It's no secret that to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories than you use and burn more calories than you eat. What you may not be aware of, however, is that drinking diet soda has been linked to weight gain and that by just wearing a pedometer has helped overweight people increase their physical activity significantly.
Wear Pedometer
The "Journal of the American Medical Association" published a study that linked wearing a pedometer to an increase in physical activity and weight loss. A pedometer is a matchbox-size device that counts your steps as you walk. In 2007, researchers from Stanford University reviewed 26 published studies and eight trials examining the effect of pedometers on physical activity. In a pool of more than 2,700 overweight subjects, volunteers showed an increase of 2,491 steps per day, amounting to a 27 percent increase in physical activity. The pedometer users lost weight and decreased their body mass index and blood pressure.
Avoid Diet Cola
Diet soda may contain zero calories, but that does not necessarily mean you will lose weight by switching from regular cola to diet. In 2008, researchers from the University of Minnesota tracked nearly 10,000 men and women for nine years and found that consuming one can of diet soda each day increased the risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 34 percent. Interestingly, consuming two portions of meat a day increased the risk of metabolic syndrome by only 24 percent. Metabolic syndrome is a term for a group of risk factors associated with being overweight. Metabolic syndrome increases your risk for developing heart disease, diabetes and stroke. According to Lyn Steffen, lead study author, people who drink diet soda may overcompensate for drinking a zero-calorie drink with other unhealthy foods.
Fidget More
Fidgeting, standing and body language could help you drop pounds, according to a researcher at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. James Levine found that when you stand, you burn three times as many calories as when you sit. Furthermore, gesturing with your hands, fidgeting and even twirling your hair is known as NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis. The Mayo Clinic defines NEAT as energy expended from activities that are not related to sleeping, eating or physical exercise.
Eat Apples
Eating foods high in fiber can help you drop pounds. In 2003, the journal "Nutrition" published an article linking the consumption of certain fruits to weight loss. Researchers from the State University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil followed 411 overweight women ages 30 to 50. After 12 weeks, groups assigned to eat three apples or pears a day lost a significant amount of weight. According to MayoClinic.com, foods high in fiber, such as apples and pears, make you feel satisfied more quickly and longer compared with foods low in fiber. Furthermore, high fiber foods tend to have fewer calories for the same volume of nonfiber foods.
References
- Medical News Today: Pedometers Helped Increase Physical Activity
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Metabolic Syndrome
- University of Minnesota: Diet Soda, Meat and Fried Foods Linked to Metabolic Syndrome
- PubMed.gov: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
- KCBY.com: A Few Unique Ways to Burn Extra Calories
- MayoClinic.com: Is Sitting Really Bad for My Health?
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