According to the report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), about 78.6 million US adults are obese. In terms of percentage, that is staggering 34.9 percent of the entire population. And, this is just a small chunk of damning statistics. The report further states that 68.5 percent of the adults are overweight. Plus, about a quarter of 2-5 year olds and around one-third of school-age children are overweight or obese in the U.S.
Although, losing weight is a difficult task, it is not impossible. With couple of tweaks to your lifestyle, you can effectively and successfully get weight off your body. These eating habits aren’t complex or too big to put you off. They are simple and can be easily implemented to your daily routine. And, without right eating habits, losing weight can be very difficult. No amount of workout and sweating in the gym can be effective without right eating habits.
Often, the problem with habit formation is that good habits are difficult to keep. The research has revealed that it takes approximately 66 days to form a new habit, so you have to show patience and discipline. Also, try to introduce one or two habits at a time, which means you don’t have to make big and unsustainable changes. And, here are ten eating habits that can help you lose weight.
Warm lemon water in the morning
The warm lemon water consumed in the morning can serve as a cleansing beverage that can be very beneficial for your weight loss. The warm lemon water combines powerful agents such as the vitamin C and antioxidants to improve the digestion and metabolism rate. One of the reasons that makes this drink very effective in weight loss is lemons are diuretic, which means it will add extra few trips to the bathroom and will help you get rid of water weight itself. Through the urination process, the body flushes out unwanted materials and toxins, and regular urination means the toxins are released at a faster rate, which assists in keeping your urinary tract healthy. Also, the citric acid content of lemons maximizes the enzyme function, which stimulates the liver and assists in detoxification.
The atomic composition of lemon juice is similar to saliva and the hydrochloric acid of digestive juices. It encourages the liver to produce bile which is an acid necessary for the digestion process. The other benefits of the bile include less heartburn, bloating and burping. Another element that makes lemon juice an effective weight loss concoction is the high vitamin C content. In fact, a study conducted at the Department of Nutrition and Department of Exercise and Wellness, Arizona State University has found that the presence of vitamin C is inversely proportional to the body fat. The vitamin C helps your body in completing series of chemical reaction that breaks down fat and uses it as a energy source.
More Protein
If anything can come close to a miracle food that can help you magically lose weight, it is protein. You can ask any fitness professional or diet expert, you will get the same answer – That the protein can be beneficial in losing weight in a healthy way. The foremost weight loss benefit of protein is that it can keep you full for a longer duration of time. If you don’t believe me, try eating a protein rich breakfast. You will notice that the urge for snacking in the mid-morning would be all, but gone. The body takes more time to digest protein food items. And, the difference in comparison to simple carbohydrate food items such as bread and bagels is really huge. Talking of carbohydrates, when the protein is paired with carbs, it can slow down the breakdown and absorption of the carbs as well. This slow absorption of carbs into the bloodstream may help keep your blood sugar from skyrocketing and ward off future cravings.
Also, the body has to expend more energy to digest protein food items. The “thermic effect of food” (TEF) is the energy we use to digest food and protein has a higher TEF compared to carbs and fat. Yes, this energy consumption won’t be huge but this small calorie consumption can make a huge difference to the overall weight loss.
Also, when you lose weight, your body loses both fat and muscle. However, if you are undergoing a strength training program and keep your protein consumption up, you can save your muscles. And, more the muscles you have, more calories your body will burn at rest.
Supercharge your weight loss with vinegar
We have been hearing from long that the apple cider vinegar can assist you in weight loss. But is there any research finding to support this traditional weight loss fix? Yes, there is. In a new research published in Journal of Functional Foods and conducted at Department of Nutrition, Arizona State University, it was found that sipping apple cider vinegar may help lower your blood sugar. The study subjects who consumed tablespoon of ACV mixed with 8 ounces of water prior to eating had lower blood glucose levels compared to those subjects who didn’t consume the solution. First of all, the moderate level of glucose in your blood means there won’t be much surplus glucose to be stored as fat. And, whenever your body is in need of excess energy, it will have to turn to fat stores to get energy.
Another way in which apple cider vinegar assists in weight loss is by making you feel satisfied for longer period. Now, I knew you would scoff at the claim of a mere drink keeping you full. However, this point is backed by research as well. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that those subjects who ate bread along with vinegar felt fuller than those who ate only bread. The study which was conducted on twelve healthy volunteers also found that more acetic acid the participants ingested, the fuller they felt.
