Strange Ways To Lose Weight

Controlling the amount of calories you eat daily and getting regular exercise is the cornerstone of successful weight loss. But you don't have to rely on these practices alone. Several other factors contribute to weight gain, such as stress and food preferences. Finding effective ways to manage these culprits and others might increase your chances of slimming down and keeping weight off in the future.

Sleep Well

If you're like most Americans, you're surviving on far less sleep than is recommended for optimal health. A lack of sleep contributes to weight gain in a few ways. It makes you too lethargic to exercise and disrupts hormones that help to regulate your appetite such as ghrelin, which fires up your appetite, and leptin, which helps to suppress it. Try to get between seven and nine hours of sleep.

Meditate

Stress is a key contributor to weight gain. It elevates levels of cortisol, blood glucose and insulin, a hormone that promotes fat storage in your body, especially around your tummy. But as stress is such a common part of daily life, it can often be overlooked in a weight-loss plan. Take at least 15 to 20 minutes daily to de-stress through meditation. This holistic technique has many forms and can be as simple as deep breathing while visualizing a relaxing scene, or it can include approaches such as Buddhist meditation, which you can learn at a Buddhist center near you or through instructional DVDs or books.

Drink Water Before Meals

This is one of the simplest methods to enhance weight loss. Besides not containing any calories, water helps you to feel full and improves digestion and metabolism. A study conducted at Virginia Tech and presented at the 240th American Chemical Society meeting in 2010 revealed that drinking two glasses of water before meals helped participants to lose 15.5 lbs. over the course of 12 weeks, compared to only 11 lbs. lost by participants who didn't increase their water intake.

Take White Kidney Bean Supplements

Phaseolus vulgaris, also known as Phase 2, is an extract from white kidney beans that might help you to shed extra pounds. It is a supplement that slows the rate of digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. As a result, it slows the availability of calories from carbohydrates and helps to keep blood glucose and insulin levels stable.

In a study published in the "International Journal of Medical Sciences" in 2007, a team of American and Italian researchers found that Phaseolus vulgaris significantly reduced body weight in slightly overweight participants. It also helped to preserve lean body mass and, as the researchers observed, appeared to be safe. Consult your doctor for advice before taking any supplement.