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Thursday, July 30, 2020

7 Weight Loss Tricks You Can Start Doing Today


Losing weight can be a very difficult task to overcome especially for those who are highly motivated. In addition, as a person ages the more difficult it gets to maintain an appropriate weight.
One thing many people wonder is if there are any ways to "reverse engineer" life moments (just my fancy way of saying tricks) to help with weight loss.
Here are 9 weight loss tricks you can start using today:

PAY ATTENTION TO PORTION SIZES

Studies have shown that eating food off smaller sized plates lead to eating less.
For example, studies were conducted in a controlled laboratory setting where they focused on food and eating habits of participants. They found that many participants had no clue of the changes in the portions offered and how it affected the amount they had eaten (1).
This leads to overeating! Don't overeat!

Unfortunately overeating happens more often than we think. So to solve that problem, pay real close attention to your bowls and dishes. Or better yet, ask for a smaller portions if you're trying to to lose weight. Save leftovers in a to-go box. If you've been constantly on the lookout for weight loss tricks, mark that down!

DON'T GET DISTRACTED

The study also explains that the more people get distracted (eating out for example), the more they become unaware of the portion sizes handed to them. People who were served 50% more pasta ended up eating 43% more than those with normal portions. Yikes!

RESTRICT YOUR ELECTRONICS

An average American adult spends approximately 5 hours a day watching television. Now, it's safe to assume that the time could be spent planning meals for the rest of the week or getting more exercise throughout their day!
If you're one of them (Don't worry, I won't tell anyone) here are a couple of ways to make use of those extra hours:
  • Yoga: Doing yoga regularly offers many benefits, including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress, and improving your mental and physical well-being. It also helps with weight loss and you can do it practically anywhere inside your home.
  • Dancing
  • Collect bugs
  • Wash or walk the dog
  • Wash the car
  • Water your garden
  • Write an autobiography or a short story
  • Meditation
  • Read a newspaper
  • Browse the internet
  • Make a weight loss smoothie

EAT MORE FRUIT

Many people often associate fruit with sugar--specifically the health conscious eaters. While it is a source of natural sugar, some fruits are rich in fiber and will work wonders for kickstarting your metabolism.
Here are some examples of fruits with plenty of fiber content:
  • Raspberries
  • Blackberries
  • Apples
  • Oranges
  • Flaxseeds
  • Grapefruit
  • Watermelons

GO TO BED EARLIER

It's commonly known that the longer your body stays up the more time your hunger signals will kick in, signaling that it's time to eat again--leading into a snacking trap. Curb your cravings by going to bed before those evil cravings get the chance to cry over more food!

You can set the alarm clock at an earlier time instead and enjoy the remaining left over time for some exercise, meditation or meal prepping.

PRACTICE THE 20-MINUTE RULE

Basically any time you eat make sure to give yourself the right portion sizes. Once you finish one portion and are craving for more, put yourself on timeout for at least 20 minutes to see if you're still feeling hungry.
Why 20 minutes?
It takes our bodies around 20 minutes to recognize that we're physically full. And if your stomach still isn't happy, feel free to help yourself to more food. This little trick actually works quite effectively.

SLEEP IN COLDER TEMPERATURE

As humans, our bodies can react in interesting ways to temperature changes. The warmer the temperature is, the less energy/calories your body needs to keep you warm.
What does this mean?
When our bodies are in the thermoneutral zone, this is where our body does not have to regulate our body temperature, so we feel less inclined to eat because we already feel relaxed and the need for satisfaction is less likely to be strongly desired.
However, when our bodies are above or below this zone, we increase the amount of energy we spend, which "decreases energy stores", such as fat (2).
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4 Ways to Manipulate Your Hormones To Help You Lose Weight


When it comes to losing weight there are many factors that affect your progress. Your brain is actually one of the biggest obstacles that stop you from achieving the weight loss results you want.
And it doesn't stop there. Even household chemicals can play a major role in weight gain.
Even to diligent eaters a slice of cheesecake can be irresistible. What bugs us humans is why we sometimes give in to temptation even though we know we have our better judgments.
Researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (MNIH) have found a possible explanation: The second we see delicious food, a hormone in our bodies called ghrelin starts to send irresistable signals to the brain telling us to just eat that cake, now.