However, despite these weight loss benefits, you have to be careful about the vinegar consumption. Consuming too much acetic acid can hurt your throat and can cause other acidity related problems. A tablespoon of vinegar mixed in 8 ounces of water before meal is a safe dose.
Replace want with need
Now, this is more of a psychological trick than an eating habit. But, it can help you a lot in weight loss process. In order to avoid overeating and gorging on unhealthy food items, you have to question yourself whether you need or want. And, there is a massive difference between these two words. For example, you need high protein and complex carbs diet after a taxing workout, whereas, you want to gorge on cheesecake. Did you notice the difference both can make to your weight loss program and health? One will be conductive in sculpting leaner and stronger muscles and the other can add more pounds to your body.
Train your mind to always replace the word ‘want’ with ‘need.’ If you can get yourself to do it, you will gain a huge control over your eating habit. You can extend this habit to other aspects of your life as well. For example, a 30 minute workout daily is a need, whereas binge watching your favorite TV series late into night while feasting on Chinese food is a want.
Eat on time
When you allow your hunger to be your eating guide, you end up eating far more calories than your body needs. The reason behind this is that sometimes hunger is triggered by sugar cravings and sometimes by lack of water in your body. In fact, next time you feel hungry, drink a glass of water. More often, you will find that your hunger is sated. Also, when you aren’t eating on time, you will suffer from erratic hunger pangs, which is never a good sign. And, more importantly, you should eat meals on time, which can drastically help you control the hunger pangs.
Make it a habit to eat small meals every three hours or so. The small meals are more easily digested by your body and if you have the right ingredients, you won’t hopefully suffer from blood sugar spikes, which are connected with sugar and fatty food cravings. Also, these small meals will keep your metabolism up round the clock. And, more importantly, it will give you energy to do your chores with vigor.
Move more
It goes without saying that to lose weight, you have to move around more. One of the reasons why more and more people are suffering from obesity is that due to the modern facilities, you don’t have to move around. You don’t have to take stairs around, and pressing a button in the elevator won’t put a much dent to your calorie count. Even the suitcases have wheels. Yes, it is good to have luxury and ease in life, but sometimes, you need to work more to have a healthy body. So, try to squeeze as much movement as possible in your daily routine. When possible, take stairs instead of lift. Park your car couple of blocks back from your destination, so that you will get a decent walking chance. On weekends, do gardening on your own, enjoy being around nature and getting a good sweat under the sun.
Also, while at the office, if possible, take a walking break every two hours. Instead of sending an email to your colleague, go to his desk and discuss face to face. However, don’t linger around for long because the objective here is to lose weight, not getting fired from the job.
Stay hydrated
Water is invaluable for the proper functioning of all your bodily functions. In terms of weight loss, it also plays a key role. First of all, due to the lack of water, your metabolism can slow down drastically. It is a key participant in the chemical reaction that burns fat to generate energy. Also, water can help you feel fuller. Some of the experts have pointed out that drinking a glass of water before meals can limit the calorie consumption. And, lastly and most importantly, without water, you can’t do a high intensity physical exercise, which is a key to weight loss.
Eat fats
To some, this might seem counterintuitive, but fats should form an important part of your daily diet. Your body need fats to burn fats. And, not all fats would be immediately stored as fat in your body. Usually, your body takes long time to digest and absorb fat-rich food items, which means you will feel satisfied for a longer duration. Therefore, include natural fats such as avocados, nuts, nut butters, coconut oil, salmon, flaxseeds and walnuts in your daily dietary intake.
Allow temptation to win
Often, dieting plans fail because too much focus is placed to resting tempting food items. Believe me, more than often you will fail if you are trying to keep desserts and your other favorite food items off the table. Instead allow yourself little concessions. Try to incorporate such food items as a reward. So, when you complete your weight loss goals, reward yourself with a slice of a cake. The portion control is an ideal way to approach dieting. Consume 80 percent healthy food items and keep 20 percent as a luxury.
Quit caffeine
The caffeine hurts your weight loss goals in several different ways. When consumed in evening, it can interfere with your sleep and quality sleep is important for a healthy metabolism. The caffeine is also responsible for energy crash, which is often followed by strong cravings for sugary food items. Replace coffee with healthy beverages. Green tea is one great option. A cup of hot chamomile tea is a good option before bed as it can help you switch off.
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