Weight loss seems to never be easy, with peaks and valleys in a continuous cycle. Once you’ve crossed one hill, another one awaits you ahead. After enduring one valley, another one beckons in the distance.
Is there a shortcut to weight loss? Here are 7 small tips for spring weight loss that are relatively easy; you may find them helpful.
1. You don’t have to diet to lose weight! 7 small tips for spring weight loss that you might need.
1. Protein is essential.
Whether it’s high-protein weight loss, energy-balanced diet weight loss, low-carb weight loss, low-fat weight loss, or even ketogenic weight loss, all emphasize the importance of adequate protein intake.
This is because weight loss often involves the loss of fat, water, and muscle, with muscle mainly composed of protein.
Healthy weight loss aims to reduce fat while preserving muscle mass. Adequate protein intake helps compensate for muscle loss. Without sufficient protein, weight loss may lead to significant muscle loss.
Therefore, a healthy weight loss plan always stresses the importance of adequate protein intake. Weight loss methods like fruit and vegetable diets, which are low in protein, are considered less healthy.
2. One healthy meal at a time; don’t expect the next meal to make up for it.
We all aspire to a lifetime of healthy eating, but often find it difficult to achieve. Setting small goals like “take one meal at a time” or “count each day as it comes” can help you focus on each moment. Long-term healthy eating strategies need to be translated into daily habits. Eating a healthy meal can lead to gradual weight loss.
Conversely, if you always indulge in the present meal with the hope that the next meal will be better, it’s just deceiving yourself. It’s like saying, “Many a slip between the cup and the lip.” Indulging in one meal after another can lead to a cycle of overeating, ultimately affecting your health.
3. Stay hydrated.
Our bodies are over 50% water, making hydration crucial for overall health. Water is also essential for fat metabolism; breaking down 1 kg of fat requires 1.07 kg of water. Additionally, water helps flush out metabolic by-products produced during fat breakdown, aiding in effective shaping of the body.
Therefore, it’s important to stay hydrated during weight loss.
Drinking a glass of water before a meal can make you feel fuller, leading to consuming fewer calories during the main meal.
If you feel hungry between meals, start with a glass of water; you might be thirsty rather than hungry.
4. Regular meals are better for weight loss; it’s not about skipping meals.
Having three balanced meals a day aligns with the body’s natural eating patterns. Disrupting this rhythm by not consuming enough energy at regular intervals can slow down metabolism, reducing the body’s energy expenditure, which is counterproductive for weight loss.
Skipping breakfast or dinner is not recommended.
Skipping breakfast may lead to excessive cravings for high-calorie foods later in the day, prompting overeating during other meals. Long-term dinner skipping can result in the conversion of breakfast and lunch calories into fat, leading to weight gain. Moreover, once regular eating resumes, weight regain can occur rapidly.
Even if you believe you have strong willpower, it’s not easy to sustain such practices.
5. Avoid excessive salt and spice; start weight loss by eating lightly seasoned foods.
A spoonful of hot sauce can overpower a large bowl of noodles.
A salted duck egg can accompany three bowls of congee.
Heavy seasoning can lead to overeating. Reduced taste sensitivity can result in increased food intake. Lightly seasoned dishes diminish appetite, preventing overeating, whereas strongly flavored foods can stimulate further consumption.
To promote weight loss, start by eating lighter, milder foods.
6. Avoid staying up late.
Staying up late can increase the production of hunger hormones, leading to overeating and obesity. Late nights may disrupt hormone regulation, increasing the risk of obesity. Furthermore, getting enough sleep can reduce late-night snack cravings.
So, going to bed early tonight might help with your weight loss journey.
7. Don’t eat dinner too late; eat before 8 p.m.
Research published in the “Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” suggests that eating dinner too late may contribute to obesity.
For many office workers, delayed dinner times due to late working hours are a primary factor contributing to weight gain.
Late-night eating can reduce digestive and metabolic functions at night, slowing down metabolism and hindering weight loss efforts.
To support weight loss, avoid eating dinner too late and aim to finish by 8 p.m.
References:
[1] Fu L, Wang X, Wang P. A study on healthy weight loss in overweight and obese community adults. Modern Preventive Medicine, 2007(01):23-25.
[2] Zhao W. Discussing healthy weight loss in contemporary society. Legal System and Society, 2012(20):187-188.
[3] Li D. Don’t delay dinner. Everyone’s Health, 2014(24):55-55.
Images sourced from the internet.
