It's the New Year and you're hoping to lose weight — but that doesn't mean you need to empty the cupboards and start dieting. There are more sustainable ways to drop pounds that'll make you feel good, rather than hungry.
If you want to make these habits part of your routine for the coming months, it's important that you actually still enjoy them. So, alongside regular exercise, even if that's a stretching session on a yoga mat, you want to add these tips to your day.
1. Eat more protein
For decades, we've been inundated with guidance to cut out food if you want to lose weight. But, really, it's more important what you eat, than how much. So, with that in mind, we're actually going to suggest eating more.
But instead of choosing any type of food, you'll want to aim for higher protein foods. Protein is an essential building block for your body, helping you develop muscle and repair your body throughout the day and while you sleep.
So, it's vital that we get enough of it in our diets. Plus, research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition suggests that eating a higher protein diet can make you feel fuller for longer too, compared to carb-heavy food.
This means you're less likely to snack or graze on food between meals, so potentially eating a high-protein but higher calorie meal can actually help reduce your overall energy intake.
Of course, eating a higher protein diet doesn’t have to involve any chicken, especially if you’re vegetarian or taking on a month of plant-based eating. Adding Greek yogurt to your breakfast is a brilliant source of protein, as is tofu, eggs, and grains, and pulses.
2. Don’t eat three hours before bed
You’ve eaten well all day, but when you sit down in the evening to watch TV, the snacks come out. Sound familiar? Experts have found that when you eat can be as important to weight loss as what you’re eating if you’re trying to lose weight.
According to research published in the journal Nutrients, the best time to eat your final meal of the day is between 6.00 and 6.30 pm. Meanwhile, a study in PLOS Biology offers some interesting insights in how your body burns energy.
The authors concluded that the body’s circadian regulation slows down before bed, so if you’re snacking in the evening, your body won’t burn fat as efficiently when you’re asleep.
So, it’s a far better idea to fast from dinner to breakfast, than to snack in front of the television and skip your morning meal the next day. Of course, if you do feel the urge, there are plenty of healthy snack ideas for weight loss you can reach for.
3. Stop looking at your phone while you eat
If you generally watch TV, scroll your phone, or do anything else while eating, this could hamper your weight loss plans. Instead of being distracted, focusing on the experience of eating can actually help you eat less and enjoy yourself more.
It's a technique known as mindful eating, where you bring your full attention to the present moment, and really notice every bite of food and how it feels in your mouth, the different textures and all the flavors.
You'll find that you naturally eat slower, process your food more, and you'll likely feel satisfied earlier than if you eat quickly or while distracted. Plus, a review in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found you could eat almost 10% more if you're not focused on your meal.
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