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Many individuals are more devoted than ever to their ambitions in 2021, according to experts. Is it any surprise that this is the case? 2020 was a difficult year for weight loss, with gyms closing and the “quarantine 15” becoming an unavoidable reality because to working from home and having access to an unending supply of goodies.
Many people are now downloading apps to aid with calorie or macro tracking, investing in cutting-edge home gym equipment to keep active without leaving the house, experimenting with new and more sustainable diets, and consulting dietitians and nutritionists to customise their programs. And, as you plan your weight-loss plans for 2022, experts say now is the best time to take stock of your efforts — to reflect on what worked and what didn’t.
“With all of the stress that the epidemic has caused, it’s given individuals the time to reflect on their goals and objectives,” says Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, author of the free handbook Change Your Habits & Ditch Restrictive Eating. “I believe that more people are addressing weight loss from a health standpoint rather than an aesthetic standpoint these days. For many people, the health lens implies slower weight reduction, but it also means more long-term weight loss. People are addressing their weight as simply one crucial element of their total health, rather than chasing numbers on the scale.”
Fad diets that are too restricted to be sustainable, according to Silvia Carli, MS, RD, the chief nutritionist of 1AND1 LIFE, are one way to avoid in 2022.
“We now realize that being slimmer does not always imply being healthy,” explains MPM Nutrition founder Marissa Meshulam, RD. “Different bodies are designed to be different sizes, and instead of focusing on the scale, we should focus on our own health, what foods and activities feel good in our body.”
With that in mind, we’ve compiled the greatest weight-loss advice from nutritionists, physicians, and personal trainers for 2021, so you can strive toward a healthier, more confident self in 2022.
1. Include protein in each meal.
Experts believe that consuming adequate protein is an important food for weight reduction, not just because it keeps you full, but also because your body burns more calories metabolizing protein than it does carbohydrates or fat.
“Spreading protein out fairly equally throughout three meals is one of the greatest ways to help individuals regulate their hunger,” Weisenberger adds. “Protein helps with fullness, therefore I recommend roughly 25 grams of protein every meal. It’s also required to increase muscle synthesis, which is crucial.”
It’s quite simple to lose muscle along with fat when losing weight, says Weisenberger. Consuming enough protein can help to avoid this, which is crucial because muscle consumes more calories than fat tissue.
2. Stick to calorie-free beverages.
Water, unsweetened tea, and flavored seltzer are the kind of liquids that specialists recommend while trying to lose weight. Alcoholic beverages, juices, and sugary coffee drinks can completely derail your weight-loss attempts without providing many nutrients or making you feel satisfied.
According to Amelia Brown, RD of Redwood Reserves, limiting your alcohol consumption is critical to reducing weight. If quitting drinking cold turkey is too difficult, she suggests just drinking on weekends and restricting yourself to one or two drinks.
“Only consume calorie-free beverages,” advises TJ Mentus, an ACE-certified personal trainer and member of the Garage Gym Reviews expert review board. “Drinking beverages with added sugars is a simple method to accidentally gain weight. Because these calories do not satisfy hunger like entire meals do, you will still need to consume actual food. By eliminating these beverages from your diet, you may easily save a couple hundred calories per day, if not more, depending on your current calorie intake, which can equate to at least a half-pound of weight reduction every week.”
According to Morgyn Clair, MS, RDN, author of Fit Healthy Momma, increasing your water consumption is a great way to lose weight. She suggests drinking at least 64 ounces of water every day, and even more if you’re really active.
She continues, “Not only is water calorie-free, but it can also assist your body balance hunger and fullness cues.” “When the body is thirsty, it frequently presents as hunger. Staying hydrated can assist you in resisting unhealthy snacking.”
3. Increase your intake of high-quality protein.
“I can’t emphasize enough the importance of getting the right amount of high-quality protein every day,” Carli says.
Carli suggests ingesting 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day if you’re trying to lose weight. A 155-pound person’s daily protein consumption, for example, should be between 85 and 140 grams per day.
“Many individuals make the mistake of focusing just on cutting carbohydrates when transitioning to a healthier diet, but it’s also important to incorporate enough protein to keep the metabolism functioning,” Carli explains.
However, not all protein sources are made equal — a fatty cut of beef, for example, is a less beneficial weight-loss protein option than a portion of shrimp, which is high in protein and important minerals but low in fat.
“Lean meats like chicken, turkey, lean beef cuts, eggs, low-fat dairy, and plant sources like tofu, tempeh, and edamame are high-quality proteins,” Carli notes.
4. Make losing weight simple.
You’re much less likely to keep to a regular regimen if you join a gym that’s 30 minutes away rather than one that’s right around the corner. If you bring healthy snacks to work, you’ll be less inclined to go for the candy or chips from the workplace vending machine.
