Losing weight often feels slow, and that can be frustrating! Is there anything that you can do to speed it up without sacrificing your health? Yes! Thankfully, there are healthy ways to help you boost weight loss without crash dieting.
Controlling weight is nowadays very important. Carrying excess body weight can increase the risk of serious health problems, including heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes.
Best Ways to Lose Weight Fast
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting creates a calorie deficit without having to count calories.
Alternate Day Fasting. As the name suggests, you’ll refrain from eating (or keep calories to <500 calories/day) every other day. On non-fasting days, you can eat whatever you’d like.
Time-Restricted Feeding (TRF). Each day, you’ll have a specified “eating window”. For example, you will be able to eat normally during 8 hours of the day, and the other 16 hours you will not consume any calories.
5:2 Diet. You’ll fast 2 days per week and eat 5 days per week. On fasting days, you may consume up to 500 calories for women and up to 500 calories for men.
Eat Healthy Fats
While fats are often a feared food group, they can actually increase satiety and prevent bingeing later. Of course, some fats are healthier than others. So, when adding fat to your diet it’s best to go for nutrient-rich unsaturated fats. These fats, known as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, can be found in avocados, olives, nuts, and fatty fish like salmon, etc.
Get More Sleep
If you are not sleeping 7-8 hours in a single stretch then your sleep time is not enough. Not getting enough sleep can raise your stress levels, which can increase the likelihood of weight gain.
lack of sleep can also get in the way of weight loss because the less you sleep, the longer you’re awake, and the more time there is to eat. She recommends getting at least seven hours of sleep each night.
Drink Enough Water
Increasing your water intake can help you shed water weight. It may sound counter-intuitive, but I assure you it works, reduce hunger pangs, increases your energy mid-afternoon, and decreases your overall calorie intake (if you swap out caloric beverages and replace them with water).
Eating Plenty of Protein
The consumption of Protein is very essential. Protein helps you maintain lean muscle mass, and can help you maintain a healthy calorie intake.
The recommended amount of protein, or dietary reference intake (DRI), is 0.36 grams of protein per pound/Kg of body weight, according to the Food and Nutrition Center of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Practice mindful eating
Turn off distractions eat slowly, chew each bite thoroughly, and set the fork down between bites to give your brain enough time to recognize full signals during meals.
Reduce sugar and refined carb intake
Packaged foods that don’t contain whole ingredients often contain excessive amounts of calories, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars. By sticking to whole-food items, you’ll reduce your overall calorie intake and boost your nutrient intake to aid weight loss.
Pay Attention to the Texture of Your Food
If you’ve ever found yourself at the bottom of a pint of ice cream, you’re not alone. In fact, ice cream is one of the easiest foods to overeat because of its soft texture.
That’s not to say that you can’t enjoy foods like ice cream or mashed potatoes, but it’s important to be mindful while you’re eating them. It’s a good idea to measure out your portions beforehand to avoid overeating.
Are There Foods to Help with Weight Loss?
Low-calorie foods that add volume. Non-starchy vegetables can add volume to your plate without adding excess calories.
Consume plenty of protein and moderate amounts of healthy fats (like avocado, olives, nuts/seeds, olive oil, etc.) to help you feelfuller for longer.
Eat whole foods and minimize processed/fast food. Don’t like to cook? No problem! Nowadays you can even find pre-packaged meals that are made from whole-food items like lean protein, vegetables, whole-grain carbohydrates, and healthy fats.