If you've noticed a few pounds creep onto the scale or found that your jeans are just a tad too tight, it's time to nip the weight gain in the bud before you end up with another couple of pounds. You don't need to rush out and buy a diet book, weight loss pills or meal replacements. A few lifestyle tweaks is all it takes.
Step 1
Burn 500 to 1,000 more calories than you consume each day to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, suggests the Mayo Clinic. This is the most sustainable weight loss rate. People who make small changes to their diets and pare pounds slowly are more likely to keep than it off than crash dieters, who often put the weight back on within six months of its initial loss.
Step 2
Swap drinks with extra calories for water or fruit juice mixed with sparkling mineral water. It's easy to consume up to 500 extra calories each day via beverages, says nationally known nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D.
Step 3
Get enough fluid. Even mild dehydration makes it harder for your kidneys to function, so they'll call on your liver for help. This will reduce the liver's ability to burn fat, and you see the result as fat deposits in the body. When you consume beverages with calories, make sure they are Nutrient-rich. Such beverages include fat-free and low-fat milk as well as 100 percent fruit juice.
Step 4
Exchange trans fats and saturated fats for omega-9-rich monounsaturated fatty acids. MUFAS are more effective in stimulating the body's fat burning mechanisms than saturated fats, which are more likely to be diverted to fat storage, according to a 2007 study published in the journal Diabetes Care. MUFAs are in avocados, nuts and seeds and olives. Omega-9 rich oils are olive, peanut, sunflower, safflower, flaxseed, sesame and walnut.
Step 5
Pop a fish oil supplement or eat two servings of omega-3-rich fish a week. Fish oil is a top fat burner, and its omega-3s help regulate glucose and reverse insulin resistance. Gittleman advises 1 to 3 grams daily if you supplement. Alternatively, you can get omega-3s from chia seeds and flaxseed oil.
Step 6
Consume conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, to get your omega-6 fatty acids. It's in organic, grass-fed beef, lamb and organic dairy products. CLA helps balance blood sugar and facilitates the body's ability to utilize stored fat. CLA can be taken as a supplement. Gittleman advises using 6,000 mg each day until reaching your goal weight, then reducing to 3,000 mg.
Step 7
Choose slow-release carbohydrates over processed foods such as crackers, white bread or baked goods that increase blood-glucose levels rapidly. Low-glycemic-index carbs keep blood sugar stable and insulin in check. Insulin is the hormone in the body that works to store fat, and your body cannot access stored fat if your insulin levels are high, Gittleman advises.
Step 8
Make getting daily calcium a priority and choose healthy proteins. People who add calcium to their diets lose 30 percent more weight, found a 2000 study by M.B. Zemel at the University of Tennessee Department of Nutrition. Calcium is in low-fat dairy products and food sources like green leafy vegetables and chia seeds. Dairy products often are fortified with vitamin D. Healthy proteins include nuts, poultry, lean meats, fish, omega-3 eggs and beans. Healthy protein stimulates glucagon, which works to utilize what insulin has put into fat storage.
Step 9
Exercise to maintain your weight loss. Studies show that people who are able to keep weight off for a long period of time get regular exercise, according to the Mayo Clinic. Build lean muscle mass with weights, resistance bands, yoga or Pilates.
Things You'll Need
- Glycemic index
- Omega 9 fats
- Omega 3 fats
- Omega 6 fats
- Lean protein
References
- Mayo Clinic: Weight Loss
- Fat Flush For Life; Ann Louise Gittleman; 2010
- David K. Spierer; assistant professor and human performance laboratory director; sports sciences division, Long Island University; Brooklyn, New York
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