is widely recognized for its comprehensive portfolio of beauty and wellness products and services and also enjoys a high level of consumer trust. The VLCC Group’s operations currently span 330 locations in over 150 cities and 14 countries across Asia and Africa.
