11 ways to reduce body weight
Overview
11 ways to reduce body weight and fat. Carrying excess body weight can increase the risk of serious health problems, including heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes.
Crash diets are not a sustainable solution, whatever perks their proponents might claim them to have. To both lose weight safely and sustain that weight loss over time, it is essential to make gradual, permanent, and beneficial lifestyle changes.
In this article, we provide 11 tips for weight control.
Weight loss is primarily dependent on reducing the total intake of calories, not adjusting the proportions of carbohydrate, fat, and protein in the diet.
A reasonable weight loss goal to start seeing health benefits is a 5–10 percent reduction in body weight over a 6-month time frame.
Most people can achieve this goal by reducing their total calorie intake to somewhere in the range of 1,000–1,600 calories per day.
A diet of fewer than 1,000 calories per day will not provide sufficient daily nutrition.
How to maintain weight loss
After 6 months of dieting, the rate of weight loss usually declines, and body weight tends to plateau because people use less energy at a lower body weight. Following a weight maintenance program of healthful eating habits and regular physical activity is the best way to avoid regaining lost weight.
Maintaining weight loss involves a commitment to a healthful lifestyle, from which there is no “vacation.” Although people should feel free to enjoy a special meal out, a birthday celebration, or a joyful holiday feast without feeling guilty, they should try not to stray too far from the path of healthful eating and frequent physical activity.
Those who do may find that they lose focus. Gaining back lost weight is easier than losing it.
Achieving and maintaining weight loss is possible when people adopt lifestyle changes in the long term.
Regardless of any specific methods that help a person lose weight, individuals who are conscious of how and what they eat and engage in daily physical activity or regular exercise will be successful both in losing and keeping off excess weight.
1. Eliminate liquid calories
It is possible to consume hundreds of calories a day by drinking sugar-sweetened soda, tea, juice, or alcohol. These are known as “empty calories” because they provide extra energy content without offering any nutritional benefits.
Unless a person is consuming a smoothie to replace a meal, they should aim to stick to water or unsweetened tea and coffee. Adding a splash of fresh lemon or orange to water can provide flavor.
Avoid mistaking dehydration for hunger. An individual can often satisfy feelings of hunger between scheduled meal times with a drink of water.
2. Eat mindfully
Many people benefit from mindful eating, which involves being fully aware of why, how, when, where, and what they eat.
Making more healthful food choices is a direct outcome of becoming more in tune with the body.
People who practice mindful eating also try to eat more slowly and Savor their food, concentrating on the taste. Making a meal last for 20 minutes allows the body to register all of the signals for satiety.
It is important to focus on being satisfied after a meal rather than full and to bear in mind that many “all natural” or low-fat foods are not necessarily a healthful choice.
People can also consider the following questions regarding their meal choice.
- Is it good “value” for the calorie cost?
- Will it provide satiety?
- Are the ingredients healthful?
- If it has a label, how much fat and sodium does it contain
3. Follow a high protein diet to reduce body fat
Eating more protein-rich foods may help reduce your appetite and increase fat burning.
In fact, multiple studies have associated eating more high quality protein with a lower risk of excess body fat and obesity.
Other research indicates that a high protein diet may help preserve muscle mass and metabolism during weight loss.
Upping your protein intake may also increase feelings of fullness, decrease hunger, and reduce calorie intake — all factors that aid weight loss.
Try adding a few servings of high protein food to your diet each day. Protein-rich foods include meat, seafood, eggs, legumes, tofu, and dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt.
4. Eat varied, colorful, nutritionally dense foods
Healthful meals and snacks should form the foundation of the human diet. A simple way to create a meal plan is to make sure that each meal consists of 50 percent fruit and vegetables, 25 percent whole grains, and 25 percent protein. Total fiber intake should be 25–30 grams (g) daily.
Eliminate trans fats from the diet, and minimize the intake of saturated fats, which has a strong link with the incidence of coronary heart disease.
Instead, people can consume monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) or polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which are types of unsaturated fat.
The following foods are healthful and often rich in nutrients.
- fresh fruits and vegetables
- fish
- legumes
- nuts
- seeds
- whole grains, such as brown rice and oatmeal
Foods to avoid eating include
- foods with added oils, butter, and sugar
- fatty red or processed meats
- baked goods
- bagels
- white bread
- processed foods
5. Eat more healthy fats to reduce body weight
Although it may seem counterintuitive, increasing your intake of healthy fats may prevent weight gain.
A 12-month study associated following a Mediterranean diet rich in healthy fats from olive oil and nuts with greater long-term weight loss, compared with a low-fat diet.
Another review linked diets enriched with olive oil to greater reductions in body weight and belly fat compared with diets without olive oil.
