Choose just 5 from the list below and you’ll be on your way to losing weight faster in 2020:
1. Choose Low Glycemic Foods.
“Spike / Crash / Crave” High Glycemic Foods are one of the biggest contributors to weight gain. High GI foods spike your blood sugar and are stored in fat cells. After your blood sugar “spikes”, you then experience the drop or “crash” which makes you “crave” more of the same food. Studies show eating low glycemic meals increase satiety and decreases hunger. Learn more about the glycemic index!
2. Include Protein With All Meals Especially Breakfast
We have learned recently that either eating or skipping breakfast has no effect on weight. However, the same may not apply to a high-protein breakfast. Protein is a heat activator that burns fat. Don’t start your day without it. Eating a high-protein breakfast has been shown to reduce cravings and calorie intake throughout the day (1)(2). Here are a few examples of high-protein breakfasts that can help you lose weight.
Eggs; fried, boiled or scrambled: Add veggies and cheese.
Stir-fried tofu: with veggies and dairy-free cheese.
Greek yogurt: with oatmeal, wheat germ, seeds and berries.
A shake: with whey protein, a banana, frozen berries and almond milk.
Peanut butter on a slice whole grain or sprouted bread.
3. Soup As Main Meal At Least Once A Week
4. Avoid Sugary Drinks And Fruit Juice
These are the most fattening things you can put into your body, and avoiding them can help you lose weight (5)(6). Added sugar is one of the worst ingredients in the modern diet. Most people consume way too much. Studies show that sugar (and high-fructose corn syrup) consumption is strongly associated with an increased risk of obesity, as well as conditions including type 2 diabetes and heart disease (7)(8)(9).
5. Drink Water
One study showed that drinking water a half hour before meals increased weight loss by 44% over 3 months (10). Studies show that drinking water could increase metabolism by enhancing mitochondrial function and inducing thermogenesis. In one study, 14 participants drank 16.9 ounces (0.5 liters) of water. Drinking water was found to increase their metabolic rate by 30% for 30–40 minutes (11). Lemon water is a great choice. if you swap out higher-calorie beverages like orange juice and soda for lemon water, then this can be an excellent way to cut calories and help with weight loss.
6. Eat Soluble Fiber
Studies show that soluble fibers may reduce fat, especially in the belly area. Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel that helps slow down food as it passes through your digestive system. Soluble fiber promotes weight loss by helping you feel full, so you naturally eat less. It may also decrease the number of calories your body absorbs from food (12)(13)(14). An observational study in over 1,100 adults found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber intake, belly fat gain decreased by 3.7% over a 5-year period (15). Excellent sources of soluble fiber include okra, fenugreek, lentils and barley, all which are found in Holista pastas. Also flaxseed, brussels sprouts, avocados, legumes and blackberries.
7. Drink Coffee Or Tea
If you’re a coffee or tea drinker, then drink as much as you want as the caffeine in them can boost your metabolism by 3–11% (16)(17)(18). Drinking a cup of coffee can help you lose weight by stimulating “brown fat”, which burns calories to generate body heat, according to Professor Michael Symonds, from the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham. Tea’s help convert some of the fat stored in your body into free fatty acids, which may increase fat burning by 10–17% (19).
8. Eat Your Food Slowly
Fast eaters gain more weight over time. Eating slowly makes you feel more full and boosts weight-reducing hormones (20)(21). Studies show that people who eat quickly tend to be heavier and gain more weight over time, compared with slower eaters. Fast eaters are up to 115% more likely than slower eaters to be obese (22). After a meal, your gut suppresses a hormone called ghrelin, which controls hunger, while also releasing fullness hormones (23).These hormones tell your brain that you have eaten, reducing appetite, making you feel full, and helping you stop eating. This process takes about 20 minutes, so slowing down gives your brain the time it needs to receive these signals.
9. Get A Good Night's Sleep, Every Night
Poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain, so taking care of your sleep is important. Lack of sleep is associated with higher calorie intake and irregular eating patterns. It’s recommended to get at least 7–8 hours of good sleep per night (24). A growing body of research suggests that there’s a link between how much people sleep and how much they weigh. In general, children and adults who get too little sleep tend to weigh more than those who get enough sleep(25). There are several possible ways that sleep deprivation could increase the chances of becoming obese. (26) Sleep-deprived people may be too tired to exercise, decreasing the “calories burned” side of the weight-change equation. Or people who don’t get enough sleep may take in more calories than those who do, simply because they are awake longer and have more opportunities to eat; lack of sleep also disrupts the balance of key hormones that control appetite, so sleep-deprived people may be hungrier than those who get enough rest each night.
10. Exercise At Least Three Times A Week For Minimum Of 30 Minutes
I schedule my workouts in my calendar just as I would an important meeting. Even at your busiest – actually, especially at your busiest – you need to make time for yourself. Find a workout that works for you. My favorite workout is Pilates which I have been doing for twenty five years. Whatever you choose, make sure to include some cardio and weight resistance to build muscles. One of the main reasons we gain weight as we get older is due to muscle loss. Muscles are your friend. Muscles are the little ovens in our body that burn fat. And protein is what gives muscles the strength to carry out that function, which takes us back to the importance of always including protein in your meals.