The weight loss “industry” is full of
myths. People are being advised to do all sorts of crazy things, most of
which have no evidence behind them. Over the years, however, scientists
have found a number of strategies that seem to be effective.
Here are 26 weight-loss tips that are actually
evidence-based:
1. Drink Water,
Especially Before Meals
It is often said that drinking water can help
with weight loss, and this is true. Drinking water can boost metabolism by
24–30 percent over a period of one to one and a half hours, helping you
burn off a few more calories.
One study showed that drinking a half liter
(17 ounces) of water about half an hour before meals helped dieters eat
fewer calories and
lose 44 percent more weight.
2. Eat Eggs for
Breakfast
Eating whole eggs can have all sorts of benefits, including
helping you lose weight. Studies show that replacing a grain-based
breakfast with eggs can help you eat fewer calories for the next 36 hours and
lose more weight and more body fat.
If you can’t eat eggs for some reason, that’s
fine. Any source of quality protein for breakfast should do the trick.
3. Drink Coffee,
Preferably Black
Coffee has been unfairly demonized. Quality
coffee is loaded with antioxidants,
and can have numerous health
benefits. Studies show that the caffeine in
coffee can boost metabolism by
3–11 percent and increase fat-burning by up to 10–29 percent.
Just make sure not to add a bunch of sugar or
other high-calorie ingredients to it. That will completely negate any
weight-loss benefit you get from the coffee.
4. Drink Green
Tea
Like coffee, green tea also has
many benefits, one of them being weight loss. Green tea contains small
amounts of caffeine, but it is also loaded with powerful antioxidants called
catechins, which are also believed to work synergistically with the caffeine to
enhance fat burning.
Although the evidence is mixed, there are many
studies showing that green tea (either as a beverage or a green tea extract supplement) can help you lose
weight.
5. Cook With
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is very healthy. It is high in
special fats called medium chain triglycerides, which are metabolized
differently from other fats. These fats have been shown to boost
metabolism by 120 calories per day and also reduce your appetite so that you
eat up to 256 fewer calories per day.
Keep in mind that this is not
about adding coconut oil on top of what you’re already eating. It is
about replacing some of your current cooking fats with coconut oil.
6. Take a
Glucomannan Supplement
A fiber called glucomannan has been
shown to cause weight loss in several studies. This is a type of fiber
that absorbs water and “sits” in your gut for a while, making you feel more
full and helping you eat fewer calories.
Studies have shown that people who supplement
with glucomannan lose a bit more weight than those who don’t.
7. Cut Back on Added
Sugar
Added sugar is the single worst ingredient in
the modern diet, and most people are eating way
too much of it. Studies show that sugar (and high
fructose corn syrup) consumption is strongly associated with the risk of
obesity, as well as diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and others.
If you want to lose weight, you should be
cutting back on added sugars. Just make sure to read labels because even
so-called health foods can
be loaded with sugar.
8. Eat Less
Refined Carbs
Refined carbohydrates are usually sugar, or
grains that have been stripped of their fibrous, nutritious parts (this
includes white bread and pasta).
Studies show that refined carbs can spike
blood sugar rapidly, leading to hunger, cravings, and increased food intake a
few hours later. Eating refined carbs is strongly linked to obesity. If
you’re going to eat carbs, make sure to eat them with their
natural fiber.
9. Go on a
Low-Carb Diet
If you want to get all the benefits of carb restriction, then consider
taking this all the way and going on a low-carb
diet.
Numerous studies show
that such a diet (or “way of eating”) can help you lose two to three times as
much weight as a standard low-fat diet, while improving your health at the same
time.
10. Use Smaller
Plates
Using smaller plates has been shown to
help people automatically eat fewer calories in some studies. Weird trick, but
it seems to work.
11. Exercise
Portion Control or Count Calories
Portion control (eating less) or counting
calories can be very useful, for obvious reasons.
There are also studies showing that keeping a
food diary and writing down what you eat, or taking pictures of all your meals,
can help you lose weight. Anything that increases
your awareness of what you are eating is likely to be useful.
12. Keep Healthy
Food Around
Keeping healthy food close by can help prevent
you from eating something unhealthy if you become excessively hungry.
A few snacks that are easily portable and
simple to prepare include whole fruits, a handful of nuts, baby
carrots, yogurt, and
a hardboiled egg (or two).
13. Eat Spicy
Foods
Spicy foods like cayenne pepper contain
capsaicin, a compound that can boost metabolism and reduce your appetite
slightly.
