Losing weight is much simpler than pundits and the medical establishment make out. Given the current obesity rates, it seems like an intractable problem, but it is actually surprisingly simple to solve, at least on an individual level.
What’s more, you can start today. Just change one behavior and watch the weight fall off.
Here are the weight loss secrets nobody taught you about in school.
Drink More Water
Drinking enough water is critical for sustained weight loss. People who have large drinks with their meals are much less likely to gain weight than those who do not.
The reason for this comes down to how water works in our bodies. When you drink cold water, it actually lowers your body’s core temperature, forcing it to burn more calories. Water is also vital for ensuring that the body’s metabolism functions properly, making it less likely to hoard fat.
Eat Fruit And Vegetables
Eating fruit and vegetables is the best policy for weight loss. In fact, if fruit and veg are all you eat, then you will become slender in no time at all.
There are several reasons why fruit and veg are so effective. First, they fill you up quickly. After eating, the water and fiber bulk in the food send signals to your brain, telling you that you are full, even if you haven’t had many calories.
And, second, fruit and vegetables contain powerful compounds that reprogram your metabolism. The reason you so rarely see overweight vegans is because the diet contains plant elements that prevent weight gain, and avoids animal foods that encourage it.
Read The Food Labels
You might think a particular store-bought item is healthy, but don’t count on it. The vast majority of products in the middle aisles of the grocery store contain sugar, oils, fat, salt, or a combination of all three.
The problem with these ingredients is that they actively foster weight gain. They are highly palatable and dense in calories. They also lack compounds found in natural foods that make you feel full and regulate your metabolism. In short, they are a disaster.
The trick here is to read the labels. You’ll notice that the second and third ingredients in most products are sugar and oil. For instance, if you buy marinara sauce in a packet, instead of making it from scratch, you’ll notice that the primary ingredient is tomatoes, followed by sugar.
Drink More Tea
Tea contains powerful plant compounds that change the way your body’s metabolism functions. The best weight loss detox tea, for instance, has catechins and other phytonutrients that encourage your body to burn excess energy instead of storing it as fat.
Pick A Time To Exercise And Make It Fun
For many people, exercise is a chore they would prefer to avoid. They see it as hard work, grueling, boring, or a mixture of all three.
However, in truth, it’s all a matter of perspective. If you view exercise as something enjoyable, such as a treat to yourself, you’ll come to see it differently. All of a sudden, you find yourself wanting to go out on your bicycle or hit the gym.
Eat Slowly
Are you the sort of person who likes to eat their food as quickly as possible? If so, you could be missing a trick. Failing to chew properly could mean that you’re bypassing your body’s satiety mechanism and eating more calories than you otherwise would.
To avoid this, eat mindfully. Pace yourself. Try to make a plate of food last at least 20 minutes so that your stomach has time to signal to your brain that you are full. Eating slowly lets you enjoy the food more and avoid unwanted weight gain.
Keep A Gratitude Journal
Keeping a gratitude journal might not sound like it has much to do with weight loss, but it is actually way more important than you might think. Think about it: why do most people eat things they know they shouldn’t? Chiefly, it’s because they are trying to cope with negative emotions. Food helps to numb the pain.
However, there are ways of avoiding this pattern. Instead of turning to food (which is high in calories), you can turn to gratitude, which is entirely calorie-free. The more grateful you are for the thing you have, the less likely you are to experience negative emotions. In fact, it’s almost impossible to feel bad about anything if you are feeling grateful.
Batch Cook
Lastly, you can batch cook all your meals in advance at the weekend so that you have something that you can just grab during the week without any prep when you might be short on time.