20 ways to lose weight

Your overweight body won’t bother you until no one makes a joke on your overweight or until you don’t have a big event like marriage, proms and graduation ceremony coming ahead.

The overweight body makes you look ugly and less effective to perform daily activities efficiently. You feel tired just by doing one or two daily small tasks.

Slim body not only gives you a better look but also makes you agile and ignites your self-confidence.

Another benefit of weight loss is it makes your life healthier and keeps you away from dangerous heart diseases.

Everyone is familiar with how to lose weight. Weight loss equation is simple; take fewer calories and burn more.

It doesn’t mean that losing weight is all about keeping your body starve throughout the day.

Some people start taking supplements to shed pounds and they end up damaging their body.

Supplements may be effective at the moment but in the future, harm your body.

There are some instructions to follow which give you proper direction when you are trying to lose weight.

Below are some tips to reduce your weight in natural ways. Keep in mind that reducing weight is a long-term process and requires a lot of motivation and patience.

Drink more water to lose weight

There are many beverages like energy drinks and soft drinks in the market but mostly all of them contain about 100 calories.

These types of beverages will put on more weight instead of reducing. Always take in the notice that we should burn more calories than taking.

Now, Question arises what should we drink if we can’t drink above mentioned beverages? The answer is water.

Water is a natural beverage that has zero calories and carbs. It is a perfect substitute for beverages that contain calories and fulfill your desire for thirst.

Another benefit of drinking more water is, it’ll keep your stomach full and you won’t feel hunger and will intake a few calories.

According to the 8×8 rule, the person who is trying to lose weight or wants to maintain its ideal weight should drink eight 8-oz glasses of water per day.

Note that water intake varies by an individual thus it is not necessary to drink only eight 8-oz glasses of water.

Cut your Sugar and Starches

In the American diet, sugar and starches are the major sources of calories.

According to famous dietitian Suzanne Boos, who has published a list of Top 10 sources of calories in the U.S. Diet, soda, energy drinks with added sugar, pizza, pasta, and dairy dessert all are the sources of calories.

You should cut your sugar and starch intake if you are thinking to lose weight with no extra fats.

By doing so your hunger level will go down and you’ll intake fewer calories and this is also concluded by a study published by Duke University Medical Center.

Another benefit of cutting from sugar and carbs is that it lowers down your insulin level which helps in flushing out excess water from your body.

If you are new in reducing weight than cutting from sugar and starches can help you a lot. You can shed up to 10 pounds in the first week.

The above graph from a study shows how our diet affects our body weight. Eating low carbohydrate food is more effective than a low-fat diet.

Drink Green Tea

Green Tea is another way to lose weight. Green tea increases your metabolism and helps you in reducing weight.

Green tea contains antioxidants named caffeine and catechin.

According to the study, caffeine and catechin increase your metabolism.

These two components together increase the amount of energy used by the body. Catechin is responsible for breaking extra fats from your body.

Another study that was published in 2010 suggested that components of green tea, caffeine, and catechin, have a positive impact on weight loss and weight management.

Many other studies support the fact that green tea is a natural herb and it increases your metabolism and reduces your weight.

It is recommended to drink green tea at least once a day to get a better result.

Drinking it early in a morning increases its effective working.

Do Exercise

There is no need to do exercise to lose weight but it is recommended to get the result quickly.

If we follow 80/20 rule then we can achieve our weight loss goals quickly.

80/20 formula suggests that 80% of our diet and 20% of our exercise matter in reducing weight.

According to a study, exercises increase your metabolism and help you in reducing your weight.

Besides that, it has many other health benefits. It prevents you from many heart diseases, diabetes, and various types of cancer as concluded by studies.

All most every single exercise will burn your calories but while reducing weight, it is recommended by Wendy Larkin to choose cardio workouts that engage multiple muscles at the same time and burn more calories.

There are some cardio exercises that improve your cardiovascular endurance and increase your fitness level.

It is suggested to do exercise at least 3 to 4 times in a week or 120 minutes a week as suggested by R. J. Buresh and  K. Berg. 

