Many believe that weight loss hinges solely on strict diets and rigorous exercise routines. You may be familiar with sayings such as ‘You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet’ or ‘Abs are made in the kitchen.’ But are those sayings true? How much does diet really impact body weight? While conventional approaches involving structured diet and exercise plans are effective, they can be difficult to stick to for the long term. Fortunately, several behavioral and lifestyle modifications can assist in achieving weight loss goals without requiring drastic changes.
Understanding Weight and Caloric Deficit
Those with a BMI of 25 or higher are considered overweight. Excess body fat is causally linked to many health concerns. The fundamental principle behind weight loss is consuming fewer calories than the body burns, creating what is known as a caloric deficit. Total Daily Energy Expenditure and Resting Energy Expenditure calculators can be found online. Consuming 300 to 500 calories under your estimated total daily energy expenditure can help with weight loss. This doesn’t mean you should avoid exercise. It is important to lose weight in a way that is realistic and sustainable. Eating too few calories each day can lead to fatigue, muscle aches, and possible essential vitamin and mineral deficiencies. To better understand your diet, she recommends keeping track of how many calories you are eating. If you’d prefer not to track calories, it can be helpful to consider your portion sizes.
Simple Lifestyle Changes for Weight Management
Here are nine evidence-based strategies to help you shed unwanted pounds without strict dieting or intense workouts.
1. Chew Thoroughly and Slow Down
Your brain needs time to process that you’ve had enough to eat. Research suggests that chewing food thoroughly and more slowly is linked with factors that might be associated with weight loss, including:
- Decreased food intake
- Increased fullness
- Smaller portion sizes
How quickly you finish your meals may also affect your weight. A 2021 review reported that people who didn’t eat quickly had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) than fast eaters. To get into the habit of eating more slowly, it may help to count how many times you chew each bite. Practise mindful eating: Pay attention to each bite by engaging your senses.
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2. Use Smaller Plates
The typical food plate is larger today than it was a few decades ago, which may contribute to weight gain in several ways. Using a smaller plate may help you consume smaller portions and, therefore, fewer calories by making portions look larger. On the other hand, a bigger plate can make a serving look smaller, causing you to add more food. Eating larger portions is strongly associated with eating more calories, weight gain, and obesity.
A 2021 review found that portion-control plates also helped reduce body weight, BMI, waist circumferences, and blood lipid markers. Consider serving nutrient-dense, lower calorie foods on bigger plates and high calorie foods on smaller plates.
3. Increase Protein Intake
Protein may contribute to weight loss and calorie management in several ways, including:
- Promoting feelings of fullness
- Reducing hunger
- Increasing thermogenesis of food
- Boosting your metabolism
If you currently eat a grain-based breakfast, consider increasing the protein content of your meals. In a 2020 study, participants who ate a high protein breakfast with eggs and toast experienced less hunger and ate fewer calories later in the day than those who ate a lower protein breakfast with cereal. Research suggests that consuming up to 1.6 grams (g) of protein per kilogram of body weight may help you lose weight while maintaining or even gaining muscle mass. Some examples of protein-rich foods include chicken breast, fish, Greek yogurt, lentils, quinoa, and almonds.
4. Cook at Home More Often
Cooking your meals at home is a great way to include more nutritious foods in your diet. It might also help promote weight loss. A 2020 review found that people who prepare more meals at home tend to gain less weight than those who regularly dine out or eat prepared foods. A 2017 study also found that meal planning may be associated with improved diet quality and a reduced risk of obesity.
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5. Eat More Fiber
Fiber offers several benefits that support weight loss:
- promoting feelings of fullness
- reducing hunger and food intake
- providing long-lasting energy
Some sources of fiber form a gel when they come into contact with water. This is commonly called viscous fiber. It may be particularly beneficial in helping to increase nutrient absorption time and slowing down the emptying of your stomach. Viscous fiber is only found in plant foods, such as beans, oat cereals, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, oranges, and flaxseed.
6. Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking water may help contribute to weight loss, especially if you drink it before a meal. A 2018 study found that drinking water before a meal reduced the amount of food consumed, without significantly affecting satiety. An older 2015 study showed that drinking 1 pint (568 milliliters) of water before a meal decreased calorie intake and hunger while also increasing fullness and satisfaction. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends consuming at least 15.5 cups (3.7 L) of water for adult males and 11.5 cups (2.7 L) for adult females per day. Consider drinking water instead of calorie-loaded drinks like soda or juice, as this may help promote even greater weight loss. Feelings of mild dehydration can often be confused with feelings of hunger prompting eating instead of hydrating.
7. Avoid Distracted Eating
Paying attention to what you eat may help you consume fewer calories, which could contribute to weight loss. A 2022 review found that eating while watching TV or talking with others may contribute to increased weight gain by affecting the sensory experience of eating. For instance, an impaired taste perception may cause delayed feelings of fullness and subsequently eating more calories. Distracted eating was also associated with eating again sooner after finishing a meal.