Weisenberger explains, “Willpower is limited.” “It gets smaller as the day progresses and we get more busy, annoyed, or fatigued. So, ask yourself, “How can I make this as simple as possible?””
Here are some of Weisenberger’s suggestions for making weight reduction more manageable:
- Keeping a bowl of fruit on the counter where it can be seen is a good idea.
- Having a pair of walking shoes on hand at work is a good idea.
- Laying out your training gear for the next day the night before is a great way to save time in the morning.
- Putting pleasures on a high shelf where they won’t be seen (and therefore out of mind)
5. Put the 3–2–1 training strategy to the test.
Paul Warloski, a certified personal trainer, says his favorite weight-loss strategy is the 3–2–1 approach: three days of heavy weight lifting per week, two days of HIIT or Tabata to raise your heart rate, and one day of endurance training per week (like cycling, jogging, or walking)
“This combination has been demonstrated to be highly beneficial in the long run to lose weight and keep weight off,” he adds, citing study and personal experience.
The essential thing to remember, whether you follow the 3–2–1 approach to the letter or not, is to change it up. According to experts, the perfect fitness routine will involve both aerobic and weight training. Because, while some cardio activities may burn more calories in the short term than strength training, research shows that resistance training allows your metabolism to stay in high gear for longer, allowing you to burn more calories over time.
6.Take a few steps.
Do you walk 10,000 steps every day? Whether or whether this goal is attainable for you, experts agree that simply walking more — and keeping track of your progress — can help.
“Walking is a free, easy, and low-impact exercise that may provide numerous advantages when done on a regular basis,” says Christine VanDoren, CN, CPT of SportingSmiles.com. “These include enhanced longevity, weight reduction, greater physical endurance, and the avoidance of a variety of diseases.”
If your job does not demand you to be on your feet, VanDoren points out that 10,000 steps may seem overwhelming and time-consuming. Begin with 5,000 steps each day and work your way up. You might be amazed at how quickly those daily walks start to add up in terms of calories expended!
7.Don’t go on a diet that you won’t be able to maintain.
Let’s be honest: the problem with a lot of more restricted diets is that eliminating whole food groups — like carbohydrates, for example — is impossible to maintain indefinitely. That implies that if you go off the diet, you’ll just gain back the weight you lost once you start eating those things again. In fact, overindulging in the foods you previously denied yourself may cause you to gain weight.
As a result, Carli strongly warns against following diets that exclude whole food categories. Instead, she advises being knowledgeable about the nutritional worth of various meals. The more you know about how particular meals and their nutrients affect your energy, hunger, and metabolism, the better equipped you’ll be to make wise decisions that help you lose weight.
8. Consume three cups of veggies per day.
Increasing your vegetable intake is one habit that can help you lose weight — by filling up on these nutrient-dense, high-fiber meals that are also low in calories and fat, you’ll be less prone to overindulge in less nutritious items. Melody Sayers, MS, RDN, NASM-CPT, recommends consuming three cups of veggies each day, one cup at each meal.
Sayers believes that variety is crucial in this situation. So, set a goal for yourself to “eat the rainbow” and include a variety of veggies on your plate, and vary it up when shopping for food at the supermarket.
Sayers explains, “This is because various colored veggies contain different micronutrients.” “Dark green leafy vegetables, for example, are high in calcium, iron, and Vitamin K, while carrots and sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A.”
When it comes to portion proportions, Sayers recommends aiming for a pile of vegetables the size of your hand at each meal.
9. Practice mindful eating.
The more attentive you are of your surroundings when eating, the more likely you are to notice indications indicating you’re full, keeping you from overeating. As a result, mindfulness is a must-have weight-loss method.
Sayers defines mindful eating as “awareness of your feelings, ideas, and body sensations around flavor, enjoyment, and fullness.” “Mindful eating can help you control your appetite, portion sizes, and avoid stress eating. Assess your genuine hunger levels, cut down your consumption, and distinguish between physical and emotional hunger before you feel the impulse to eat.”
It’s critical, according to Sayers, to avoid any distractions while eating. You’re much less likely to notice when you’re full if you’re watching TV or catching up on business emails during a meal.
To slow down the overall process, Ricci-Lee Hotz, MS RDN, and expert at Testing.com, suggests putting your fork down in between bits of food.
“At each meal or snack, focus on taking your time and putting your spoon down between bits, actually tasting and acknowledging the food you’re eating, as well as paying attention to hunger and fullness cues,” Hotz advises.
Because your body might take up to 20 minutes to detect that you’re full, experts usually advise waiting a few minutes before going back for seconds.
