Most diets are fads at best. They rely on unrealistic or unhealthy approaches. And with beach season approaching, you might not know where to turn. Not to worry. There are simple—effective—ways to start losing weight today.
Here are five easy ways to jump-start weight loss. And best of all, not one of them requires you starving yourself or even cutting out foods.
1. Eat More Fiber: Adding more of this nutrient to your diet is the easiest thing you can do to start shedding pounds. Fiber keeps you full. So you eat less in one sitting. Plus, you’ll feel satisfied longer.
One study compared the American Heart Association (AHA) diet to a high-fiber diet. AHA dieters only lost about a pound more after a year.1 But they had to follow 13 rules. That’s way more challenging—and intimidating—than just adding more fiber to your diet.
Make sure you skip the grains for this one. Get fiber from fresh vegetables and fruits…like green beans and Brussels sprouts. They have twice the fiber of a piece of wholegrain bread. But none of the inflammation.
2. Snack on Nuts: Cashews, almonds, pistachios… These are great snacks for curbing your hunger. Eating them helps manage your weight. That’s because these bite-size snacks are very satiating. They’re high in fiber. They help fill you up and keep you full.2 Their high-protein content stimulates muscle growth and prevents your body from storing fat.
They also contain monounsaturated fats. Eating just seven grams of these healthy fats can cut your appetite in half for up to three hours.3,4 You can get that from a handful of almonds.5 Your body absorbs about 80% of these fats and uses them for energy.
3. Get Intense: We’re talking about high-intensity interval training (HIIT). We’ve told you before it can boost your metabolism… It even helps burn fat quicker. A study in Ontario found subjects lost twice as much fat by doing 12 minutes of HIIT than 60 minutes of incline walking after six weeks.6 You’ll preserve more muscle too.7
You can start by incorporating just 15 minutes a day. Choose an aerobic activity you enjoy…like running, cycling, or swimming. Exercise at a moderate pace—a jog—for a minute. Then go for a 30-second burst of all-out effort. Slow your pace and catch your breath for the next minute. Repeat this process five to seven times.
4. Add More Veggies to Your Diet: Not just for dinner…They make a great light snack. And they’re made up of mostly water. Along with their fiber content, it helps keep your digestive tract clean. Water also keeps you full and hydrated.8 Celery, tomatoes, zucchini…these are just a few that contain over 90% of water.9
The main star here—other than fiber and antioxidants—is potassium. Vegetables like mushrooms, spinach, and Swiss chard are full of this nutrient. It’s important to weight loss because it helps convert food into energy… Not fat. And it promotes strong muscles.10 That’ll come in handy when you’re doing HIIT.
5. Use MCT Oil: It comes from coconut oil. Health Watch readers may recall it promotes ketosis. That’s the process of burning fat for energy. Consuming MCT oil may help prevent fat build up.11 That’s because your body metabolizes it quickly and uses it fuel almost instantly.12
Researchers in Czechoslovakia have even found taking MCT oil can have long-term success for obese dieters. You won’t even have to change your diet to see results… But it works better if you do.
If you’re having a hard time reaching your weight loss goals, try starting here. Add a few drops of MCT oil to your coffee in the morning. Have some fiber-rich berries for breakfast. Eat a handful of nuts for a snack between meals. You won’t be starving yourself. Instead, you’ll be giving your body fat-burning fuel to help reach your goals.
In Good Health,
Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch
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References:
1http://www.cbsnews.com/news/one-thing-to-add-to-your-diet-if-you-want-to-lose-weight/
2http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/dining/are-nuts-a-weight-loss-aid.html
3http://www.lef.org/news/lefdailynews?NewsID=21904&Section=NUTRITION&checked=1
4http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2205?fgcd=&manu=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=35&offset=&sort=&qlookup=09037
5http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3667?fgcd=&manu=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=35&offset=&sort=&qlookup=12061
6http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20473222
7http://www.muscleforlife.com/high-intensity-interval-training-and-weight-loss/
8http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/tips/48-hour-weight-loss-jumpstart/
9http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/list-fruits-vegetable-high-water-content-8958.html
10http://www.weightloss.com.au/diet/diet-articles/potassium-and-weight-loss.html
11http://www.livestrong.com/article/275148-does-mct-oil-make-you-lose-weight/
12http://www.leanandmuscular.org/mct-oil.php