Losing weight improves your quality of life by reducing your risk of developing certain chronic diseases, enabling you to better perform daily activities and enhancing your appearance. According to the Centers for Disease Control, even a modest weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of total body weight produces health benefits. In addition to following proven techniques of following a low-calorie diet and increasing exercise, you may want to incorporate many small, easy daily strategies to accelerate weight loss.
Start With Soup
Eating an appetizer of clear soup helps curb your appetite and may prevent over-consumption of calories at your main meal. A study published in the journal "Appetite" in 2007, by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, found that participants who consumed a serving of soup prior to their meal consumed 20 percent fewer calories. The study showed that the type of soup consumed made no difference, so stick to low-calorie, cream-less varieties like vegetable, lentil and chicken noodle.
NEAT
Add in small movements throughout the day to encourage a greater calorie burn. Think about gesturing more, taking the stairs, tapping your toes and chewing gum. This activity, known as NEAT, which stands for nonexercise activity thermogenesis, can account for 50 percent of calories burned in a day in very active individuals, reports the New York Times. Try standing instead of sitting or pace while taking a phone call to burn an additional 100 to 300 calories a day.
Turn off the TV
The Harvard School of Public Health recommends turning off the television to promote weight loss. Sitting in front of the television means you are less likely to be active. The TV exposes you to commercials for junky foods that tempt you to cheat on your diet. Eating in front of the television may lead to mindless over-consumption.
Cut Liquid Calories
If you enjoy just 8 oz. of apple juice at breakfast, a can of soda at lunch and a regular latte at your coffee break, you are consuming almost 400 extra calories a day. These drinks do not make you feel full and offer minimal nutrition. Choose water, unsweetened tea and coffee with low-fat milk as alternative drinks to help you save calories.
Eat Breakfast
Eating breakfast kick-starts your metabolism and prevents you from overating later in the day. A large proportion of the members of the National Weight Control Registry, a group of over 5,000 people who managed to lose an average of 66 lb. and keep it off for more than five years, report eating breakfast, which led researchers at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center to conclude that "Eating breakfast is a characteristic common to successful weight loss maintainers and may be a factor in their success."
Snack on Almonds
Snacking on almonds helps you control your appetite and can lead to fewer overall calories consumed in a day. A Purdue University study published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" in 2007 found that people who added 3 oz. of almonds to their daily intake gained no significant weight. Researchers believe almonds' fiber and specific compounds increase satiety.
Up Your Dairy Intake
Eat five servings of dairy a day to promote fat and weight loss. An October 2009 study conducted at Curtin University in Australia found that dieters who included five servings of dairy lost more weight, fat and belly fat than dieters eating three servings a day. Make your dairy low fat or no fat to reap the most benefits; try nonfat yogurt, skim milk and low-fat cottage cheese.
Be Less American
Reduce your intake of traditional "American" foods such as red meat, white potatoes and refined grains, which are high in saturated fat and low on nutrition. Choose lean meats like skinless poultry, fish and white-meat pork. Select carbohydrates made from whole grains and vegetables.
References
- Appetite: Soup preloads in a variety of forms reduce meal energy intake
- The Harvard School of Public Health: Getting to Your Healthy Weight
- CDC: Healthy Weight
- The New York Times: The Lean and the Restless
- Obesity Research: Long-term weight loss and breakfast in subjects in the National Weight Control Registry
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