Diet and exercise can be key ingredients for effective weight loss in women, but many other factors also play a role. In fact, research shows that everything from sleep quality to stress levels can have a huge impact on hunger, metabolism, body weight, and belly fat.
Fortunately, making a few small changes to your daily routine can go a long way when it comes to losing weight.
Here are 23 of the best weight loss guidelines for women.
1. Cut down on refined carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates undergo significant processing, reducing the amount of fiber and micronutrients in the final product.
These foods increase blood sugar levels, increase hunger, and are associated with increased body mass and abdominal fat.
Therefore, it is best to limit your intake of refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, and packaged foods. Choose whole foods like oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and barley.
2. Include resistance training in your daily routine
Resistance training helps build muscle and endurance.
This is especially beneficial for women over 50 as they increase the amount of calories they burn while resting. It also helps maintain bone mineral density while protecting against osteoporosis.
Lifting weights, using machines, or doing bodyweight exercises are some easy ways to start.
3. Drink lots of water
Drinking more water is a simple and effective way to reduce excess body weight with minimal effort.
A small study found that drinking 500 ml of water temporarily increased calories burned by 30% after 30 to 40 minutes.
Research also shows that drinking water before meals can increase weight loss and reduce calories by approximately 13%.
4. Eat more protein
Protein foods like meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, and legumes are an important part of a healthy diet, especially when it comes to losing weight.
In fact, studies have shown that eating a high-protein diet can reduce cravings, increase satiety, and boost metabolism.
A small 12-week study also found that increasing protein intake by just 15% reduced daily calorie intake by an average of 441 calories, resulting in a 5kg weight loss.
5. Establish a regular sleep schedule
Research shows that getting enough sleep can be as important to weight loss as diet and exercise.
Numerous studies have linked lack of sleep to weight gain and higher levels of ghrelin, the hormone responsible for stimulating hunger.
Additionally, a study in women found that getting at least seven hours of sleep each night and improving overall sleep quality increased the likelihood of losing weight by 33%.
6. Get more cardio exercise
Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, increases your heart rate and helps you burn excess calories.
Research shows that adding more cardio to your daily routine can lead to significant weight loss, especially when combined with a healthy diet.
For best results, try to expose your body to at least 20-40 minutes of cardio per day, or around 150-300 minutes per week.
7. Keep track of power
Keeping a food log to keep track of what you eat is an easy way to take responsibility and make healthier choices.
It also makes it easy to count calories, which can be an effective weight management strategy.
What's more, a food intake diary can help you meet your goals and can lead to longer-term weight loss.
8. Eat more fiber
Adding more fiber to your diet is a common weight loss strategy that can help delay stomach emptying and keep you full longer.
With no other dietary or lifestyle changes, an increase in fiber (dietary fiber) intake of 14 grams per day was associated with a 10% decrease in calorie intake and a decrease of 1. 9 kg in body weight for 3. 8 months.
Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are excellent sources of fiber to use as part of a balanced diet.
9. Practice mindful eating
Mindful eating involves minimizing external distractions while eating. Eat slowly, focusing on the taste, look, smell, and taste of your food.
This practice helps instill healthier eating habits and is a powerful weight loss tool.
Research shows that eating slowly can increase feelings of fullness and cause a significant decrease in daily calorie intake.
10. Snack wisely
Eating healthy, low-calorie snacks is a great way to lose weight and stay on track while minimizing hunger between meals.
Choose snacks that are high in protein and fiber to help you feel full and control food cravings.
Whole fruit combined with nut butter, vegetables with hummus, or Greek yogurt with nuts are examples of nutritious snacks that can help you lose weight in the long run.
11. Abandon the diet to lose weight
While fad diets often promise quick weight loss results, they can do more harm than good when it comes to your waistline and health.
For example, a study of college women found that eliminating certain foods from their diets increased food cravings and overeating.
Fad diets can also contribute to unhealthy diets, which are detrimental to long-term weight loss.
12. Walk more
When time is short and you can't include exercise in your daily routine, try walking more during the day. This is an easy way to burn excess calories and increase weight loss.
In fact, it is believed that non-exercise activities can burn 50% of calories during the day.