10. Experiment with the volume eating strategy.
What if we told you that you could eat more food while consuming less calories and, as a result, lose weight without ever feeling hungry? That’s the premise behind the “volume eating” method, which involves selecting low-calorie items with a large volume to keep you full.
Trista Best, RD at Balance One Supplements, adds, “I’ve been following this eating pattern for a year and have found significant results in weight reduction and feelings of general better wellness.” “Aside from my own experience, volume eating can result in weight loss due to enhanced meal satiety and a lower total calorie intake.”
Best recommends recognizing your genuine hunger and fullness cues and focusing more on eating nutrient-dense foods that fill you up with less calories, such as beans, veggies, oats, and nonfat yogurt, to follow volume eating effectively and safely.
11. For breakfast, choose a combination of fiber and protein.
Meshulam defines a balanced breakfast as one that contains both protein and fiber for maximum satiating power. She claims that eating only carbohydrates, such as cereal, bread, or a bagel, increases your blood sugar rapidly and leads to crashes.
Instead, start with a fiber-rich carb (like oatmeal or sprouted whole-grain bread) and add protein to make it more filling (like nuts, an egg, or nonfat cottage cheese). Breakfast should contain at least 10 grams of protein, according to Meshulam.
“Eating fiber-rich foods can assist to slow down the digestion process and lessen stomach emptying, keeping you feeling content for longer and reducing your chances of overeating,” explains Morgan Savy, RD and personal trainer at Uplift Food. “This is especially crucial if you’re trying to lose weight and need to keep track of your entire consumption. Legumes and lentils, as well as many vegetables and fruits, are high in fiber.”
12. Make a strategy.
“When we don’t make decisions in the heat of the moment, we tend to make better ones,” Weisenberger adds.
As a result, she strongly suggests that you schedule your meals and snacks as much as possible. Consider the following scenario:
Make a list of three to five easy snacks to keep on hand so you don’t have to eat whatever is closest when you become hungry in the middle of the day.
Meal prep and pre-portioning lunches to take to work for the next three days should be done on Sunday.
Create a nutritious menu for your favorite restaurants based on your preferences.
Decide how many drinks you’ll have before heading to a party and stick to it.
Before you sit down to a holiday meal with relatives, think about what you’ll say to “food pushers.”
13. Begin small.
When you make too ambitious adjustments, you’re more likely to “fall off the bandwagon,” which can make you feel so disheartened that you give up on your weight-loss goals entirely. In contrast, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that persons who lose weight slowly (approximately 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more likely to keep it off permanently.
When it comes to losing weight, keep in mind that slow and steady wins the race.
Supriya Lal advises, “Focus on tiny, gradual adjustments that are quantifiable.”
Instead of telling yourself you’re never allowed to eat sweets, set a goal for yourself to eat a salad before dinner every night. This tiny tweak may help you feel more satisfied, so you won’t feel compelled to go for dessert. But the key is that it’s a habit you’re more likely to maintain — and that consistency will provide you with the incentive you need to continue on your weight-loss quest.
14.Try calorie counting for a month.
Counting calories isn’t for everyone. Experts agree, however, that for certain people seeking to lose a given amount of weight in a specified length of time, especially for health reasons, it may be a very useful tool. VanDoren recommends giving it a month before committing to a long-term lifestyle change.
Even if only for a short time, counting calories may provide you vital insight into the energy density of all your favorite meals, allowing you to adjust your consumption to lose weight.
“It’s perfectly acceptable if you decide to quit tracking calories after a month — you’ve gained new knowledge that you can apply in the future,” VanDoren adds.
If counting calories isn’t your thing, Dr. Christopher McGowan, MD, a gastroenterologist and obesity medicine expert at WakeMed Health & Hospitals and True You Weight Loss, suggests calculating macros instead. For weight loss, Dr. McGowan normally prescribes a 30/40/30 diet (30 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrates, and 30 percent fat).
15. Get a blood test once a year.
“Blood test results are always referred to as a’registered dietitian’s report card,’” Sayers explains. “There’s a lot going on within our bodies, and sometimes several health concerns don’t show up as physical symptoms. You can have prediabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure while being of normal weight. Blood tests provide a wealth of information on the various activities of our organs and aid health experts in identifying and resolving any discrepancies or deficits.”
Obtaining a complete picture of your current health can assist you in fine-tuning your weight-loss objectives and strategies. Experts advise having a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, and if you’ve been rapidly gaining weight or failing to reduce weight, you should ask your doctor about thyroid function blood testing.
16. You should eat every several hours.
Going lengthy periods of time without eating might offer a few challenges for weight reduction, according to Meshulam, unless you’re purposefully practicing intermittent fasting (and the jury’s still out on whether that’s helpful for everyone). For one thing, after denying your body of nutrients for so long, you may be more prone to overeating.
