With the New Year right around the corner, it is time once again for people to make plans to lose weight to get the body of their dreams to enjoy the new year. Unfortunately, many people do not even know where to start when it comes to losing weight.
It is not something that can be done and requires some knowledge and commitment. I include knowledge because you need to know what you can do to make sure that you actually are losing weight.
And that is why I prepared this list. To make things easier for you because losing weight is already hard enough – especially with all of the false information out there.
None of the ways on my list require you to even worry about calories – which are one of the biggest things that people trying to lose weight stress out about.
On top of that, all of these ways have been thoroughly vetted by science and have been proven effective. Without further ado, let’s get started.
#1 – Eat Food on Smaller Plates & Drink Beverages in a Tall Glasses
The human brain is an incredible thing and is capable of performing so many amazing abilities. That said, it is not infallible and can be tricked. Fortunately for us, we can use that infallibility to our advantage.
You see, when you eat your food on a smaller plate, it fools your brain into believing that it is eating a regular serving of food when in actuality it is a much smaller serving.
This means that you can feel full after eating substantially less food than you usually would. Perfect for losing weight.
The same principle applies when drinking beverages. If you pour the beverage into a tall slender glass, the brain will think that you are drinking a lot when in actuality it is not that much.
And the best part is that you will not have to worry about calories because you will already know that you are taking in less calories than you normally would.
#2 – Have Some Eggs For Breakfast
Instead of going to Starbucks for a bagel or doughnut, make some scrambled eggs and eat them for breakfast instead. Many studies have been conducted and their findings have indicated that eating eggs for breakfast is far better for you than eating grain-based breakfast items like bagels and doughnuts.
More specifically, one study compared a group of overweight ladies who ate eggs for breakfast to a group of overweight ladies who ate bagels for breakfast. At the end of the study, the group of ladies who ate the eggs had a far lower calorie intake for the day.
This is most likely explained by the fact that eating eggs fills you up for a while and keeps you from craving unhealthy foods throughout the day. It also makes your lunch portion smaller because you won’t be able to eat as much.
Besides just their weight loss benefits, eggs are really good for your overall health and emerging science has come out disproving age-old beliefs that eating eggs skyrockets your cholesterol levels and puts you at a higher risk of developing heart disease.
There is no better time than now, just in time for the new year, to start embracing eggs again.
The proverbial icing on the cake has to be that eggs are incredibly simple to cook and don’t take much time out of your presumably busy schedule. What more could you ask from a breakfast food?
#3 – Get Enough Sleep And Don’t Get Stressed Out
I have seen a lot of weight loss plans come and go in my day. Very few of them address two very important aspects of weight loss: sleep and stress. Not getting enough sleep every night is in general very unhealthy for your body.
But as it pertains to sleep, not sleeping enough could screw up your metabolism and cause you to gain more weight. On top of that, you will be more likely to get up and grab a snack if you are awake for more hours a day.
To put some numbers to my statements, studies have found that insufficient sleep can increase your chances of developing obesity by 89 percent if you are a child and by 55 percent if you are an adult.
Stress can also contribute to weight gain. When you are feeling stressful and anxious, your body releases more of a hormone known as cortisol. This hormone has been linked to weight gain.
I really want to stress (pun intended) how important getting enough sleep each night is, as well as trying to stay out of situations that have the potential to stress you out. Especially if you are serious about losing weight – it is time to allot eight hours a night for sleep.
#4 – Consume More Protein-rich Foods
As is the case with a lot of health things, there are many misconceptions being peddled around about protein. Some “experts” say that consuming protein will drain the calcium from your bones.
Other “experts” say that protein is responsible for the development of kidney disease. Neither statement is true and I hope that these statements have not deterred you from consuming protein-rich foods in the past.
Protein is really good for weight loss and through countless studies has been proven to increase how many calories you burn when exercising, as well as reducing your appetite by making you feel full.
In addition to that, studies have indicated that protein can speed up your metabolism – which is why many athletic people take protein shakes when working out.
Heck, you don’t even have to exercise (but you should) to burn calories through consuming protein. Just digesting protein alone is a workout for your body that causes calories to be expended. Far more calories are expended to digest the protein than regular carbs and fats.
To put some numbers to it, various studies have found that increasing your daily intake of protein by 30 percent can lead to an almost instantaneous decrease in how many calories you consume each day. That calorie consumption decrease can be all the way up to 441 – which is incredible!
And of course, moderation is key. You can gain weight if you eat way too much meat, but with the filling effect of protein, I don’t think you will have that problem.
Conclusion On New Year's Resolution To Lose Weight
As you can see, these ways to lose weight are no more than just slight adjustments to your daily routine. The hardest part about losing weight is staying committed to your plan so now that you know what to do – it is time to be serious about it and stay the course.
I think the four items listed here are easy things to phase into your lifestyle that really should not change much – except for the calories you take in.
And you will not even have to worry about counting those calories because you already will know that the steps you are taking thanks to this article are making you reduce your calorie intake. Here’s to a happy and healthy year of 2017!
