Although infinite foods, nutrients, and methods for
meal-replacement claim to ensure rapid
weight loss, most lack empirical evidence.
However, science-backed solutions affect weight management.
Such techniques include exercise, keeping track of calorie
consumption, extended fasting, and reducing dietary carbohydrates.
In this article, we find nine useful weight-loss methods.
Scientific-backed weight-loss
Weight loss methods supporting scientific research include:
1. Fasting intermittently
2. Tracking and exercising
3. Eat attentively
4. Eat breakfast protein
5. Reducing sugar and processed carbohydrates
6. Eat plenty of fiber
7. Balancing intestinal bacteria
8. A good night's sleep
9. Manage your stress levels
- Alternate Day Fasting (ADF): Fast daily and eat
normally on non-fasting days. The modified version involves eating just 25-30%
of the body's energy needs on fasting days.
- Diet 5:2: Fast on 2 every 7 days. Eat 500–600
calories on fasts.
- Method 16/8: Fast 16 hours, eat only during an
8-hour window. For most people, the 8- hour window would be around 8 p.m. A
research on this approach showed eating over a short time resulted in
participants consuming fewer calories and losing weight.
Adopt a healthy eating pattern on
non-fasting days and avoid over-eating.
Tracking and exercising
If anyone decides to lose weight, they will know what they
eat and drink every day. The most effective way to do this is to log every item
they consume in a journal or online food tracker.
Researchers reported 3.7 billion health device downloads by
year-end in 2017. Among the most common were diet apps, physical activity, and
weight loss. This is not without justification, as measuring progress on
physical activity and weight loss can be an efficient way to control weight.
One study found that consistent physical
activity tracking helped the weight loss. Meanwhile, a review study found a positive correlation between weight loss and intake and exercise monitoring
frequency. Even a pedometer-like gadget can be a useful weight-loss tool
Eat attentively
Mindful eating is a practice where people watch how and
where they eat food. This practice can allow people to enjoy their food and
maintain a healthy weight.
As most people lead busy lives, they tend to eat quickly on
the run, in the car, at their desks and watch TV. As a result, many people
barely know the food they eat.
Mindful eating techniques include:
·
Sitting down at a table, preferably: pay
attention to food and enjoy the experience.
·
Take time to chew and savor the meal. This technique helps with
weight loss as it gives a person's brain sufficient time
to recognize the signals they are full, which can help prevent over-eating.
·
Making considered food choices: Choose foods
that are full of nutrients and those that satisfy for hours, not minutes.
Eat breakfast protein
Protein can adjust appetite hormones to help people feel
full. This is mainly due to decreased hunger hormone ghrelin and increased
satiety hormones peptide YY, GLP-1, and cholecystokinin.
Good breakfast options include eggs, oats, nut and seed
butters, quinoa porridge, sardines and chia seed pudding.
Reducing sugar and processed
carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates are highly processed foods, no longer
containing fiber and other nutrients. These include rice, bread and pasta.
These foods quickly digest and quickly convert to glucose.
Excess glucose enters the blood and causes hormone insulin,
promoting fat storage in adipose tissue. This leads to gaining weight.
Wherever possible, people should swap processed and sugar
foods for healthier options. Good swaps include:
·
Full-grain rice, bread and pasta instead of
white
·
Meat, nuts and seeds instead of snacks
·
Herbal teas and fruit-infused juice instead of
soda
·
Water / milk smoothies instead of fruit juice
Eat plenty of fiber
Dietary fiber identifies carbohydrates that can not be
digested in the small intestine, unlike sugar and starch. Having plenty of
fiber in the diet can increase fullness, potentially leading to weight loss.
Fiber-rich foods are:
Full-grain
cereals, whole-grain pasta, whole-grain bread, spinach, barley and rye
·
Meat, vegetables
·
Peas, beans, seeds
·
Nuts, seeds
Balancing intestinal bacteria
One emerging research area focuses on bacteria's role in
weight management in the gut.
The human gut hosts a vast number of microorganisms, including
about 37 trillion bacteria.
Every person has different varieties and bacteria in their
gut. Some types can increase the amount of energy the individual harvests from
food, resulting in fat deposition and weight gain.
Some foods can increase good bacteria in the gut, including:
A wide variety ofplants: increasing the number of fruits , vegetables and grains in the diet
will result in increased fiber intake and more diverse bacteria in the gut.
People should ensure that vegetables and other plant-based foods make up 75% of
their meal.
Fermented foods:enhance good bacteria function while inhibiting bad bacteria growth.
Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, yogurt, tempeh, and miso all contain good amounts of
probiotics to enhance good bacteria. Researchers have studied kimchi widely,
and the results of the study suggest anti-obesity effects. Similarly , studies
have shown that kefir can help promote overweight women's weight loss.
Prebiotic foods:
stimulate growth and activity of some of the good bacteria that help control
weight. Prebiotic fiber occurs in many fruits, including chicory root,
artichoke, onion , garlic, asparagus, leeks, banana, and avocado. Also in
grains like oats and barley.
A good night's sleep
Numerous studies have shown that having less than 5–6 hours of
sleep a night is correlated with increased obesity. There are many explanations
for this.
Research suggests that insufficient or poor sleep slows down
the process of converting calories into energy, called metabolism. When
metabolism is less effective, the body can store unused fat energy.
Additionally , poor sleep will increase insulin and cortisol production, even
triggering fat storage.
How long someone sleeps also affects regulating leptin and
ghrelin appetite-control hormones. Leptin gives brain fullness signals.
Manage your stress levels
Stress triggers the release of hormones such as adrenaline
and cortisol, which initially decrease appetite as part of the body 's fight or
response to flight.
However, when people are under constant stress, cortisol may
stay longer in the bloodstream, which will increase their appetite and may lead
to more eating.
Cortisol signals the need to replenish the body's
nutritional stores from the preferred fuel source, carbohydrate.
Insulin then transports sugar from blood carbohydrates to
muscles and brain. If the individual does not fly or use this sugar, the body
will store it as fat.
Researchers found that implementing an 8-week
stress-management intervention program resulted in a significant reduction in
overweight and obese children and adolescents' body mass index ( BMI).
Some stress management methods include:
·
Breathing and relaxation.
·
Spend time outdoors, e.g. walking or gardening
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