Publications
Partners
A few years ago, one of my friends stepped on the scale and was horrified by the result. He’d somehow managed to pack 9kg of flab onto his previously skinny frame. When he looked in the mirror, he saw a fat guy staring back. He decided to make a change, quick. Here are the habits he changed in order to lose weight
Read more: This man gave up junk food and lost 31kg
That day, he gave up his beloved soda. He was only drinking two or three bottles a day, but over the course of six months, he dropped those 9kgs.It was a small change to his lifestyle – no big deal, really. And yet, it had a massive impact on his health and his body.
My point: Making small decisions each day can result in big-time fat loss.
Below are dozens of simple ways to lose weight. Start with one – today! – and watch the weight begin to melt away. Trust me, this is going to be easier than you think.
Read more: 4 mistakes you’re making that are causing you to gain weight
1. Have a clear goal. It should be one that anyone in the world can measure and understand.
2. Drink tea. Research suggests that those who drink tea – black, green or white, as long as it’s from real tea versus herbal tea – have lower BMIs and less body fat than those who don’t consume tea.
3. Eat cayenne pepper. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that when compared to placebo, capsaicin – the active ingredient in cayenne – increased fat burning.
4. Decrease/eliminate processed carbs. They do nothing for you outside of creating a favourable environment for gaining fat.
5. Eat more veggies. They fill you up, without providing many kilojoules. Just avoid the high-kilojoule dressings.
6. Eat more fruit. No one ever gained weight from eating more fruit. And that includes the so-called “high sugar” fruits like bananas and melons.
7. Lift weights. Heavy weights. Build more muscle, burn more kilojoules.
8. Cut down rest time between sets. This will keep your heart rate elevated, causing an increase in kilojoules burned.
9. Do intervals. Study after study after study continues to show intervals are more effective and time efficient than longer activity performed at a lower intensity.
10. Eat more protein. Replacing refined carbohydrates with lean protein will not only help satiate you, but will also increase your metabolism – through something called the thermic effect of food.
Read more: Learn how to make protein ice cream
11. Eat protein more frequently. It’s important to also time your intake so you’re eating protein regularly throughout the day – not just in one lump sum, like most do at dinner. Every meal and snack should include some protein.
12. Supplement with fish oil. A study published in Lipids fed mice diets enhanced EPA and DHA – a.k.a. fish oil. The researchers learnt that the mice fed diets higher in omega-3 fats had significantly less accumulation of body fat. Other studies have shown similar results.
13. Do full body exercises. Think: Squats, deadlifts, chin-ups and pushups. You’ll get more bang for your buck out of each workout.
14. Cycle your carb intake based on your activity level. Sure, carbs are important. But on the days you don’t work out, you simply don’t need as many compared to the days you exercise hard. Rule of thumb: The more active you are, the more carbs you can eat, and vice versa.
15. Start your meals with a salad. Salad will provide some bulk to help fill you up – so that you eat less kilojoules overall.
16. Don’t forget the fibre. Think of fibre like a sponge; it absorbs water and makes you feel full.
17. Drink water. Professor Dr Brenda Davy and her team from Virginia Tech University found that giving people two cups of water before each meal resulted in greater weight loss after 12 weeks. The reason? It helps fill you up.
18. Add beans to your salads. It’s a nice way to add some additional fibre, protein and healthy carbs.
19. Replace one meal a day with a large salad and lean protein. This is a simple way to instantly improve your diet.
20. Keep a food journal. There’s no better way to track what you’re putting in your mouth.
Read more: Do you skip your lunch break? Then you’re losing out on R500 000
21. Watch your portions. Avoid the buffet line and never supersize. Instead make sure you’re following what the nutrition label recommends for a serving.
22. Switch to kilojoule-free drinks. All kilojoules count, whether they’re liquid or solid. So unless it’s low-fat milk, opt for tea or water. Or something I was introduced to in the Netherlands – large bunches of mint, lemon and hot water.
23. Weigh yourself. Studies show daily weigh-ins help enhance weight loss efforts. Don’t live and die by the number. And, of course, a scale doesn’t decipher between fat and lean body mass, but it can still be of benefit to keep things “in check”.
24. Eat whole eggs. Daily. A study published a couple years ago showed that those who ate whole eggs versus a bagel for breakfast ate less at the next meal. A similar study showed eating whole eggs increases HDL (good) cholesterol.
25. Eat breakfast. A review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that those who eat breakfast are more successful with long-term weight maintenance. Other research has shown the same for weight loss. Grab hardboiled eggs, scrambled eggs, Greek yoghurt, a piece of fruit and handful of nuts, or make a smoothie. It doesn’t have to be fancy.
26. Eat the bulk of your meals in the A.M. Then eat progressively less throughout the day. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that eating most of your kilojoules earlier in the day positively influences weight changes.
