Diet and exercise can be essential ingredients for effective weight loss for women, but many other factors also play a role. In fact, research shows that everything from sleep quality to stress levels can have a big impact on hunger, metabolism, body weight and abdominal fat.
Fortunately, making a few small changes to your daily routine can be very beneficial when it comes to losing weight.
Here are 23 of the best weight loss guidelines for women.
1. Cut down on refined carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates undergo significant processing, which reduces the amount of fibers and micronutrients in the final product.
These foods increase blood sugar levels, increase hunger and are associated with increased body mass and abdominal fat.
Therefore, it is best to limit your intake of refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, pasta and pre-packaged foods. Choose whole foods like oats, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat and barley.
2. Include resistance training in your daily routine
Resistance training helps build muscle and increase endurance.
This is especially beneficial for women over 50 as it increases the amount of calories they burn at rest. It also helps to maintain bone mineral density while protecting against osteoporosis.
Lifting weights, using machines or doing bodyweight exercises are some easy ways to start.
3. Drink lots of water
Drinking more water is a simple and effective way to reduce excess body weight with minimal effort.
A small study found that drinking 500 ml of water temporarily increased the calories burned by 30% after 30-40 minutes.
Research also shows that drinking water before meals can increase weight loss and reduce calories by about 13%.
4. Eat more protein
Protein foods like meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, especially when it comes to losing weight.
In fact, studies have found that eating a protein-rich diet can reduce cravings for food, increase satiety and boost metabolism.
A small 12-week study also found that increasing protein intake by just 15% reduced daily calorie intake by an average of 441 calories, resulting in a 5 kg weight loss.
5. Set a regular sleep schedule
Research shows that getting enough sleep can be just as important to losing weight as dieting and exercise.
Numerous studies have linked sleep deprivation to weight gain and increased levels of ghrelin, the hormone responsible for stimulating hunger.
In addition, a study of women found that sleeping for at least seven hours a night and improving overall sleep quality increased the likelihood of weight loss by 33%.
6. Do more aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, increases the heart rate, helping to burn excess calories.
Research shows that adding more aerobic exercise to your daily routine can lead to significant weight loss - especially when combined with a healthy diet.
For best results, try to do at least 20-40 minutes of cardio a day or about 150-300 minutes a week.
7. Keep an energy record
Keeping a food record to track what you eat is an easy way to take responsibility and make healthier choices.
It also makes counting calories easier, which can be an effective strategy for weight control.
Furthermore, a food intake diary can help you achieve your goals and can lead to long-term weight loss.
8. Consume more fiber
Adding more fiber to the diet is a common weight loss strategy that can help to slow emptying of the stomach and keep it full for longer.
Without any other changes in diet or lifestyle, an increase in fiber intake (dietary fiber) of 14 grams per day was associated with a 10% reduction in calorie intake and a reduction of 1. 9 kg inbody weight for 3, 8 months.
Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains are excellent sources of fiber that can be used as part of a balanced diet.
9. Practice conscious eating
Conscious and conscious eating involves minimizing external distractions during the meal. Eat slowly, focusing your attention on the taste, appearance, smell and taste of food.
This practice helps to create healthier eating habits and is a powerful tool for losing weight.
Research shows that eating slowly can increase your feeling of satiety and lead to a significant decrease in your daily calorie intake.
10. Make snacks wisely
Eating healthy, low-calorie snacks is a great way to lose weight and maintain control while minimizing hunger between meals.
Choose snacks rich in protein and fiber to promote satiety and reduce cravings for food.
Whole fruits combined with nut butter, vegetables with hummus or Greek yogurt with nuts are examples of nutritious snacks that can help with long-term weight loss.
11. Abandoning the weight loss diet
While fad diets often promise quick weight loss results, they can do more harm than good when it comes to your waist and health.
For example, a study of university women found that eliminating certain foods from their diets increased their desire for food and excessive intake.
Trendy diets can also contribute to unhealthy diets that are detrimental to long-term weight loss.
12. Walk further
When you're out of time and can't incorporate exercise into your daily routine, try walking more during the day. This is an easy way to burn extra calories and increase your weight loss.
