Cilantro, though polarizing in terms of taste, contains a unique blend of oils that work much like over-the-counter meds to relax digestive muscles and alleviate an “overactive” gut. A study published in the journal Digestive Diseases and Science found that patients with IBS benefited from supplementing with cilantro as opposed to a placebo because their bellies weren’t as bloated.
Have a small, protein-heavy breakfast. Kickstart your day with a protein filled breakfast that will give you energy (and keep your blood sugar up) for the rest of the day. Aim for a breakfast that is 400 calories and eat it every morning at around the same time. Go for variety and rotate two to three options. Pair your breakfast with unsweetened tea or a glass of water with lemon.[6]
Going gluten-free may be a popular trend, but unless you're actually gluten-intolerant or have celiac disease, plenty of reasons exist to continue eating whole grains. They're a tasty way to fill up on both soluble and insoluble fiber, which help you feel full for longer and keep bowel movements regular (oats, barley, and bulgur are especially high sources). Whole grains can also help prevent weight gain: in one study, women who ate whole grains like wheat germ and dark bread had a 49% lower risk of "major" weight gain over time.
Make a protein-rich dinner with grilled pork chops and asparagus. Heat one teaspoon olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Season a three-ounce pork chop with salt and pepper. Place it in the pan and cook it for three to five minutes per a side. Serve with ½ cup mashed potatoes, one cup steamed or baked asparagus, and ½ cup bell pepper strips. Top the meal off with ½ cup fresh raspberries.
Honestly speaking, how many of us even think of doing this? Probably a few tens in a million? (Well, that’s an astonishingly good number!) You must start eating before you feel too hungry, and stop before you are full. This is because when we starve, we tend to eat more than we actually should – that spells disaster. This is the reason people who starve themselves to lose weight only end up gaining more. Remember to eat slowly and not when you are starving. Also, remember to end your meal just before you are about to be satisfied and let that burp out. Post that, drink a glass of water and you will be fine.
No other exercise routine has gathered as much acclaim and popularity as yoga. It is inexpensive (all you need is some space), portable (considering the fact that you can do it literally anywhere), and effective like no other. Yoga benefits all the parts of your body. If done regularly, yes, it can also aid in weight loss and get you back in shape. Here is how it works – yoga forges a strong mind-body connection. So you will be aware of what you are eating, and you will know when you are full. This encourages mindful eating, a practice that can go a long way in keeping you fit and healthy. A medical study conducted in 2005 that involved 15,500 healthy middle-aged men and women had revealed the fact that yoga could help shed pounds; or at least keep one from gaining weight (26).
In a 2014 study in the journal Public Health Nutrition , people were asked to report their food intake over the course of two days. Those who ate at a restaurant during that time took in an average of 200 calories per day more than those who prepared all their own meals, and those who ate in sit-down restaurants actually consumed slightly more calories than those who ordered from fast-food joints. When dining out, people also consumed more saturated fat, sugar, and sodium, so eating at home where you can prepare food in a healthier way is obviously the better choice.
You already know that a perfect diet doesn't exist, but many of us still can't resist the urge to kick ourselves when we indulge, eat too much, or get thrown off course from restrictive diets. The problem: This only makes it more difficult, stressful, and downright impossible to lose weight. So rather than beating yourself up for eating foods you think you shouldn't, let it go. Treating yourself to about 200 calories worth of deliciousness each day — something that feels indulgent to you — can help you stay on track for the long haul, so allow yourself to eat, breathe, and indulge. Food should be joyful, not agonizing!
No other exercise routine has gathered as much acclaim and popularity as yoga. It is inexpensive (all you need is some space), portable (considering the fact that you can do it literally anywhere), and effective like no other. Yoga benefits all the parts of your body. If done regularly, yes, it can also aid in weight loss and get you back in shape. Here is how it works – yoga forges a strong mind-body connection. So you will be aware of what you are eating, and you will know when you are full. This encourages mindful eating, a practice that can go a long way in keeping you fit and healthy. A medical study conducted in 2005 that involved 15,500 healthy middle-aged men and women had revealed the fact that yoga could help shed pounds; or at least keep one from gaining weight (26).
While you might not think there’s a huge difference between eating a whole piece of fruit and drinking fruit juice, nutritionally speaking, the two entities are most definitely not one and the same. Whereas whole fruit contains naturally occurring sugars and fiber that can help counteract the bad effects of too much sweet stuff, fruit juice is often loaded with added sugar (such as high-fructose corn syrup) and no fiber to speak of. According to a study led by Harvard School of Public Health researchers, eating more whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples, was significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, a greater consumption of fruit juices was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. To get the fruit flavor without all the bad stuff, try stirring up a batch of fruity detox water instead.
Is your obsession with Reese’s and Pringles derailing your weight loss efforts? It might be if you’re not using the self-checkout kiosks at the grocery store. Let us explain: According to a study by IHL Consulting Group, impulse purchases dipped 32.1 percent for women and 16.7 percent for men when they scanned their items and swiped their credit card on their own. Although not all impulse buys are bad for your belly, a whopping 80 percent of candy and 61 percent of salty-snack purchases are unplanned.