“Rather, eating every three to four hours ensures that we maintain our blood sugar stable and never become overly hungry,” she continues.
When you know you won’t be able to have another meal for four or more hours, keep nutritious snacks on available, including yogurt with seeds, an apple and a handful of walnuts, celery with almond butter, or hard-boiled eggs, according to Meshulam.
17. Don’t use any artificial sweeteners.
Although you may believe that picking a sugar-free yogurt, beverage, or coffee creamer would help you lose weight, many experts believe that these can frequently cause more damage than good.
“Artificial sweeteners may wreck havoc on our tummies, boost sugar cravings later on, and change our taste receptors so that we require more and more sweetness to fulfill a yearning,” Meshulam explains. “All of them can make weight management difficult.”
Meshulam suggests focusing on weaning yourself off fake sugars and substituting small amounts of natural sweeteners in their place. For example, instead of two packets of Splenda, try a spoonful of honey in your tea.
18. Locate viscous fiber.
When some types of soluble fibers — known as viscous fibers — combine with water, they produce a thick gel-like material that slows digestion and makes you feel fuller for longer, according to Clair. In fact, viscous fibers were the only form of fiber identified to lower food intake and help weight reduction in a 2013 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, turnips, apricots, mangoes, oranges, legumes, barley, and oat bran are some of the best food sources of viscous fiber, according to Clair.
Resistance starch is another form of fiber to consider, according to Kara Landau, RD, gut health specialist, and creator of Uplift Food. This type of starch, as its name implies, is resistant to digestion and is recognized for lowering blood sugar and decreasing hunger.
“Consuming resistant starch is a fantastic tool for weight reduction because it enhances your body’s sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate the amount of fat our bodies retain,” she continues. “It also improves gut health, which aids digestion and reduces bloating.”
Green bananas, beans and legumes, raw oats, and potatoes that have been cooled after cooking are all high in resistant starch.
19.Have a buddy who will hold you accountable.
According to Lal, sharing your objectives with a friend, family member, doctor, or even in a notebook will help you stay accountable, boosting your chances of sticking to your weight reduction strategy.
“Documenting what you eat, when you eat, and how you feel can have a huge impact on your ability to lose weight, and you don’t have to do it every day for the rest of your life,” McGowan adds. “When you’re first starting your weight-loss journey, it can help you figure out where you’re receiving the most calories, which meals keep you fuller for longer, and when and why you’re eating — whether bored, emotional, or hungry. You’ll develop a better knowledge of appropriate portion proportions if you start writing and documenting your food intake. This will help you sustain good habits over time.”
You could even want to form a weekly agreement to discuss your progress or work out with a friend. You’ll be able to celebrate tiny victories along the road, which will keep you motivated.
“It’s easier to push yourself and do things you don’t want to do when you’re working out with people,” Mentus says. “It also makes it easier for you to remain on track and not cancel if others are counting on you to show there at a specific time. Losing weight requires consistency and effort, both of which may be enhanced by working out with the appropriate people.”
20. Find a type of exercise that you love doing.
Adults should exercise for at least 150 minutes every week, according to the CDC. That may seem like a lot, but experts say the key to completing this requirement is to pick an activity that you like and look forward to. Try something exciting and unusual, like a dancing class, rollerblading, aerial yoga, shooting hoops, or swimming laps, if you fear jumping on the treadmill or completing HIIT workouts.
“If you’re doing something you like, you’re more inclined to get up and do it,” Sayers adds.
Using a heart rate monitoring equipment while exercising is highly recommended by Sayers. During aerobic activity, the CDC recommends keeping your heart rate in the moderate zone, which is defined as a goal heart rate of 64 percent to 76 percent of your maximal heart rate. Subtracting your age from 220 will give you an estimate of your maximal age-related heart rate. Pro tip: You’re in the moderate zone if you can converse while exercising but are too out of breath to sing complete songs.
21. Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR).
A calorie deficit is the only surefire way to lose weight, as you probably already know. However, in order to create the deficit, you’ll need to figure out your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the number of calories your body burns just to stay alive at rest.
“You can think of it as the number of calories you’d burn if you simply sat in a room and didn’t move at all,” McGowan adds. “Simply simply, understanding your BMR may help you figure out how many calories you can eat each day without gaining weight. It’s calculated in terms of calories burned each day and is stated as a number of calories burned per unit of time.”
Knowing your BMR will allow you to make adjustments to your meal planning and daily calorie intake. Your BMR is affected by a lot of factors, including your age, sex, height, weight, and even the amount of muscle in your body. You can find a number of online BMR calculators to help you figure out yours.
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