Intermittent Fasting

Try to do intermittent fasting to lose weight. It gives you more control over your hunger and helps in achieving your fitness goal.

Intermittent fasting means you eat after short-term fasting.

According to several studies, if an individual does intermittent fasting up to 24 weeks than he reduces his body weight.

This is supported by another study that was published in 2014. In this study, it was found that intermittent fasting reduced the body weight 3-8% after a period of 24 weeks.

Intermittent fasting is also beneficial for metabolic health and decreases the chances of chronic disease which extends your lifespan (Research in Endocrinology).

There are many methods of intermittent fasting you choose from but most common are

• The 16/8 method: this method suggests that fast for 16 hours and eat in the other 8 hours window. People who eat only in 8 hours window intake fewer calories and in the result reduce weight as concluded by a study.
• The 5:2 Diet: according to this method it is recommended to fast on 2 days out of 7 days in a week. You can intake 500-600 calories on fasting days
• Alternative Day Fasting: This method suggests to fast every other day and intake fewer calories on fasting days. This method is not recommended to beginners as most of the time you’ll feel hunger and May fed up.

It is recommended to do not overeat or take more calories during non-fasting days otherwise your fasting would be all in vain.

Lemon water

Use lemon water to lose weight. Lemon water is water mixed with lemon, hot or cold water, the choice is yours.

To twist the change you can mix sugar in it but it is suggested to drink lemon water without mixing sugar in it when you want to lose weight.

Like water, lemon water also increases your metabolism and reduces your weight.

In addition to it, it contains vitamin c and potassium.

Vitamin C is good for skin and potassium helps in lowering down blood pressure and keeps your blood pressure in control.

It is concluded in a study that People who eat intake potassium in large quantities have a lower risk of heart diseases, up to 27 %. Important benefits of lemon water are

• Helps in reducing weight
• Helps digestion
• Improve skin color and condition
• Boost your body immune system

It is suggested to make habit of drinking lemon water to make a noticeable change in your body weight.

If you want to lose weight quickly than drink lemon water (hot water) 15 min before workout.

Honey- Lemon Water

You are familiar with the benefits of lemon and water.

If we add honey in hot lemon water than it doubles the benefits.

It is believed that drink warm honey-lemon water in the early morning with an empty stomach can increase your metabolism and lose weight.

Honey-lemon water also helps digestion. It increases the production of stomach acid and bile secretion which are responsible for breaking down food and absorb nutrients.

It also flushes out undigested food which remains in the body and store as fat if not digested.

Honey lemon water also clears the skin of acne, you may find a noticeable change in your skin positively within 14 to 21 days if you’ll drink it regularly in the early morning.

Some other benefits of honey lemon water are

• It relieves a cough and chest congestion
• Home treatment for a throat infection
• Increase immune system
• Relieves constipation
• Helps cleanse the liver

Start drinking honey-lemon water to lose weight and to enjoy the above-mentioned benefits.

Chewing Gum

You should include chewing gum in the diet plan if you are planning to lose weight.

Chewing gum not only helps in reducing your weight but also helps you in getting rid of the smoking habit, freshen your breath, helps in digestion, and sharpen your memory.

According to a study from the University of Rhode Island, people who chewed gum after controlled breakfast consumed 68 fewer calories.

Chewing gum also helped the participants in the study in fulfilling their cravings.

Another study suggests that chewing gum decreases daily calorie intake by 40 calories who chew gum daily and also control your appetite.

According to the study, chewing gum helps you in reducing cravings for the snack and also decreases your sweet snack consumption.

People who chew gum burn about 5% more calorie than who don’t chew gum.

It is recommended to use sugar-free chewing gum because it contains 5 calories less than regular chew gum.

Tips to save calories by chewing gum

• Chew gum when you have urges to eat the snack.
• Keep your mouth busy with chew gum it’ll help you when your temptation for high calories meal would arise.
• Eat chewing while cooking a delicious meal to keep yourself away from nibbling.

Drink Black Coffee

Black Coffee is another beverage that can be included in a weight loss diet plan.

