A renowned writer once said, “The best diet is not a diet, but a way of life that includes food you enjoy, exercise, and healthy habits.” The matter is that individuals need to have the right amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to enjoy their lifestyle and work environment.
However, when people tend to work for several hours while sitting, or their food consumption levels are high, they develop excess fats and energy imbalances within their bodies.
This leads to a condition known as ‘overweight.’ People in this state often remain lethargic, and some even move away from the public for face-saving. If you are currently facing this dilemma, then you’ve come to the right place.
This article will inform you about different ways to reduce weight and regain your fitness levels quickly.
Different Ways to Lose Weight
Some of the best weight-reduction methods include a combinational plan, i.e., if you’re into physical exercise, you need to have a proper diet for it, or if you are taking weight loss supplements, you need to have a high water intake.
Apart from that, you need to check your eating habits and make smart modifications to your diet to restore the right balance of nutrients within your body.
Below are some of the ways to attain weight reduction quickly.
A. Try Sporadic Fasting
In sporadic fasting, you need to consume meals within a short period throughout the day. Alternatively, it means that you need to undergo regular short-term fasts.
Different research work has indicated that this type of fasting has proved beneficial for obese individuals.
Some of the most common methods include:
1. The 5:2 diet
A 5:2 diet is also known as the Fast Diet; it is currently one of the most popular intermittent fasting methods. A British journalist, Michael Mosley, made this diet popular among the masses.
It is called so because of the difference in the calorie intake, i.e., for the first five days and the next two days of the week. This type of diet is considered ‘freestyle’ because there are no requirements about which foods to have and when you should have them.
Apart from weight loss, a 5:2 diet helps in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. A research paper published in 2019 suggested that diets, whether intermittent fasting or calorie restriction, helped reduce fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance in overweight adults.
How to Eat on Fasting Days?
During the days when a person needs to cut down their calorie intake, they can follow some meal schedules such as:
Eating early lunch or dinner
Eating three small meals, i.e., breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Eating a restricted breakfast and late lunch
Eating a single meal at breakfast or dinner.
Foods to Digest:
Some of the foods that you can include are:
Vegetables and fibers (leafy greens, salads, carrots, etc.)
Proteins (white fish, eggs, beans, tofu, etc.)
Dark berries
Beverages (soup, water, and tea)
Foods to Avoid:
Processed foods (refined and high in calories)
Refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta, and white rice)
Excess fats (cooking oils, animal fats, cheese)
On regular days, you can have any meal that you like. However, it would help if you kept in mind that you can’t cross the average limit of your food intake.
2. Alternate Day Fasting
Alternate day fasting is an intermittent fasting approach in which you need to fast on alternate days while enjoying regular meals on the remaining ones. It helps promote weight loss and lower risk factors related to heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Researches
Studies have shown that adults who rely on ADF (Alternate-Day Fasting) can lose 3-8% of their body weight in 2-12 weeks. However, some researchers have concluded that this method is not superior to traditional daily calorie restrictions for promoting weight loss.
Another research has shown that ADF and daily calorie restriction effectively reduce harmful belly fat and inflammatory markers in obese patients. Also, weight loss can be accelerated when combined with increased physical activity.
One study depicted the effect of increased ADF on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) after 24 hours of follow-up. BDNF is a protein that plays a pivotal role in energy balance and body weight maintenance. It showed that ADF had positive long-term implications on BDNF, which, in turn, improved weight loss.
How to Eat on Fasting Days?
During fasting days, you can follow different meal combinations like:
Eggs and vegetables
Yogurt with berries
Grilled fish or lean meat with vegetables
Soup and fruits
Salad with lean meat
In the case of beverages, you can have low-calorie or calorie-free drinks on fasting days, such as water, coffee, or tea.
Foods to Avoid:
Processed meats
Sugar
Trans Fats
Refined Starches
On other days (apart from fasting), you can enjoy your routine, i.e., have your breakfast, lunch, and dinner as per schedule. However, take care that you do not overeat and cross the calorie limit.
3. 16/8 Fasting Method
In this diet-control approach, you need to fast for 16 hours and eat for the rest of the 8 hours. For most individuals, the 8-hour period would be around noon to 8 p.m. This process has shown improvements in blood sugar control and enhanced longevity.
Before starting with this method, you need to select a suitable time frame. For maximum effect, you can vouch for a time range in which you have to put in your efforts, i.e., if you are busy in fieldwork, then select a time slot between morning and evening (8 hours). For the fasting period, the night time is preferable.
How to Eat on Fasting Days?
In the 8-hour gap, you can have a combination of different edibles such as fruits, low-fat foods, and vegetables. Below are some of the foods you can digest and avoid:
Foods to Digest:
Fruits: Apples, bananas, berries, oranges, pears, tomatoes, etc. Vegetables: Broccoli, brussels sprout, cauliflower, cucumber, etc. Whole grains: Barley, quinoa, buckwheat, oats, etc. Healthy fats: Olive oil and avocados Proteins: Eggs, fish, meat, nuts, seeds, etc.
Foods to Avoid:
Sugary Foods: Cookies, candy, cakes, etc. Processed foods (meat, fish, etc.) Alcoholic beverages
B. Tracking Your Exercise And Diet
Knowing your diet and exercise routine is essential for weight loss and maintenance. The best way to approach it is to log every activity you undertook or edible you consumed. The data can be stored in an online journal, computer software, or a diary planner.