What’s more, increased intake of trans fats — a type of fat often found in fried or processed foods — is associated with increased long-term weight gain.
Olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds are just a few examples of nutritious fats that can benefit your health.
Keep in mind that healthy fat is still high in calories, so it’s important to moderate your intake. Instead of eating more fat overall, try swapping fried foods, processed ingredients, and refined oils for the healthy varieties above.
6. Fill up on fiber to reduce body fat
Soluble fiber — which is found in plant foods — absorbs water and moves through your digestive tract slowly, helping you feel full for longer.
According to some studies, increasing your intake of high fiber foods may protect against weight gain. These foods include fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
For example, one study in 345 people tied eating more fiber to increased weight loss and improved dietary adherence
Another review found that increasing soluble fiber intake significantly decreased body weight and belly fat, independent of calorie intake.
7. Choose whole grains instead of refined carbs
Decreasing your intake of refined carbs may help you lose extra body fat.
During processing, refined grains are stripped of their bran and germ, resulting in a final product that’s low in fiber and nutrients.
Refined carbs also tend to have a high glycemic index (GI), which may cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels that lead to increased hunger. Still, you’re likelier to see these effects if you eat refined carbs on their own rather than as part of a balanced meal.
What’s more, studies associate diets high in refined carbs with increased belly fat over time.
Conversely, diets high in whole grains are tied to a lower body mass index (BMI) and body weight, plus a smaller waist circumference.
Just keep in mind that traditional weight metrics like BMI don’t capture the full portrait of health.
Aim to replace refined carbs from pastries, processed foods, pastas, white breads, and breakfast cereals with whole grains like whole wheat, quinoa, buckwheat, barley, and oats.
8. Start strength training
Strength training is a type of exercise in which your muscles contract against resistance. It builds muscle mass and increases strength over time, and it usually involves lifting weights.
Research reveals that strength training has multiple health benefits, especially when it comes to fat loss.
According to a review of 58 studies, resistance training for at least 4 weeks may help decrease body fat by an average of 1.46%. It may also significantly reduce body fat mass and visceral fat, which is a type of fat that surrounds the organs in your belly.
Another study showed that 5 months of strength training was more effective at reducing body fat in adolescents with obesity than aerobic exercise alone.
Plus, resistance training may help preserve fat-free mass, which may increase the number of calories your body burns at rest.
According to one review, resistance training boosted people’s resting metabolic rate compared with a control group, while aerobic exercise had no effect on metabolism.
Doing bodyweight exercises, lifting weights, and using gym equipment are a few easy ways to get started with strength training.
9. Engage in regular physical activity and exercise
Regular exercise is vital for both physical and mental health. Increasing the frequency of physical activity in a disciplined and purposeful way is often crucial for successful weight loss.
People who are not usually physically active should slowly increase the amount of exercise that they do and gradually increase its intensity. This approach is the most sustainable way to ensure that regular exercise becomes a part of their lifestyle.
If the thought of a full workout seems intimidating to someone who is new to exercise, they can begin by doing the following activities to increase their exercise levels.
- taking the stairs
- raking leaves
- walking a dog
- gardening
- dancing
- playing outdoor games
- parking farther away from a building entrance
Individuals who have a low risk of coronary heart disease are unlikely to require medical assessment ahead of starting an exercise regimen.
However, prior medical evaluation may be advisable for some people, including those with diabetes. Anyone who is unsure about safe levels of exercise should speak to a healthcare professional.
10. Get more sleep
Going to bed a bit earlier or setting your alarm clock a little later is a simple strategy to help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.
In fact, several studies associate sufficient sleep with weight loss.
One 10-year study linked sleeping fewer than 6 hours per night to a higher risk of obesity.
Another small study showed that getting 1 less hour of sleep per night led to less fat loss in people following a low calorie diet, compared with a control group.
Other research indicates that a lack of sleep may contribute to alterations in hunger hormones, increased appetite, and a higher risk of obesity.
Although everyone needs a different amount of sleep, most studies tie at least 7 hours of sleep per night to the most benefits for weight management and overall health.
To support a healthy sleep cycle, stick to a regular sleep schedule, limit your intake of caffeine in the evening, and minimize your use of electronic devices before bed.
11. Increase your cardio to reduce body weight
Cardio, also known as aerobic exercise, is one of the most common forms of exercise. It’s any type of exercise that specifically trains the heart and lungs.
Adding cardio to your routine may be one of the most effective ways to enhance fat burning and weight loss.
For example, one review of 15 studies tied increased aerobic exercise to decreased belly fat.
Other studies have found that aerobic exercise may increase muscle mass and decrease belly fat, waist circumference, and body fat.
Most research recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week, or roughly 20–40 minutes of cardio each day.
Running, walking, cycling, and swimming are just a few examples of cardio workouts.
