Regardless of what you’ve been told, there are in fact things that you can do to get that extra weight that has been plaguing you off fast, and it’s likely that you’ll be truly surprised at how many there are. The purpose of this article is to provide you with seven different ways that you can make simple changes to your lifestyle which will allow you to get into that smaller dress that you’ve been dying to be able to wear for so long in no time at all!
If you are dreading exercise, or starting up a fitness routine that would be difficult to stick to because of your schedule, then you’ll be glad to know that this article has nothing to do with that, but is purely focused on ways that you can tweak your diet in order to slim down, without having to change anything else in your lifestyle. Can we say happy dance time
1. Eat Plenty Of Soup
It’s not uncommon for individuals to start feeling incredibly hungry by the time dinnertime rolls around, and because of that, eat way more than they should.
Here’s a really good way to cut down on the amount of food that is consumed during these times – you could start out the meal with some brothy soup. This would work similar to drinking a couple of glasses of water before eating a big meal, but it will definitely taste better. Since the water content is so high in soups that are broth-based, they help you to feel fuller without drowning yourself in calories.
Also, it is proven in a study that was conducted by Penn State University where they found that those individuals who start their meals with a broth-based soup ended up eating around 20% less food than the individuals who didn’t. That says a lot, and if adhered to, could provide some quick results.
2. Provide Yourself With A Source of Protein For Every Meal
2. Provide Yourself With A Source of Protein For Every Meal
Protein is a powerful substance for anybody who is dieting simply because it provides you with energy and help you to feel full for longer. It is also proven to help the body burn off fat, and provides assistance with balancing out hormones. Individuals who eat diets that are high in protein also report that they experienced less anxiety, and are able to build and maintain solid muscle structure.
The American Journal of clinical nutrition published a study that was done on the benefits that people experience from increasing the amount of protein in their diet. This publication reported that individuals who increased their protein intake to 30% of what they were taking in each day, were able to decrease the amount of calories they were taking into their body by 441, and they also reported that they experienced the benefit of feeling fuller for longer as compared to their previous diets.
There are a lot of foods out there that are high in protein, and some of these include eggs, meats that are lean in fat, nuts, legumes, and seeds. Adding these foods into your diet in small portions is a great way to make simple changes for the better.
3. Eat A Breakfast That Is Rich In Protein
3. Eat A Breakfast That Is Rich In Protein
In the U.S., it seems that one of the main staples in people’s diets is carbohydrate, which can do a lot of damage to one’s physique if it isn’t complemented with vigorous exercise.
One of the ways that you can start your day right is to have a breakfast consisting of eggs that are incredibly rich in protein rather than carbohydrate heavy bagels and such. According to a lot of research that has been done, individuals can lose as much as 65% more weight by eating breakfasts that are high in protein.
If you are an individual that has difficulty stomaching eggs or other kinds of foods in the morning, a really good alternative is to whip up a smoothie with some whey protein added in.
4. Burn More Calories With Spicy Foods And Ice water
4. Burn More Calories With Spicy Foods And Ice water
Eh, who wants to eat a bland diet anyway? According to studies, when individuals added spices such as turmeric, chili pepper, or cayenne pepper into their diet, they were able to experience an increase in their metabolic rate, and that’s in addition to a reduction in their feelings of hunger. This is great for anybody that loves to eat spicy, so throw in a bit of cayenne to that next meal, and help to increase your metabolism and get rid of some of those extra calories.
Another great way to burn some calories, and cool off some of that spicy food is to drink some ice water. There have been some studies done, and according to the majority of experts, whenever you drink a 16 ounce glass of ice cold water, your body burns 17 1/2 cal warming up those ice cold fluids when they get into your body. If you increase those ounces up to 64, you can easily see how simple it will be to burn an extra 70 cal a day without doing anything difficult.
5. Increase Your Water Intake To 2-3 Liters A Day
5. Increase Your Water Intake To 2-3 Liters A Day
Water is an essential for life, and offers many benefits for individuals who consume enough of it on a daily basis. This only makes sense because of the fact that our bodies are made up of almost 60% water. Some of the things that can be gained from increasing your water intake includes; better cleansing of your kidneys and liver, and a more efficient release of all of our hormones that are so necessary for body function.
Water also works very well to help reduce the nag of cravings. If you feel like you’re eating too much food during your meals, another good way to help you to feel fuller faster is to drink a couple of glasses of water before you eat. This will allow you to need significantly less food because as soon as that food hits the water, it will expand and make you feel full.
Whenever you increase your water intake to the recommended amount of 2-3 liters every day, your body will experience the benefits of an increased metabolism which will allow your body to burn an additional 50 to 75 cal a day without changing anything else.
6. Eat Real Fruit As an Alternative to Drinking Fruit Juices
6. Eat Real Fruit As an Alternative to Drinking Fruit Juices
One of the biggest mistakes that an individual who is trying to lose weight can do is to start drinking fruit juices as an alternative to soda pop.
The main reason for that is because a lot of these “healthy fruit juices” are just as loaded with sugar as any soda that isn’t sugar free. While yes, it is true that you’ll still be getting the vitamins and minerals that are present within the fruit juice, which you wouldn’t with soda, but you’ll not be getting any of the fiber that is present within fruits that are in the whole form.
For this simple diet tweak, all you have to do is swap out the big glass of orange juice that you were going to have with your breakfast in the morning with an actual whole orange.
7. Keep Track Of What You’re Eating In A Food Diary
7. Keep Track Of What You’re Eating In A Food Diary
Calories can really sneak up on you, especially if you’re not keeping track of them. Such things as tasting the food while you’re cooking it, or taking a taste of one of your children’s desserts, or any such thing can quickly add up even though it might not seem like it’s much at the time.
You might simply be telling yourself, “I hardly eat anything today, but I still put on weight”. These simple situations that are listed above can be the sole cause of that, and is what is known as calorie amnesia. The solution for this is to keep a journal of all the foods that you’ve been eating. Honesty is important, and every bite needs to be counted.
Back in 2008 there was a study which was published in the American Journal of preventative medicine that provided dramatic proof in the value of journaling the foods that you are eating. It showed that those who kept track of their food via journaling for a minimum of six days a week were able to take off twice as much weight as those individuals who didn’t keep track.
As you can see by this list, you can make some really drastic changes in your ability to burn calories, and stay full longer by just making some simple changes in your diet and keeping track of what you eat.
It’s our hope that by making use of these seven tips to get slim fast, you will experience that slimmer body that you’ve been longing for, and will be able to get into that dress that has been waiting in the closet for so long.
*Courtesy of URBANE WOMAN