This is one of many found results in research destined to find out the causes of being overweight. “We’re closer to recognizing just how complicated obesity is,” explains Arya Sharma, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Alberta.

He also added that the good news is a matter of what causes us to gain weight and hold on to it, the faster we can find a cure for obesity, or simply a solution to just dropping those extra 10 pounds.
For now, weight-loss treatments (typically calorie reduction and exercise) must be maintained forever.
Either way, here’s a good list of what should be kept in mind for weight loss:

CONSIDER RETHINKING ABOUT LOW-CALORIE FOODS

The MNIH researchers studying the gut hormone ghrelin (using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) found that it increases the neural response—therefore, appetite in regions of the brain appetite in regions of the brain responsible for "programming" the feeling of reward in the values of food. “In other words, when we see food we like, we are exceedingly compelled to eat it,” says Alain Dagher, a neurologist at MNIH. “Unfortunately, our brains are likely wired to value high-calorie foods, which is important if food is scarce or difficult to obtain,” he explains.

Here's a tip: Increase the appeal of low-calorie foods by thinking about them more positively. Rethinking about almonds is a sure good way to start.

TALK TO YOUR PHYSICIAN ABOUT YOUR THYROID AGAIN

According to a study in the March 2008 Archives of Internal Medicine, any decreases to the functioning of the thyroid is associated with weight gain. When this gland in the neck does not secrete enough hormones, it can result in lower metabolic rates (symptoms include fatigue and weight gain).

However, Caroline Fox, MD, an endocrinologist at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, says her research group was surprised to discover that women whose serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels were relatively high, but still within the normal range used by doctors to diagnose thyroid conditions, gained up to four pounds over three and a half years compared to women whose TSH did not increase.
“If a patient feels she has gained excess weight or has trouble losing weight despite adherence to a healthy lifestyle, she should talk to her physician,” says Fox, who adds that this research is too preliminary to consider tinkering with the current range for medical diagnosis.

AVOID BISPHENOL A AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS

Research shows that exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) at an early stage in life can increase the risk of certain cancers; bisphenol A (BPA) may be one of these chemicals. Now a team at Tufts University has discovered yet another reason to avoid prenatal or perinatal exposure to BPA: It may cause weight gain later in life.
Retha Newbold of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences says the findings in animals may also be true for humans. “When a fetus or baby is exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the body’s set point the balance between energy in, as calories, and energy burned is irreversibly altered,” she explains.
Of course, EDC exposure is not the only risk factor for obesity—diet and exercise are major players—nor does exposure early in life guarantee weight troubles later. “But it does help explain why some people have more difficulty losing weight and keeping it off than others,” Newbold adds. For now, she recommends avoiding EDCs where possible, including phthalates (found in some cosmetics and cleaning products) and BPA. That means opting for fresh foods over canned (many of which have a lining that contains BPA), avoiding polycarbonate water bottles and not heating foods in plastic containers.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE PERFECT BOTTOM. THE REAL PROBLEM IS BELLY FAT

According to research published in the journal Cell Metabolism, subcutaneous fat, which is found around the hips and bottom, may actually provide some protection against type 2 diabetes. “Subcutaneous fat appears to make a substance that is secreted into the blood and improves insulin sensitivity and metabolism,” says C. Ronald Kahn, MD, a researcher from the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.

When it comes to belly fat, University of Western Ontario professor Kaiping Yang reported a startling discovery. The kind of fat cells found in the abdomen produce a hormone—neuropeptide Y—that acts as an appetite stimulant. (Appetite was formerly thought to originate only in the brain). Worse, the hormone stimulates further fat cell production. This research, published in The FASEB Journal, suggests that women who tend to carry weight around their middle may find it harder to lose overall body fat.
And it’s tough to spot-reduce belly fat with exercise, say certified fitness consultant Scott Tousignant. The best approach to slim down all over is combined aerobic and resistance exercise. “When resistance exercises are done properly, they should elevate your heart rate,” he says.






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