Black coffee increases your metabolism and aids you in reducing weight. Besides that, it boosts your concentration and energy level too.

Black Coffee contains many elements like chlorogenic acid and various antioxidants which work as a catalyst for weight loss and make it an ideal choice for weight management.

According to a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in 2015, people who drink more coffee have a lower risk of obesity and lower risk of diabetes as well.

In this study, dietary habits of more than 93000 participants were observed to analyze the correlation between black coffee and weight.

Some benefits of black coffee are

• Helps in reducing weight
• Reduces the risk of cancer
• Reduce the risk of diabetes type II
• Improve your cardiovascular health
• Boost your energy level
• Increases your physical Performance
• Cleanse your stomach
• Reduce stress and depression

Drinking black coffee 20-30 minutes before a workout increases your metabolism and burn more calories than a regular workout.

For better results, it is suggested to drink black coffee while following your low calories diet plan.

Avoid added sugar

Added sugar is a very dangerous ingredient as it increases the chances of obesity and Diabetes type II.

Despite fact that Sugar affects your body in many negative ways we have been consuming sugar in large quantities in forms of candies, chocolates, soft drinks, and energy drinks.

It is necessary to cut back on sugar if you want to lose weight and live a healthy life.

According to a study which was published in August 2004, there is a positive correlation between sugar and the risk of obesity.

In addition to that, the high consumption of sugar also causes diabetes type II. This same result is included in another study.

It is hard to avoid added sugar now’s days because some people may be trick by the different names of sugar mention on nutrition labels like corn syrup, nectar, sugar cane, or sucrose.

It is necessary to watch out what you are eating and how many calories you intake if you want to lose weight.

Start practice of Control Diet

Reducing weight is all about burning more calories than intake.

Practicing of control diet can be very useful in weight loss mission. Always eat 75% of your hunger.

If you are practicing on the control diet, I would suggest you drink water before the meal. It’ll make your stomach full and you’ll eat fewer calories.

A study published in the International Journal of Consumer Studies shows that think before what you are going to eat and taking pictures of that meal can change your attitude toward that meal and helps you to lose weight.

Have more veggies on your plate and choose low carbs food is suggested to lose weight.

Drinking water before the meal would also help you in practicing a control diet.

Eat Vegetables and fruit

Low calories, low fats, and high fiber are the three most important ingredients which aid in reducing weight.

These three ingredients make vegetables and fruits a perfect choice to include in your diet plan.

Vegetables and fruit also contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant which make you healthy and keep you safe from various diseases.

According to a study, eating more vegetables and fruits make people happier.

Due to fiber and water that vegetables contain, you feel full for a longer period.

As a result, you consume fewer calories. Also, vegetables help you to live longer by decreasing the risk of dangerous diseases like heart attack, obesity, and diabetes.

Vegetables and fruits help in decreasing inflammation, hardening of arteries, and keep your cholesterol level in control.

You should start eating more vegetables and fruits to shed pounds as it is also supported by a study published in May 2011 by the Department of Pediatrics.

Monitor your Diet and Exercise

Keep track of what you are eating, how many calories you are consuming, and how many you are burning through workout helps you in reducing and maintaining your body weight.

One simple way of tracking your diet is to maintain a journal containing all your diet with calories information.

According to a study, people tend to eat less and consume fewer calories when they track their eating habits.

Another study shows that tracking your involvement in physical tasks or workout helps you in weight management.

There is a positive correlation between tracking your diet and exercise as reviewed by a study.

Tracking activity not only helps you in reducing weight but also keep you motivated and take you closer to your fitness goals.

Stress Management

Stress management is necessary to lose weight and maintain your body.

Hormones like adrenaline and cortical releases when we take stress. Initially, these hormones remain in your bloodstream and reduce your appetite. As a result, you intake fewer calories.

When cortical remain in your bloodstream for a longer period, it not only affects your health but also ruin your efforts for weight loss.

When you don’t manage your stress, these hormones don’t return to their normal state. As a result, your appetites increase and you consume more calories.

Research shows the connection between stress and heart disease, depression, and Diabetes.