14. Do Aerobic
Exercise
Doing aerobic exercise (cardio) is an
excellent way to burn calories and improve your physical and mental
health. It appears to be particularly effective to lose belly fat, the unhealthy
fat that tends to build up around your organs and cause metabolic disease.
15. Lift Weights
One of the worst side effects of dieting is
that it tends to cause muscle loss and metabolic slowdown, often referred to
as starvation mode.
The best way to prevent this from happening is
to do some sort of resistance exercise like lifting weights. Studies show that
weight lifting can help keep your metabolism high and prevent you from losing
precious muscle mass.
Of course, it’s not just important to lose
fat. You also want to make sure that what is beneath looks good. Doing some
sort of resistance exercise is critical for that.
16. Eat More
Fiber
Fiber is often recommended for the purpose of
weight loss. Although the evidence is mixed, some studies show that fiber
(especially viscous fiber)
can increase satiety and help you control your weight over the long term.
17. Eat More
Vegetables and Fruits
Vegetables and fruits have several properties
that make them effective for weight loss. They contain few calories,but a
lot of fiber. They are also rich in water, which gives them a low energy
density. They also take a while to chew and are very filling.
Studies show that people who eat vegetables
and fruits tend to weigh less. These foods are also super healthy and nutritious, so eating them
is important for all sorts of reasons.
18. Chew More Slowly
It can take a while for the brain to
“register” that you’ve had enough to eat. Some studies show that chewing more
slowly can help you eat fewer calories and increase the production of hormones
linked to weight loss.
19. Get Good
Sleep
Sleep is highly
underrated, but it may be just as important as eating
healthy and exercising. Studies show that poor sleep is one of the
strongest risk factors for obesity, being linked to an 89 percent increased
risk of obesity in children, and 55 percent in adults.
20. Beat Your
Food Addiction
A recent 2014 study of 196,211 individuals
found that 19.9 percent fulfilled the criteria for food addiction. If you
suffer from overpowering cravings and can’t seem to get your eating under
control no matter how hard you try, then you may be a food addict. In this
case, get help.
Trying to lose weight without dealing with this problem first is next
to impossible.
21. Eat More
Protein
Protein is the single most important nutrient
when it comes to losing weight. Eating
a high-protein diet has been shown to boost metabolism by 80 to 100 calories
per day, while helping you feel so satiated that you eat up to 441 fewer
calories per day.
One study also showed that protein at 25
percent of calories reduced obsessive thoughts about food by 60 percent, while
cutting the desire for late-night snacking in half.
This is the single most important tip in this
article. Simply adding protein to your diet (without restricting
anything) is one of the easiest, most effective, and most delicious ways to
lose weight.
22. Supplement
With Whey Protein
If you struggle to get enough protein in your
diet, taking a supplement can help. One study showed that replacing part
of your calories with whey
protein can cause weight loss of about
8 pounds, while increasing lean muscle mass.
23. Don’t Drink
Calories, Especially Sugary Soda and Fruit Juices
Sugar is bad, but sugar in liquid form is even
worse. Studies show that liquid sugar calories may be the single most
fattening aspect of the modern
diet. For example, one study showed that
sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to a 60 percent increased risk of obesity
in children, for each daily serving.
Keep in mind that this applies to fruit
juice as well, which contains a similar amount of sugar as a soft drink
like coke. Eat whole fruit, but use fruit juice with caution, or avoid it
altogether.
24. Eat Whole,
Single-Ingredient Foods
If you want to be a leaner, healthier person,
then one of the best things you can do for yourself is to eat whole,
single-ingredient foods. These foods are naturally filling, and it’s very
difficult to gain weight if the majority of your diet is based around them.
Keep in mind that real food doesn’t need a
long list of ingredients because real food is the ingredient.
25. Instead of
‘Dieting,’ Eat Healthy
One of the biggest problems with “diets,” is
that they almost
never work in the long term. If anything, people who “diet” tend to
gain more weight over time, and studies show that dieting is a consistent
predictor of future weight gain.
Instead of going on a diet, make it your goal
to become a healthier, happier, and fitter person. Focus on nourishing your
body instead of depriving it. Weight loss should follow as a natural side
effect.
26. Brush
Your Teeth After Dinner
Although I’m not aware of any studies on this,
many people recommend brushing your teeth or flossing right after dinner. Then
you won’t be as tempted to have a late-night snack.
Kris
Gunnars is a medical student and certified personal trainer with a passion for
evidence-based nutrition. This article was originally published on Authority
Nutrition.com.
