Weight Loss Hacks (part 1)
Humans are among the most impatient creatures in the world. We want our dinners to be ready in minutes.
We'll also do anything to cut down the amount of time it takes to commute to work.
And when we're trying to lose weight, it's no different. We don't have weeks to waste!!!
We want to go from flab to fab overnight without breaking a sweat or giving up the food we love.
We are also willing to do pretty much anything to make it happen.
This is why you will find waist belts that vibrate while helping you lose weight when you watch TV.
And this is why you will find calorie-burning drinks that promise to help you burn up to 93 percent more body fat when ingested before exercise.
While you may get very disappointed with the results from most gadgets and “magic pills” on the market, you may find the weight loss hacks that I’m about to share worth trying.
By now, we all know with 100% certainty that exercise and a healthy diet will improve your health and waistline. But that does not mean that we cannot take advantage of these weight loss hacks. Along with an already established fitness regimen, they may help accelerate your weight loss efforts.
Here are some of my favorites:
1- Don't eat after 8h00pm
Why? From 8:00 at night, our bodies begin to produce the chemicals to encourage and help sleep. Chemicals such as insulin and glucagons and melatonin.
Now, if you tend to eat during the time of the production of the sleep helping chemicals, our body doesn’t know what to do and has to switch back into producing the daytime chemicals like cortisol, serotonin, and epinephrine.
Due to this, weight gain occurs because the body’s chemicals are not being properly used. Many times by following the body’s time clock, as much as ten pounds can be lost!
2- 70%-30% calorie distribution
I have shared this piece of information many times in the past and I truly believe in it.
The way you distribute your calories throughout your day is crucial for weight loss. It’s as important as the source of your calories.
A study published in the International Journal Of Obesity found that people who consumed the bulk of their calories earlier in the day lost more weight than those who ate most of their calories later in the day, suggesting that when you eat is, in fact, an important part of weight loss.
The researchers followed 420 overweight adult men and women in Spain, where lunch is the main meal of the day, for 20 weeks. They found that participants who ate their main meal earlier in the day (before 3 p.m.), lost more weight more quickly than participants who ate their main meal after 3 p.m. Researchers concluded that eating later in the day may stall weight-loss success.
Make your breakfast and lunch the biggest meals of your day. Your dinner should be the smallest.
3- Consume more nuts
According to a study, your body does not absorb 10-15% of the calories from nuts. You end up feeling fuller without the extra calories. And nuts also boost your metabolism.
Almonds in particular are also proven to increase weight loss by 62%!!! Go nuts!!!
4- Drink water before meals
Studies have shown that it can help you eat less. 2 studies note that drinking water before meals increases your metabolism by 24-30% over 1 to 1.5 hours. That can amount to 96 additional calories burned if you drink 8.4 cups of water per day.
5- Eat from a blue or red plate
Why? First, the blue color is an appetite suppressant as it’s not associated with cravings in the brain.
Also, people eat less if there is a higher contrast in colors between the plate and the food.
And when we eat foods from a red plate (especially unhealthy foods), we may end up eating a little bit less as the color red signifies danger.
Still not convinced? As per the 2011 University of Valencia study, eating off a white plate, as opposed to a dark version, made food taste 7 percent sweeter, 9 percent more enjoyable, and 13 percent more flavorsome. The explanation for the same is that white background triggers sweet food memories.
What about the size of glasses? Choose a narrow glass. As per the study, people feel they are drinking more from a narrow glass than a small stout even if the quantity is the same.
The question you are probably asking yourself is: “Do these hacks work?”
It depends. Everyone is different. Pick and choose the ones that resonate the most with you.In the end, these hacks are just a few more tools to add to your toolbox. They won’t replace a healthy diet or regular exercise. But if you are new to fitness, you may decide to use some of them to jumpstart your journey.
I believe that one healthy habit helps create another.
Stay tuned for more weight loss hacks next week! If you’d like to recieve interesting information on nutrition, fitness and healthy lifestyle please sign up for my weekly newsletter below:
À bientôt,
Laurent