Good news, wine drinkers. Thanks to resveratrol, an antioxidant found in grape skin, drinking red wine in moderation can be part of a healthy diet. Some studies suggest that people who drink wine have smaller waists and less abdominal fat than those who drink mainly liquor. And having one glass of red wine can increase your body's calorie burn for up to 90 minutes afterwards. The antioxidants in wine might even help your body prevent cancer and improve heart health. Just be sure to stick to no more than a glass a day—the calories can add up fast.
Though we singled out quinoa above, whole grains in general (we’re talking cereal, rice, pasta, and more) are conducive to weight loss, especially when they’re used in place of refined—white—grains. In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that substituting whole grains for refined grains in the diet increases calorie loss by reducing calories retained during digestion and speeding up metabolism. Unlike refined grains, whole grains are packed with satiating, heart-healthy fiber.
A paper-thin wrap may seem like a healthier, lower carb alternative to a sandwich, but don’t be fooled by appearances. Wraps are almost always loaded with calories, thanks to the fat that’s needed to make them pliable—and a large wrap can be the carb and calorie equivalent of four or five slices of bread. In other words, forget the wrap and go for a cold, open-faced sandwich instead. Your waistline will thank you.
How would you like to take all the great weight-loss results you’ve just read about—and double them? That’s what happens when you supplement your diet with a combination of vitamin D and calcium, according to a 2008 study. Just four weeks into the 12-week experiment, subjects who had taken these two nutrients—found in abundance in some Greek yogurt—lost two times more fat than the other group!
Like peanuts, lentils also contain genistein, but their weight loss powers don’t end there. In one four-week Spanish study, researchers found that eating a calorie-restricted diet that also included four weekly servings of legumes aided weight loss more effectively than an equivalent diet sans the pulses. Those who consumed the legume-rich diet also saw improvements in their “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and systolic blood pressure. Next time you’re cooking something starchy for dinner, consider eating fiber and protein-packed lentils instead.
“This is like yogurt, but even better because it has more live active cultures to nourish your GI tract so the good bacteria thrive,” Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN, author of the upcoming book, Body Kindness tells us in Surprising Winter Foods That Melt Fat. Worth noting: “Even though it’s dairy, kefir is 99 percent lactose-free because the kefir cultures break down lactose so you don’t have to!”
Nothing new here, again. This is something we have been learning right from school. If you are serious about losing weight, drinking a minimum of two to three liters of water must be your everyday goal. Make it a habit of drinking a glass of water before (to prevent overeating) and after (to aid digestion) a meal. It has been found that people who drink more water and less of soda or other high-calorie beverages would be more successful in losing weight (22). Numerous American studies have also backed the efficacy of water in aiding in healthy weight loss (23), (24), (25).
Do high intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT is an exercise program that alternates intense exercises with short intervals of recovery or rest. This type of exercise will help you burn fat fast. High intensity exercises force your body to use the sugars in your body and allows you to burn fat faster than low intensity workouts. You will also use stored body fat during the recovery phase, which will reduce your stored body fat. You can perform HIIT exercises with gym equipment, or an exercise mat and a few free weights. There are several popular HIIT programs, including:[13]
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DIET PLANS: Do not try a crash or fad diet that suggests you eat less than 1000 to 1200 calories each day. Keep your kitchen full of healthy foods on your diet plan. Eat healthy foods from all 5 food groups each day: breads, dairy, fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. Eat only small amount of fats, like 1 to 3 teaspoons each day of oils, nuts, dressings, and margarine. Bake, roast, or broil your food instead of frying.
Making your sandwich with two slices of bread is so last year. Aid your slim down efforts by opting for whole-grain bread over white and preparing your sandwich “open-faced” style—the fancy name for kicking the top piece of bread to the curb. Doing so keeps about 70 to 120 calories off your plate. If losing some bread leaves your tummy rumbling, beef up your meal by munching on a cup of baby carrots or sugar snap peas. These pop-in-your-mouth veggies are loaded with fiber and water, which can help aid satiety and weight loss efforts.
If beef is your prefered source of protein, make sure you’re eating the grass-fed stuff. Ground beef, a T-bone steak, or prime rib are amongst the healthiest cuts because they’re lower in unhealthy fats than other forms of beef and actually contain more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than some fish. Just be sure to limit your red meat consumption to around two three-ounce servings per week in order to keep your cholesterol in check, and stick to low-calorie rubs and spices as opposed to sugary sauces to flavor the meal.
Driving to work may be easy, but it’s also part of what’s inhibiting you from losing weight. According to a study in the British Medical Journal, those who drive to work gain more weight than those who take public transportation. Per the research, commuting by car slaps an extra 5.5 pounds on your body, whether you exercise or not. And a Japanese study found that people who take public transportation to work were 44 percent less likely to be overweight, 27 percent less likely to have high blood pressure, and 34 percent less likely to have diabetes. If possible, consider leaving the car in the driveway and walking, biking, or commuting to work via public transportation a few times per week.
The best diet for losing weight is Weight Watchers, according to the experts who rated the diets below for U.S. News. Volumetrics came in second, and the Flexitarian Diet, Jenny Craig and the vegan diet were third on this overall weight loss ranking list, which takes into account short-term and long-term weight loss scores. Some other diets performed as well or better in our rankings for enabling fast weight loss, but long-term weight loss is more important for your health.