In 2017, researchers estimated that around 3.7 billion health apps would be downloaded by the end of the same year. Diet, exercise, and weight loss were at the apex of these apps. Some of the best weight loss apps include MyFitnessPal, FatSecret, and Noom.
You can also hire a trainer to keep you fit and maintain your diet and exercise records. A trainer acts as a motivating factor for individuals who exhibit slackness during their routines. They prompt users to touch the daily limits prescribed for diet and exercise. Also, they check your eating habits, i.e., whether you are having cheat meals or not.
C. Eat Precisely
Knowing your boundaries and what to eat is suitable for those who aim to lose weight quickly. For some people, having food is like hustlin’ ‘n’ bustlin’ through a busy day. They tend to eat on the run, in the car, or while watching T.V. As a result, they don’t enjoy the food, and for some, it may cause digestion issues too.
Below are some ways to have a wholesome lunch or dinner:
Sit down to eat at a table
Avoid distractions while having food. This can be a cause of stomach problems.
Eat slowly
Make sensible food choices.
Drink warm water before starting to eat
Don’t get too hungry before your meal
1. Eating Proteins for Breakfast
Adding proteins to your breakfast will help you lose weight quickly. Studies have shown that proteins can curb your appetite and keep you from overeating. Moreover, it regulates appetite hormones, primarily due to a reduction in ghrelin and a rise in peptide YY, GLP-1, and cholecystokinin.
Apart from that, women-based research depicted the importance of proteins as it helped them eat 441 fewer calories per day with an increased protein intake from 15 to 30%. Some foods that entail high proteins are eggs, oats, nut and seed butter, quinoa porridge, and chia seed pudding.
A recent study concluded that a high protein breakfast compared to high fat or high carbohydrate one on the body’s ability to control insulin and glucose after four hours of having white bread. Participants consuming a high-protein breakfast had improved blood sugar and insulin levels compared to the other two.
2. Reducing Sugar And Refined Carbohydrates
Sugar occurs naturally in all foods that possess carbohydrates. Consuming this type of sugar is normal, and you can have a certain amount regularly.
It helps to provide energy to your cells. However, processed sugar is one of the dangers that relate not only to obesity but also to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and some cancers. Some processed sugar substances include corn sweetener, molasses, brown sugar, and others.
On the other hand, refined carbohydrates are heavily processed foods that don’t have fiber and nutrients. These include white rice, bread, and pasta. Although they are easy to digest, they cause swings in blood sugar levels and aid in weight increment.
3. Eat Plenty Of Fiber
Unlike sugar and starch, dietary fiber is a plant-based carbohydrate incorporated in a high-fiber diet. It can boost one’s sense of fullness, which causes loss of appetite and weight loss. Foods high in fiber include oats, barley, rye, fruits, vegetables, cereals, pasta, pulses, etc.
Viscous fiber reduces your appetite, which, in turn, reduces your calorie intake, and this helps in reducing weight in the long term. Foods rich in viscous fiber include asparagus, turnips, mangoes, oranges, oat bran, etc.
4. Gut Bacteria
Weight management and the role of gut bacteria is an emerging area for food researchers. The human gut hosts a wide variety of microorganisms, and each individual has a different type and quantity of them. The composition of the gut microbiome predicts an individual’s likelihood of weight increase.
A recent study suggested that changes in the gut microbiome are associated with the body’s response to weight loss. This research could lead to new advancements for people looking to lose weight.
Some foods can increase the number of good bacteria in the gut. These include:
Wide variety of plants, fermented foods (yogurt, kimchi, kefir, tempeh, and miso), and prebiotic foods (artichoke, onion, garlic, banana, avocado, etc.)
5. Sleep Well
Getting 5-6 hours of sleep per night is associated with increased incidents of obesity. Researchers have concluded that poor-quality sleep slows down the body’s conversion of calories to energy. This energy, if unused, can convert into fat. Also, low levels of slumber can cause the production of insulin and cortisol, which prompts fat storage.
If you have trouble sleeping in your home, then try some of these tips:
Stick to a sleep schedule
Limit daytime naps
Create a restful environment
Don’t go to bed hungry or stuffed
Include physical activity in your day’s work
So, to keep your body fit and agile, take a good rest before starting your routine work.
6. Manage Your Stress Levels
Stress is a phenomenon of the human body in which hormones, namely adrenaline and cortisol, are released. This decreases the appetite of the human. However, those under constant stress continuously have these elements in their bloodstream. This will take their hunger levels to the other extreme, hence increasing their weight.
So, to keep your body in top shape, you need to implement a stress management program that should reduce BMI (Body Mass Index). Some methods of reducing stress levels are; yoga, meditation, tai chi, breathing, relaxation techniques, walking, or doing any outdoor activity.
Tips To Reduce Weight Quickly
Try out consulting clinics for weight reduction
Talk to an expert
Use the Internet to make weight reduction plans and targets
Use advanced tools, like fitness apps and others
Have a weight loss diet plan and perform exercises
For extremely obese patients, surgery is also an option
Have weight loss pills and weight loss meals
Weight loss without exercise
KEY TAKEAWAY!
To sum it all up, one of the best techniques to reduce your weight quickly is to have some diet plans with some physical exercises and adequate sleep periods. You can also lose weight by changing your surroundings to a more peaceful one where you can work out your weight loss plans accordingly.