8. Prioritize Sleep and Stress Management
Getting enough sleep and managing stress may have powerful effects on your appetite and weight. A lack of sleep may disrupt the appetite-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin. Another hormone, cortisol, also becomes elevated when you’re stressed. Having these hormones fluctuate may increase your hunger and cravings, leading to higher calorie intake. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Set screen time boundaries: Cut back on screen use before bed - blue light disrupts melatonin production. There are many different strategies on how to improve your stress response.
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9. Limit Sugary Drinks
High consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and juice is associated with greater weight gain, higher BMI levels, and health conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It’s very easy to consume excess calories from sugary drinks because liquid calories don’t affect fullness the way solid food does. A 2022 review found that replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with low calorie or no calorie sweetened beverages could be linked to reductions in body weight, BMI, and body fat percentage. Consider swapping sugar-sweetened drinks for water, sparkling water with a lime, unsweetened tea, or vegetable juice. Sugary drinks, soda and fruit juices can promote weight gain via lipogenesis.
For those trying to lose weight, Tilton recommends cutting back on liquid calories, such as sugary beverages, beer and wine.
Additional Strategies for Sustainable Weight Loss
Here are some additional strategies for sustainable weight loss.
Meal Planning and Preparation
Planning and preparing meals in advance can help you make healthier choices and avoid impulsive, high-calorie decisions. Knowing what you will eat for each meal and snack can prevent you from opting for less nutritious, convenient options when hunger strikes.
Mindful Eating
Eating more mindfullySavor your food. Notice how it smells and tastes and feels in your mouth. Notice when you start to feel full. Just being aware of your food in this way may help you lose weight -- and make eating more pleasurable to boot.
Portion Control
Limit portion sizesIf you eat a lot of restaurant meals or are used to heaping plates of food at home, you might be surprised to learn what's considered a portion size by dietitians. For example, a portion of protein, like a hamburger patty or chicken breast, should be the size of a deck of cards. A serving of cooked pasta is half a cup. Sticking to modest portions like these can help you lose weight.
Focus on Whole, Unprocessed Foods
Focus on eating fresh foods. They have more nutrition than processed foods. Processed foods often come in a box or a can.
Make Gradual Changes
Start small. Small changes are a lot easier to stick with than drastic ones. For example, give up regular soda or reduce the size of the portions you eat. When you have that down, you can make other changes, like eating vegetables with dinner or walking 10 minutes after school.
Seek Support
It's up to you to make the changes that lead to long-term weight loss. But it helps to have support from others. Pick people who will inspire you. If you prefer to keep your weight-loss efforts private, take some steps to stay on course. Track your diet and exercise in a journal or an app. Also track your weight.
Be Realistic and Patient
Long-term weight loss takes time and effort. So be sure that you're ready to eat healthy foods and become more active. Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week over the long term. Losing 5% of your current weight may be a good goal to start with. Even this amount of weight loss can lower your risk of some long-term health conditions. It can help to set two types of goals. The first type is called an action goal. You can list a healthy action that you'll use to lose weight. For instance, "Walk every day for 30 minutes" is an action goal. The second type is called an outcome goal. You can list a healthy outcome that you aim to have. "Lose 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms)" is an example of an outcome goal. An outcome goal is what you want to achieve. But it doesn't tell you how to get there. An action goal does.
Prioritize a Balanced Diet
To lose weight, you need to lower the total calories you take in from food and drinks. One way that you can take in fewer calories is to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These are known as plant-based foods. They're low in calories and high in fiber. Fiber helps you feel full. Eat at least four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruits a day. Have whole grains, such as brown rice, barley, and whole-wheat bread and pasta. Use healthy fats, such as olive oil, vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, nut butters and nut oils. Limit foods and drinks that have added sugar. These include desserts, jellies and sodas.
The Role of Exercise
You can lose weight without exercise, but it's harder to do. Exercise has many other benefits. It can lift your mood, lower blood pressure and help you sleep better. Exercise helps you keep off the weight that you lose too. How many calories you burn depends on how often, how long and how hard you exercise. One of the best ways to lose body fat is through steady aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking. Work up to at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week. Also aim to do strength training exercises at least twice a week. Any extra movement helps you burn calories. So think about ways to move more during the day. The amount of exercise you need for weight loss depends on your goals.
Avoiding Fad Diets
Hundreds of fad diets, weight-loss programs and outright scams promise quick and easy weight loss. But the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to make lasting lifestyle changes. Staying away from fad diets. www.eatright.org/health/wellness/diet-trends/staying-away-from-fad-diets. Updated April 22, 2024. Accessed June 12, 2024.
Dangers of Rapid Weight Loss
Rapid weight loss diet is a type of diet in which you lose more than 2 pounds (lb) or 1 kilogram (kg) a week over several weeks. Losing excess weight by eating a healthy diet and increasing physical activity can help prevent future health problems. Rapid weight loss may not be safe for some people to do on their own. These diets are only to be used for a short time and are usually not recommended for more than several weeks. People who lose weight very quickly are much more likely to regain the weight over time than people who lose weight slowly through less drastic diet changes and physical activity. Losing more than 1 or 2 lb (0.5 to 1 kg) a week is not safe for most people. It can cause you to lose muscle, water, and bone density. Rapid weight loss can also cause some side effects including:
- Gallstones
- Gout
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Nausea