In fact, it is believed that activities without exercise can burn 50% of calories throughout the day.
Climbing stairs instead of an elevator, parking the car away from the door or taking a walk during lunchtime are some simple strategies to increase your total steps and burn more calories.
13. Set achievable goals
Setting achievable goals can make it easier to achieve your weight loss goals, as well as prepare you for success.
Achievable goals must be specific, measurable, relevant and time-limited. They must hold you accountable and lead you to a clear plan to achieve your goals.
For example, instead of just setting the goal of losing 2, 5 kilos, set yourself a goal of losing 2, 5 kilos in 3 months, keeping a food diary, going to the gym 3 times a week and addinga serving of vegetables with each meal.
14. Keep stress under control
Some research suggests that increasing stress levels over time may increase your risk of weight gain.
Stress can also change eating habits and contribute to problems like overeating.
Exercising, listening to music, doing yoga, keeping a diary and going out with friends or family are some simple and effective ways to reduce stress.
15. Experience high-intensity interval training
High intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, combines intense bursts of exercise with short periods of recovery to keep your heart rate up.
Changing your cardiovascular training to HIIT a few times a week can increase your weight loss.
HIITs can reduce belly fat, increase weight loss and have been shown to burn more calories than other activities such as cycling, running and resistance training.
16. Use smaller plates
Replacing your dishes with smaller options can help you control portions and lose weight.
Although the research remains limited and inconsistent, one study found that participants who used smaller dishes ate less and were more satisfied than those who used a full-size plate.
Using a smaller plate can also limit your portion size, which can reduce the risk of overeating and control your calorie intake.
17. Take probiotic supplements
Probiotics are a type of beneficial bacteria that can be ingested or taken as a dietary supplement to support intestinal health.
Research shows that probiotics can promote weight loss by increasing fat excretion and changing hormone levels to reduce appetite.
In particular,Lactobacillus gasseriis a probiotic strain that is particularly effective. Research shows that it can help reduce belly fat and total body weight.
18. Practice yoga
Research shows that yoga can help prevent weight gain and increase fat burning.
Yoga can also reduce levels of stress and anxiety - both can be associated with emotional eating, which can lead to obesity.
In addition, yoga practice has been shown to reduce overeating and worry about food, while maintaining healthy eating behaviors.
19. Chew slower
The conscious effort to chew food relatively slowly and completely can help you lose weight by reducing the amount of food you eat.
According to one study, chewing food 50 times per bite significantly reduced calorie intake compared to chewing 15 times per bite.
Another study found that chewing food 150 or 200% more than normal reduced food intake by 9, 5% and 14, 8%, respectively.
20. Have a healthy breakfast
In the morning, you can enjoy a healthy breakfast to help you start the day on the right foot and keep you satisfied until the next meal.
In fact, research shows that following a regular diet may be associated with a reduced risk of overeating.
A protein-rich breakfast reduces levels of the hormone ghrelin, which promotes hunger. It can help control appetite and hunger.
21. Try intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting involves alternating between eating and fasting for a certain period of time each day. Fasting periods generally last 14-24 hours.
Intermittent fasting is believed to be as effective as reducing calorie intake when it comes to weight loss.
It can also help improve metabolism by increasing the number of calories you burn at rest.
22. Limit your intake of processed foods
Processed foods are generally high in calories, sugar and sodium, but low in important nutrients such as protein, fiber and minerals.
Research shows that eating more processed foods is associated with being overweight - especially among women.
Therefore, it is better to limit your intake of processed foods and opt for whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins, whole grains and vegetables.
23. Reduce sugar
Added sugar is a major cause of weight gain and serious health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.
Foods high in sugar contain extra calories, but don't have enough vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein for your body to need.
For this reason, it is best to minimize the consumption of sugary foods such as soft drinks, sweets, fruit juices, sports drinks and sweets to promote weight loss and optimize general health.
In short
- Many different factors play a role in weight loss and some go well beyond diet and exercise.
- Making some simple lifestyle changes can promote long-term weight loss.
- Incorporating even one or two of these strategies into your daily routine can help you achieve maximum results and promote healthy and sustainable weight loss.