05 Simple ways to lose weight with minimal effort.

 05 simple ways to lose weight with minimal effort.

1. Drink more H20

Drinking more water is standard health advice, but most of us still don’t get enough. For weight loss, water is beneficial for several reasons. First, water in the stomach gives people a full feeling, which suppresses hunger. While this does not directly affect weight loss, it does make us less likely to snack between meals (which can dramatically reduce our daily caloric intake). Additionally, most people lack the ability to differentiate between the body’s hunger and thirst signals. Oftentimes, when we feel hungry, our body is really asking for water. If we give it the water it wants, the “hunger” will go away.

2. Stop drinking soda, juice, alcohol, etc.

This tip is related to the previous one. Sodas, fruit juices, specialty coffees, and alcoholic beverages contain a lot of empty calories. For example, a can of coke contains 140 calories. A venti (20 oz) mocha Frappuccino contains 400+ calories (depending on the milk chosen and optional whipped cream). Alcoholic beverages are even worse, not only are they high calorie beverages, but they also slow down the metabolism.

For many people, beverages alone can easily amount to over 1000 calories a day. But even if you’re only drinking 200, it adds up. Any doctor will tell you that a pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Do the math. When you cut these types of beverages from your diet, it doesn’t take long to lose some weight.

3. Exercise in breaks

This will not be a surprise to many people. Exercise is really the key to long-term, sustained weight loss. However, since this is an article about simple ways to lose weight, we are not going to pressure you to join a gym just yet (although you should think about it). The truth is, the majority of people will receive great benefits from even moderate increases in physical activity.

During a break at work do some push ups, jumping jacks or walk around the office or block. It is a simple way to burn a few calories and get your blood flowing. Although it may not be practical, it is best to do these exercises with as much intensity as possible because even short, 10-minute bursts of intense physical activity have been demonstrated to boost metabolism for the whole day.[1]

4. Eat a salad everyday

Even if you change nothing else, eating a large salad every day will really benefit your health. You’ll be getting a large quantity of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Plus, you will be filling up your stomach, meaning there will be less room for the other more fattening foods you may otherwise be eating. Perhaps this goes without saying, but choose a healthy salad without meat, cheese, and cups of fattening dressing or croutons. One tip for salad dressing is to keep it on the side. Then you can dip your fork into it before stabbing a bite of salad. This way, you’ll eat less dressing than normal, but still get all of the flavor.

5. Eat more whole grains and fiber

Adding more fiber to your diet can certainly help you lose weight. Fiber is essentially the structural framework for plants. It comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber attracts water and forms a gel, which slows down the digestive process and makes you feel fuller longer. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, but bulks up the stool and acts as a laxative, helping to prevent constipation. Fiber is especially important in regulating the rate at which sugar that is consumed is absorbed into the bloodstream, which is a great benefit to diabetics.

In terms of dropping a few pounds, foods with lots of fiber will make you feel full more quickly. This means you are likely to consume fewer calories during a given meal. Additionally, both types of fiber help with satiety, meaning you’ll feel full longer. This means you are less likely to snack or get hungry just a couple hours after your last meal.

So how can you add more fiber to your diet? It is simple really, avoid refined or processed foods that have little or no fiber and eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and beans. It is not difficult to switch to whole grain pastas, breads, or brown rice. It is recommended that women consume 25 grams of fiber per day while men should consume 38 grams. Give fiber a try and you could see the pounds begin to melt away.