Stress increases the chances of these dangerous diseases which can lead you towards death.

According to the study, 8 –week stress management program reduces BMI (Body Mass Index) of overweight body and obese children.

Spicy Foods

There are several studies that show the relationship between spicy foods and weight loss.

Spicy food increases your metabolism and helps you in reducing weight.

According to a review study, spicy food not only shed your weight in pounds but also gives you a healthy direction.

A Study found that Cayenne pepper contains a compound named Capsaicin which increases your metabolism and decreases your appetite.

Capsaicin also makes you feel full and prevent you from overeating.

According to a study which was presented at biophysical society annual meetings, spice helps you in reducing weight by thermogenic which is a process that burns fats by creating heat in the body and give you a lean belly.

Eat Eggs in Breakfast

Try to replace your breakfast with eggs as it has a lot of benefits and aids you in reducing weight.

According to a study, eating eggs in breakfast rather than grain-based breakfast can assist you in consuming fewer calories.

A finding of another study supports the above-mentioned study and shows that taking eggs in breakfast enhances the weight loss process.

Eggs are the complete source of proteins that contains amino acids that are beneficial and must get from our diet.

Here are some benefits of eggs.

• It helps you in weight loss.
• Make you feel full and restrict you from consuming extra calories.
• Great source of protein and inexpensive to buy.
• Two antioxidants (lutein and zeaxanthin) present in eggs helps your eyesight from damage from UV rays.

It is fine to take another protein-based breakfast if you don’t want to eat eggs at breakfast.

Don’t eat late at night

Avoid eating at late night can be a good weight loss strategy because it gives time to your body to digest food.

This strategy also restricts you from consuming more calories especially if you are a night nibbler.

A study observed that people who tend to eat late at night have larger body weight.

Your body doesn’t digest food and stores this food as fat when you go for sleep right after eating your meal.

It is also suggested to don’t eat after 8:00 pm and take a walk for 15-20 min after finishing your meal.

Watch Your Salt Intake

It is necessary to watch out your salt intake if you want to lose weight.

Salt doesn’t contain calories or fat but it blocks excess water from flushing out from your body and in the result, your body, hips, and thighs bloat.

According to Moskovitz, “more salt you’ll intake the more water will get stored in your body and will block excess water from flushing out”.

According to the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, there is a positive correlation between sodium intake and calorie consumption.

A limit for salt intake has been set in U.S Dietary Guidelines which varies between different ages of people. It is recommended to consume 1000milligram by young children and 1200miligram by adult people.

Reducing sodium intake not only helps in reducing weight but also prevent you from heart diseases like heart stroke and High blood pressure.

Research shows that lowering sodium consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and reduce the death rate over time.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is equally important for weight loss as your diet and exercise is.

Sleeping of people varies from person to person but according to research, people gain weight when they sleep less than seven-hour.

In many studies, poor sleep has been linked with BMI (Body Mass Index) and weight gain.

Poor sleeping increases your appetite caused by two hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin.

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more ghrelin and less leptin which makes you hungry and you consume more calories.

Poor sleep also decreases your resting metabolic rate which means the number of calories burned during rest.

Higher the number of calories burnt during rest, the higher the Resting Metabolism rate which is a good sign.

Poor sleeping also results in muscle loss as concluded by a study.

If you are a starter in reducing weight than enough sleep strategy can work to decreases your appetite.

Do Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic exercises are a great way to burn calories as these exercises engage multiple muscles in action at the same time.

Combination of aerobic exercises and low calories diet make significant changes in your weight.

Research shows that aerobic exercises are effective in burning unhealthy fats from your body and prevent you from metabolic diseases.

In addition to it, aerobic exercises also make you mentally strong and improve your mood as concluded by a study.

Here are some benefits of doing aerobic exercises

• Increase your energy level
• Improve mental health
• Make you mentally and physically strong
• Improve the efficiency of the heart
• Prevent you from cardiovascular diseases

There is no need to go to the gym to do aerobic exercises.

It is necessary to add aerobic exercises to your regular workout to speed up your weight loss process along with your low fat and low calories diet plan.