Across the world, obesity has tripled between the years of 1975 and 2017 with about 1.9 billion adults being overweight. Of these, over 650 million adults were obese. Staying healthy today requires a lot of commitment and time which, unfortunately, is something that most of us do not have much of.
We bring you 10 ways to optimize the weight loss regime you follow so that you can stay healthy and happy!
10. Eat before eating.
A recent study has found that eating a bowl of soup before a meal can help curb your appetite. A probable explanation would be that as you wait for the soup to cool, you have to eat it slowly, giving your brain, your hormones, and your stomach enough time to coordinate a message of “fullness.”
9. Spice up your food.
Love spicy food? If yes, then we have some good news. Eating spicy food can temporarily boost your metabolism by up to 8%, thereby boosting the calorie-burning pace of your body. Also, it has been observed that eating spicy food encourages people to eat slowly, which is good for your metabolism.
8. Eat healthy snacks.
Eat more — but not at mealtimes. Yes, you read that correctly. In your weight-loss process, it is likely that you have stretched the time between your meals. While this might sound logical, it is likely that waiting until you’re extremely hungry will make you eat more before you feel satisfied. Also, you are likely to eat quickly which is something that’s definitely not recommended.
Keep healthy snacks like sunflower seeds, almonds, sliced apples, whole wheat crackers, and low-fat cheese on hand and eat them every few hours.
7. Sleep more.
Getting proper rest is very important for your body to function well. A study found that people on a diet consumed 6% fewer calories when they got enough sleep.
6. Drink a lot of tea.
8 glasses of water a day is a fad. You should still be drinking water, but just drink when you are thirsty. For other occasions, tea is the better option. Tea (particularly green tea) contains many antioxidants and can help lose weight. As an additional benefit, green tea helps protect against cancer too.
5. Embrace the color blue.
Research has shown that people tend to eat less when eating on plates with a higher contrast in colors between the plate and the food. Researchers have found that people eat 33% less in a blue room.
4. Stop multitasking.
When you multitask, your mind is not focused on just one subject and it keeps moving between various subjects including the thought of food and eating. This can make you forget that you are on a diet and make you unconsciously dig deeper into your snack drawer.
3. Laugh!
Laughter gives the body a small aerobic workout. It causes the heart to beat faster which increases blood circulation in the body. Intense laughing for about an hour burns almost as many calories as weight lifting for 30 minutes.
2. Sleep in the cold.
While we sleep in the cold, the body burns fats stored in the belly to keep the body warm. A studypublished in the journal Diabetes showed that people who slept in rooms with a temperature of around 66° burned 7% more calories than those who slept in warmer rooms.
1. Switch off the lights.
It may sound weird, but it’s true. Researchers at the Ohio State University found that staying in dark places can make the body lighter.
How many hours do you spend every week at the gym to stay fit? Let us know in the comments below.
