Diet and exercise can be the main ingredient for effective weight loss for women, but many other factors also play an important role. In fact, research shows that everything from quality sleep to stress levels can profoundly affect hunger, metabolism, body weight, and belly fat.
Fortunately, making a few small changes to your daily routine can have a huge benefit when it comes to losing weight.
Here are the 23 best weight loss guides for women.
1. Cut down on refined carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates undergo significant processing, which reduces the amount of fiber and micronutrients in the final product.
These foods increase blood sugar, increase hunger and have been linked to increased body mass and belly fat.
Therefore, it's best to limit your intake of refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta and pre-packaged foods. Choose whole grains like oats, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and barley.
2. Include resistance training in your daily routine
Endurance training helps build muscle and increases endurance.
This is especially beneficial for women over the age of 50 as they increase the calories burned while resting. It also helps maintain bone mineral density while protecting against osteoporosis.
Lifting weights, using the machine or doing bodyweight exercises are some of the easy ways to get started.
3. Drink lots of water
Drinking more water is a simple and effective way to reduce excess body weight with minimal effort.
A small study found that drinking 500 ml of water temporarily increased calories burned by 30% after 30-40 minutes.
Research has also shown that drinking water before a meal can increase weight loss and reduce calories by about 13%.
4. Eat more protein
Protein foods like meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, and legumes are an important part of a healthy diet, especially when it comes to losing weight.
In fact, research has noted that eating a high-protein diet can reduce cravings, increase feelings of fullness, and boost metabolism.
A small 12-week study also found that increasing protein intake by only 15% reduced daily calorie intake by 441 calories on average, resulting in a 5 kg weight loss.
5. Set a regular sleep schedule
Research shows that getting enough sleep is just as important for weight loss as diet and exercise.
Many studies have linked sleep deprivation with weight gain and increased levels of ghrelin, the hormone that promotes hunger.
Additionally, one study in women found that sleeping at least seven hours per night and improving overall sleep quality increased weight loss by 33%.
6. Exercise more cardio
Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, increases your heart rate, helping you to burn excess calories.
Research shows that adding more heart to your daily routine can lead to significant weight loss - especially when combined with a healthy diet.
For best results, try to expose your body to the heart for at least 20-40 minutes per day or about 150-300 minutes per week.
7. Save the source log
Keeping a food diary to keep track of what you eat is an easy way to take responsibility and make healthier choices.
It also makes it easier to count calories, which can be an effective strategy for weight management.
Furthermore, a food diary can help you stay consistent with your goals and may lead to longer-term weight loss.
8. Consume more fiber
Adding more fiber to your diet is a popular weight loss strategy that can help slow an empty stomach and keep your stomach full longer.
Without any other dietary or lifestyle changes, increasing your fiber (fiber) intake to 14 grams per day could reduce calories by 10% and lose 1. 5 pounds. body over 3, 8 months.
Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains are all excellent sources of fiber to use as part of a balanced diet.
9. Practice mindful eating
Mindful eating involves the reduction of external distractions while eating. Eat slowly, focusing on the taste, appearance, smell and taste of the food.
This practice helps to create healthier eating habits and is an effective weight loss tool.
Research shows that eating slowly can increase feelings of fullness and lead to a significant reduction in daily calories.
10. Snacks wisely
Eating healthy, low-calorie snacks is a great way to lose weight and stay on the right track while minimizing hunger between meals.
Choose snacks that are high in protein and fiber to promote fullness and curb cravings.
Whole grain fruits combined with nut butters, vegetables with hummus, or Greek yogurt with nuts are nutritious snacks that can support long-term weight loss.
11. Abandoning the diet to lose weight
Although the trendy diets often promise quick weight loss results, they can do more harm than good for your waistline and health.
For example, a study of college women found that eliminating certain foods from their diet increased cravings and overeating.
Outdated diets can also contribute to unhealthy diets, harmful for long-term weight loss.
12. Walk more
When you're time constrained and can't incorporate exercise into your daily routine, try walking more during the day. This is an easy way to burn extra calories and increase weight loss efficiency.
