You gain weight, you lose weight, then you gain that weight back. Sound familiar?
Those days are over! Weight loss experts have some surprisingly simple solutions for lasting weight loss.
Here’s the skinny on what you need to know for lasting weight loss:
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Fat-Proof Your Desk
Sitting at your desk can make you fat. You’ve probably heard this before, but surprisingly, it’s not just about the lack of exercise. In fact, the physical act of sitting or lying down may actually speed up your body’s production of fat. When we lounge on a sofa or in a chair, we exert forces on our cells that cause them to become stretched out and to generate flab, researchers say.
If you have a desk job, there’s an easy fix. Get up and walk around for five minutes at least once an hour. Take a stroll around the office. Go talk to a coworker rather than sending them an e-mail. Pace back and forth while talking on the phone. Just standing, even if you’re not moving, uses more muscles than sitting down. These short bursts of exercise can help you burn fat.
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Take Vitamin D
Taking vitamin D daily may help you drop pounds. A study at the University of Minnesota found that people who started a weight-loss program with higher levels of D lost more than those who weren’t getting enough of the nutrient. Other research suggested that vitamin D appears to boost the effectiveness of leptin, a hormone that signals the brain that you’re full. Because it’s difficult to get D from food, Shalamar Sibley, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at the university, says you may need to take a vitamin D3 supplement. Many experts now recommend 1,000 international units every day.
Chew More
Most of us eat too quickly, and only chew a few times. This leads to eating more food than you realize. So slow down to slim down: In a recent study, people who chewed each bite 40 times ate almost 12 percent less than those who chewed just 15 times. When we chew longer, our bodies produce less ghrelin, a hormone that boosts appetite, and more of the peptide hormones that are believed to curb hunger.
Plus, the more you chew, the more thoroughly you break down food, which may release nutrients into your blood faster and give your brain time to register that you’re full. Focus on eating slowly at every meal. Put down your fork between bites and work your way up to 40 chews per mouthful of food.
Make Your Fat Burn More Fat
Surprisingly, the fat you already have can help you burn more fat. Just as there’s more than one kind of fat in food, there’s more than one type in your body. White fat is the bad stuff you don’t want. But there’s a second kind of fat, called brown fat, that actually help you burn calories. This good fat is powerful because it’s packed with mitochondria, the parts of cells that generate heat. When activated, as little as two ounces of brown fat can gobble up as much as 20 percent of your body’s calories.
Exercise is one of the best ways to get your brown fat in gear. In a study, scientists at Harvard’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute discovered that working out releases a hormone called irisin, which converts white fat to brown. Exercise for a half hour at least five days a week to help your fat help you.
Drink Green Tea
Green tea acts like a diet drug in a mug, but without the negative side effects. A review of studies concluded that regularly sipping green tea can help you drop pounds. This weight loss is the result of EGCG, a compound known to reduce fat absorption, according to new research from Penn State. But that’s not all this magic drink does: As it’s reducing fat absorption, green tea also increases the amount of fat that your body eliminates, according to experts. say that drinking three to five cups of the regular or decaf variety every day may help you lose weight.
Stop Giving In To Pressure
You’re at a restaurant with your date, your family or your friends. Though you’re already satisfied, others are urging you to eat more. So you give in and order a piece of something you didn’t really even want.
In a recent study, women and men who regularly experienced negative emotions like guilt, anxiety, and anger, and were impulsive and disorganized, tended to be heavier.
“Women score slightly higher than men on people-pleasing measures,” says Julie Exline, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Case Western Reserve University. That may be because men are raised to be assertive while women are socialized to value relationships and “to be nicer,” Exline explains. In other words, we’re inclined to go along with what the rest of the group wants to do, which includes eating more than we want to. Next time you feel pressured, don’t feel guilty about politely telling people that you’re just not hungry. They’ll understand, and you won’t have to worry about extra guilt-pounds.
Be Smart about Your Cravings
There’s a physiological reason that ice cream, french fries, and cupcakes are so hard to resist: Our bodies are wired to crave rich food. Studies have shown that the taste of fat can give us the munchies by triggering a release of chemicals similar to those experienced by drug addicts.
“Some people are hypersensitive to food,” says Eric Stice, PhD, a senior research scientist at the Oregon Research Institute. “They find things like chocolate cake orgasmic, so they tend to overeat it.”
The trick to keeping your appetite in check is avoiding foods that make you lose control. That’s tough to do when you’re surrounded by mouthwatering choices everywhere you go, but Stice says that a technique called mindful resistance can help.
“If you’re tempted to have a doughnut with your coffee, instead of thinking about how delicious it will taste, tell yourself you’ll get health benefits such as a smaller waist or a healthier heart from not having it,” he says. “Doing this actually changes your brain by strengthening the area that helps you resist things and weakening the region that makes you think of treats as a reward.”
In addition, eat healthy foods throughout the day to keep your glucose, which fuels your body, at a high level so that you feel energized and satisfied. You’ll also be better able to resist cravings when you snack on nutritious choices like fruits and vegetables, low-fat yogurt, and whole-grain bread topped with a little peanut butter.
