Following a
strict diet is not the only way to lose weight. There are a few things that you
can change in your lifestyle and eating habits that will help you lose more
weight than you think.
What
exactly should you do?
1. Eat spicy food.
Good
news for everyone who loves spicy food.
Canadian scientists
have proven that hot spices and spicy sauces increase metabolism and prevent us
from eating anything sweet or salty.
Now,
you can put as much spicy ketchup on your piece of meat as you like. All of
this is based on capsaicin, the element that gives chillies their strong
flavors, which awakens our immune system and reduces our appetite.
You can
sprinkle some red pepper on your scrambled eggs, pasta or rice. You can try to
dip out your steak in a spicy sauce.
Now that
does not mean that you should prepare spicy meals for breakfast, lunch and
dinner because it will not provide any benefit to your system. Just strike a
balance and abide by it.
2. Use a hair
dryer
Guess what?
Hair dryers are not only useful for drying the hair. You can equally use a hair
dryer to lose weight.
You see,
the heat makes you sweat by ridding your body of excess water. So, instead of
torturing yourself at the gym, just take a hair dryer.
You can
also prepare a warm compress with ginger for better results. All you need to do
is boil a fresh ginger root in a saucepan, soak a washcloth inside the boiling
ginger infusion, let it cool a bit and put the homemade compress on the specific
area you want to shed. Do not forget to place another towel over the compress
to maintain the heat.
3. Choose
your plate wisely
Researchers
at Cornell University have made some rather interesting conclusions about the
effect your plate has on your eating habits.
They
discovered that people are more likely to overeat if the color of their plate
is the same or similar to the color of the food inside.
The same
applies the other way round. We eat less when the colors of our plate and the
food are extremely different.
According
to scientists, eating in blue plates is the best option, given that products
such as fish, meat and vegetables are of a different color. Moreover, the blue color
is known to slow the heartbeat and suppress appetite.
Of course,
this does not mean that all your plates should be blue from now on, just try to
make sure that the colors of your plate and the food do not match.
This weird
trick really works.
4. Eat
cinnamon regularly
If
you love cinnamon, following this recommendation should not be a problem for
you. And if you do not like cinnamon, you may change your mind when you find
out what it could do for your waist size.
A study
published in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” found out that
cinnamon can reduce hunger and suppress appetite when consumed daily. And that
is because the elements in this spice destroy carbs.
During the
experiment, participants who ate rice pudding with cinnamon were satiated for a
longer period of time than those who had eaten cinnamon-free rice pudding.
Therefore,
cinnamon can prevent overeating and gaining of weight. The proof is in rice
pudding.
5. Turn on
the lights and turn off the music
You might
be surprised and perhaps a little annoyed to know that restaurants use very
special ploys to make you eat more, and therefore spend more money.
Their two
favorite tricks according to scientists at Cornell University are lighting and
music. Combined, they can increase calorie consumption by 18%. The gentle
lights relax you and stimulate your appetite. As for music, it makes you eat
faster.
So try this
little experiment, when you eat at home, your environment must be opposite to
that of a restaurant; eat with bright lights and turn off the music. Believe me,
you will be shocked by the results.
6. Do aerobic
exercises
No matter
how healthy you eat, incorporating some exercise into your life is essential if
you want your body to feel good inside and out.
A study
published in the “Journal of Applied Physiology” recommends doing more cardio
activities such as running, jogging and swimming if you want to burn fat and
lose weight.
However,
there are some important nuances that you should keep in mind. Aerobic
exercises are suitable for young and healthy people. But for older people,
weight training is the best option as the effects are lighter and help them
achieve better results.
So choose
your training schedule according to your age and your fitness level. Follow it
strictly and in a short while, you would be in total harmony with your new
body.
7. Surround
yourself with good people
Eating with
someone you like or rather with someone you do not want to see are two
different things. And it's also the same point of view of scientists.
Studies
have proven that our meal companion has a huge impact on our eating habits.
Experiments have shown that people tend to eat the same meal as their friends
when they eat together. And it's great if your friends eat healthy!
But what if
it’s not the case? Moreover, it is also known that if the person next to us
eats quickly, we also increase the pace at which we eat. It is preferable,
therefore, to be mindful of the people sitting next to us at the dining table.
And if you know that someone is a huge fan of burgers and you're on a diet, try
not to be tempted to go to the restaurant with him. Instead, suggest you go to
the movies, to the park or at least to a restaurant that does not serve
hamburgers. I'm sure your friend will understand.
8. Be
concerned about your sleep
Do not underestimate
the power of sleep. It affects more processes in your system than you think,
and your weight is part of it as well.
It was
found that the risk of being overweight often relies on the lighting of the
room in which we sleep.
In their
research, scientists found that people who slept in dark rooms were less prone
to weight issues than those who slept in slightly bright rooms. That is why all
electronic devices that emit light in your room should always be turned off at
night.
The
duration of your sleep also makes a big difference. In order not to gain weight,
you must have about seven to eight hours of sleep a night. People who sleep
less get hungry more quickly because of a hormonal secretion disorder.
So check
your sleeping habits, and make the necessary changes.
9. Consume
more dairy products
Dairy
products really need to become your ally in your journey for a better physical
condition and once again this claim is backed by science.
A professor
of nutrition and medicine at the University of Tennessee confirms that people
who consume dairy products three times a day are likely to lose weight muchfaster than those who do not.
The best
dairy products for weight loss include: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, fortified
milk and hard cheese, among others. Add them to your personal menu and enjoy
the results.
10. Eat more
beans and legumes
In their
research, scientists have proven that consuming 140 grams of beans reduces our
appetite and helps us lose about 300 g of body weight in six weeks.
In
addition, beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils contain a lot of protein and
fiber, not to mention that the complex carbohydrates present in these products
do not increase our blood sugar levels as fast as simple carbohydrates in bread
do.
And if
you're not used to eating a lot of beans or lentils, you should start with
small amounts. Add beans to your soup, eat them instead of rice and potatoes or
add cooked chickpeas in your salads.
Starting slowly
does not prevent you from enjoying the positive effects.
11. Eat soup
first
Studies
have shown that eating soup before your main course reduces the number of
calories you consume. And best of all is that the kind of soup does not matter.
So choose the one you prefer. The main rule is that it should not contain more
than 100 to 150 calories.
Try to stay
below this limit given that overly rich soups can have the opposite effect. The
best choice is any vegetable soup.
12. Monitor
the room temperature
Scientists
in Australia have made another interesting discovery that can help anyone
facing difficulties with their weight.
According
to their research, even the room temperature is significant when it comes to
weight loss.
You see,
there are two types of body fat: the bad white fats that like to accumulate and
cling to our hips and belly, and the good brown fats that are in charge of
burning the white fats and producing energy.
But to
start this important process, the temperature of the room in which you spend most
of your time should be low.
Experts suggest
that the most suitable temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius.
So try this
tip, as well as the others listed above, and you will finally be able to forget
about strict diets once and for all.
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