27. To burn more kilojoules, stay upright. This means not sitting in front of a computer, TV, phone, etc., all day long. Stand and you’ll burn more and be more productive.
28. Use the stairs. That’s right: Skip the escalator and elevator. This won’t make or break success, but every little bit helps.
29. Eat low-energy, dense foods. These are foods that are high in water and lower in calories, such as fruit, veggies, soups and salads. Studies at Penn State University have shown that the inclusion of these foods helps individuals eat less total kilojoules overall.
30. Don’t grocery shop hungry. If you do, you’ll buy everything in the aisle – instead of sticking to your list. And most of the time, the foods you buy when hungry will the kinds that sabotage your weight-loss efforts.
Read more: 10 easy ways to lose weight without starving yourself
31. Replace side dishes with steamed veggies. Restaurants will often allow you to substitute the fries or chips with steamed veggies. All you have to do is ask.
32. Bake, don’t fry. It’s pretty simple really. Ditch the pans and turn on that oven.
33. Use the fat-burner in your backyard: Your grill. And as South Africans we love a good braai. Just skip the garlic bread and go for a tasty salad as a side instead.
34. Order dressing on the side. But here’s the bigger secret: Dip your fork in dressing, and then in the salad. This saves a ton more dressing than if one was to order it on the side, and then pour the entire cup on the salad anyway. Fewer kilojoules equal less weight.
35. In the airport: Carry your luggage, don’t roll it. Again, not a deal breaker in terms of success – just another way to increase energy expenditure.
36. Skip the “Venti lattes” and opt for plain coffee. (Or better yet, tea.) Those extra-large “designer” coffees can pack a belly-inflating 2 000 or more kilojoules per serving!
37. Embrace oats. Plain rolled oats will help fill you up more than the high sugar breakfast counterparts. Moreover, one serving provides a lot less kilojoules than the sugar-coated alternatives.
38. Fidget. A study published in the journal Science showed that those who fidgeted more often – for example, changed their posture frequently – weighed less than those who didn’t. This extra movement was termed NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis).
39. Laugh often. A study presented at the European Congress on Obesity found those who laughed hard for approximately 10 to 15 minutes each day burned an additional 40 to 160 kilojoules per day. Multiply that by 365 and those kilojoules can add up!
40. Leave something on your plate at the end of the meal. Every little bit counts.
Read more: The 4 mistakes that are making you fat
41. When out to eat, split a meal. The portions are usually big enough to feed a family.
42. Skip dessert. Come on, you know you need to and chances are you aren’t even hungry when you reach for that sweet treat.
43. Don’t socialise around the food tables at parties. You’re more likely to munch mindlessly, even though you may not be hungry.
44. Don’t eat your kid’s leftovers. Every little bit of food adds up, including what we call “BLTs” (bites, licks and tastes).
45. Keep chips, dips and other high fat junk foods out of the house. It’s not about willpower; it’s about being realistic.
46. If you have a dog, take him for a walk. It’s better for both him and you than just letting him out the back. (Bonus: He’ll love you even more!)
47. If you don’t have a pet, offer to walk a neighbour’s dog. Make friends; lose weight.
48. Use smaller plates and bowls. There will be less room for you to fill up and it makes less food seems like more.
49. Skip buffets. It’s a foregone conclusion: If you don’t, you’ll feel like you have to get your money’s worth and overeat.
50. Slow down. It takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes for your stomach to sense it’s full. If you wolf down your food like a starving dog, you’ll likely out-eat your hunger.
Read more: Eat this high-calorie food at least once a week to stay lean
51. Decrease your food intake by 400 kilojoules per day. Theoretically this translates to losing nearly 450g per month (450g = 14 600 kilojoules) – with hardly any effort.
52. Buy a pedometer and accumulate at least 10 000 steps each day. It seems like everybody is doing it so why shouldn’t you too?
53. When possible, walk or bike to do your errands. The added bonus? You’ll save on petrol too.
54. Don’t buy in bulk. The more that is there, the more that you’ll eat.
55. Plan ahead. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
56. Keep some healthy snacks – like nuts – in your glove compartment so you’re prepared at all times.
57. Take before pictures. Studies have shown that those who take weight-loss progress pics lose more weight than those who don’t.
58. Get new friends. If your friends prefer pizza, wings, nachos and beer on a regular basis, find friends who are like-minded and want to be healthy. Research has suggested that friends enhance (or can hurt) success.
59. Put yourself first. Many people (women in particular) put everyone else ahead of themselves and let their health fall by the side.
60. Remember: It’s not all or nothing. If you fall off the bandwagon, jump right back on. Don’t let yourself continue to fall until all progress has been lost.
61. Wake up early to exercise. You’re more likely to get it done if you don’t wait until after work.
This article was originally published on www.menshealth.com
Image credit: iStock