In fact, it is believed that non-exercise activities can burn 50% of a day's calories.
Climb stairs instead of the elevator, park your car away from the door or walk during your lunch break are some simple strategies to increase your total steps and burn more calories.
13. Set attainable goals
Setting attainable goals can help you achieve your weight loss goals more easily, as well as help you succeed.
Achievable goals should be specific, measurable, relevant, and time-bound. They must hold you accountable and put you in a clear plan to achieve your goals.
For example, instead of just aiming to lose 5 pounds in 3 months, set yourself a goal to lose 5 pounds in 3 months by keeping a food diary, going to exercise 3 times a week and adding one moreserving sizes of vegetables at each meal.
14. Stress control
Some studies show that increasing stress levels over time can increase the risk of weight gain.
Stress can also change eating habits and contribute to problems like overeating.
Exercising, listening to music, doing yoga, journaling, and hanging out with friends or family are some simple and effective ways to reduce stress.
15. Try high intensity interval training
High Intensity Training, also known as HIIT, combines high intensity workouts with short recovery times to keep your heart rate going up.
Changing your cardio to HIIT a few times a week can increase your weight loss efficiency.
HIIT can reduce belly fat, gain weight and has been shown to burn more calories than other activities like cycling, running and endurance training.
16. Use smaller plates
Replacing your plate with smaller options can help you control portion sizes and help you lose weight.
While research is still limited and inconsistent, one study found that participants who used smaller plates ate less and felt more satisfied than those who used a regular-sized plate.
Using a smaller plate can also limit portion sizes, which can reduce the risk of overeating and control calorie intake.
17. Taking Probiotic Supplements
Probiotics is a type of beneficial bacteria that can be eaten or taken as a supplement to support gut health.
Studies show that probiotics can promote weight loss by increasing fat secretion and altering hormone levels to reduce appetite.
In particular,Lactobacillus gasseriis a particularly effective probiotic strain. Research shows it can help reduce belly fat and overall body weight.
18. Practicing yoga
Research shows that yoga can help prevent weight gain and enhance fat burning.
Yoga can also reduce stress and anxiety levels - both can be linked to emotional eating, which can lead to obesity.
Additionally, practicing yoga has been shown to reduce overeating and food anxiety while maintaining healthy eating behaviors.
19. Chew more slowly
A conscious effort to chew your food relatively slowly and carefully can help you lose weight by reducing your food intake.
One study found that chewing food 50 times per piece significantly reduced calories compared to chewing 15 times per piece.
Another study found that chewing 150 or 200% more food than usual reduced food intake by 9, 5% and 14, 8%, respectively.
20. Healthy breakfast
In the mornings, you can enjoy a nutritious breakfast to help you start the day smoothly and keep you full until the next meal.
In fact, research shows that following a regular diet can reduce the risk of overeating.
A protein-rich breakfast lowers levels of the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin. It can help control appetite and hunger.
21. Experiment with intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting involves alternating between eating and fasting for a certain amount of time each day. The fasting period usually lasts 14-24 hours.
Intermittent fasting is thought to be as effective as reducing the amount of calories consumed when trying to lose weight.
It can also help improve metabolism by increasing the number of calories you burn while at rest.
22. Cut back on processed foods
Processed foods are often high in calories, sugar and sodium, but low in important nutrients like protein, fiber and trace minerals.
Research shows that eating a lot of processed foods is linked to being overweight - especially in women.
Therefore, it's best to limit processed foods and choose whole foods like fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean protein, whole grains, and legumes.
23. Cut back on sugar
Added sugar is the leading cause of weight gain and serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
Sugar-rich foods contain extra calories but not enough vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein that your body needs.
For this reason, it's best to minimize your consumption of sugary foods like sodas, candies, juices, sports drinks and sweets to promote weight loss and optimize overall healthcan.
Summary
- Many different factors play a role in weight loss, and some go beyond diet and exercise.
- Making some simple lifestyle changes can promote long-term weight loss.
- Incorporating even one or two of these strategies into your daily routine can help you achieve maximum results and promote healthy and sustainable weight loss.