Taking stairs instead of an elevator, parking your car far from the door, or walking during your lunch break are some simple strategies to increase your total steps and burn more calories.
13. Set achievable goals
Setting achievable goals can make it easier to reach your weight loss goals, as well as set you up for success.
Achievable objectives must be specific, measurable, relevant and time-bound. They should hold you accountable and guide you toward a clear plan to achieve your goals.
For example, instead of simply setting a goal of losing 5 kilograms, set a goal of losing 5 kilograms in 3 months by keeping a food diary, going to the gym 3 times a week, and adding a serving of vegetables to each meal. .
14. Keep stress under control
Some research suggests that increasing stress levels over time can increase your risk of weight gain.
Stress can also change eating habits and contribute to problems like overeating.
Exercising, listening to music, yoga, journaling, and hanging out with friends or family are some simple and effective ways to reduce stress.
15. Try high intensity interval training
High-intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, combines intense bursts of exercise with short recovery periods to keep your heart rate high.
Switching your cardio training to HIIT several times a week can increase your weight loss.
HIIT can reduce belly fat, increase weight loss, and have been shown to burn more calories than other activities such as cycling, running, and resistance training.
16. Use smaller plates
Replacing your plates with smaller options can help you control your portions and help you lose weight.
While research remains limited and inconsistent, one study found that participants using smaller plates ate less and were more satisfied than those using a normal-size plate.
Using a smaller plate can also limit serving size, which can reduce the risk of overeating and control calorie intake.
17. Take probiotic supplements
Probiotics are a type of beneficial bacteria that can be eaten or taken as a dietary supplement to support gut health.
Research shows that probiotics can promote weight loss by increasing fat excretion and altering hormone levels to reduce appetite.
In particular,Lactobacillus gasseriis a probiotic strain that is particularly effective. Research shows that it can help reduce belly fat and overall body weight.
18. Practice yoga
Research shows that yoga can help prevent weight gain and increase fat burning.
Yoga can also reduce stress and anxiety levels; both can be associated with emotional eating, which can lead to obesity.
Additionally, yoga practice has been shown to reduce overeating and preoccupation with food while maintaining healthy eating behaviors.
19. Chew more slowly
Conscious effort to chew food relatively slowly and completely can help you lose weight by reducing the amount of food you eat.
According to one study, chewing food 50 times per bite significantly reduced calorie intake compared to chewing 15 times per bite.
Another study found that chewing food 150 or 200% more than usual reduced food intake by 9. 5% and 14. 8%, respectively.
20. Eat a healthy breakfast
In the morning, you can enjoy a healthy breakfast that will help you start your day on the right foot and keep you full until your next meal.
In fact, research shows that following a regular diet may be associated with a lower risk of overeating.
A breakfast rich in protein reduces the levels of the hormone ghrelin, which promotes hunger. It can help control appetite and hunger.
21. Experiment with intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting involves alternating between eating and fasting for a specific period of time each day. Fasting periods usually last 14 to 24 hours.
Intermittent fasting is believed to be as effective as reducing calorie intake when it comes to losing weight.
It can also help improve metabolism by increasing the number of calories you burn at rest.
22. Limit your intake of processed foods
Processed foods are typically high in calories, sugar, and sodium, but low in important nutrients like protein, fiber, and trace elements.
Research shows that eating more processed foods is associated with being overweight, especially among women.
Therefore, it is better to limit your intake of processed foods and opt for whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins, whole grains, and legumes.
23. Cut back on sugar
Added sugar is a leading cause of weight gain and serious health problems, like diabetes and heart disease.
Foods high in sugar contain extra calories, but they don't have enough vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein that your body needs.
For this reason, it is best to minimize consumption of sugary foods such as sodas, candy, fruit juices, sports drinks, and sweets to promote weight loss and optimize overall health.
Summarizing
- Many different factors play a role in weight loss, and some go far beyond diet and exercise.
- Making a few simple lifestyle changes can promote long-term weight loss.
- Incorporating one or two of these strategies into your daily routine can help you achieve maximum results and promote healthy and sustainable weight loss.