Have you ever tried to lose weight in your life? Chances are you have, probably on more than one occasion, and in truth, so too have millions of other people all over the world as well. Losing weight is not easy, in fact it can be a real nightmare for some of us, especially when you consider the fact that you have to be especially mindful of which methods you choose to utilise and who’s advice you choose to listen to. There is so much information out there that we may easily find ourselves becoming confused and overwhelmed as truthfully all we may be looking for is a simple yet effective way of losing weight without feeling like death warmed up in the process. There are effective ways of dropping weight, and there are ineffective ways of dropping weight, and what we need to do is pinpoint the most effective methods and utilize them to our advantage. To help make life a little simpler for you, we’ve waded through countless articles, studies, trials, surveys etc, and will be listing what we, and hundreds of thousands of other individuals, believe to be 6 of the most effective weight loss hacks, ever.
Make sure your post-workout nutrition is on point
When we exercise, it doesn’t matter what we were doing, whether we were lifting weights, swimming, jogging, cycling, or anything else for that matter, one thing that we simply must ensure we get right, is our post-workout nutrition. Some people will exercise, head home, jump into the shower, and then get into bed or simply lounge around for the rest of the night, feeling hungry and nauseous in the process. After exercising, we simply must ensure we eat some form of food or another as our bodies are literally crying out for nutrients and energy. Another common mistake that people make with their post-workout meals however, is to overestimate how many calories they burnt off in the gym, and so will use this as an excuse to overeat following their workout. When it comes to a post-workout meal, you don’t have to get too fancy, and you shouldn’t consume too much food either. Just a healthy and balanced meal such as a jacket potato, flaked tuna, and salad, will give your body everything it requires for the next two/three hours.
Drink more water
The human body is made up of almost 75% pure water, so of course we’re going to ensure we have enough water to be able to function correctly on a daily basis. Just to put things into perspective, if we were stranded in the wild, we could survive for a number of weeks on virtually no food at all, yet after just 48 hours without water, our bodies would begin to shut down. Water improves organ health, it hydrates us, it improves digestion, and it can even help to speed up and increase our metabolisms. Aim to drink at least 3 litres of water a day, preferably mineral, or failing that, filtered will also suffice. Not only does water hydrate us and help to speed up metabolism, it can also take up space in our stomachs, which in turn will help to suppress our appetites and help keep us feeling full for longer.
Add a little spice to your life
Another fantastic weight loss hack that has been yielding some pretty impressive results in individuals all over the globe, is to add spicy foods to your meals. By adding chilli powder, or spicy fresh chillies to your meals, you can help to suppress your hunger levels and increase your core body temperature which will naturally speed up the metabolism. What’s more is that capsaicin, which is the natural compound found within chillies responsible for giving them their heat, is also responsible for triggering the release of endorphins into the body, which are known as “happy chemicals” that make us feel happier and more content.
Balance your macros
Some people find themselves obsessing over the amount of calories found in each of their meals and as a result will spend hours counting calories found in every last food and drink item they consume. Studies have recently found however, that balancing your macronutrients is a far more effective method of losing weight than just counting calories. For example, making sure each meal contains just the right amount of fat, protein, and carbohydrate can provide an increase in energy and metabolic function, which in turn will result in much more impressive weight loss results, in a much quicker amount of time as well.
Dish up your food away from where you plan on eating
This one may sound pretty odd to some of you, but it really works, and if you don’t believe us you search online for yourself. Studies have found that if we have a dining area in our kitchens and leave food on the side even after we’ve plated up our meals, as soon as we finish our meals, we’ll make the short walk over to the kitchen side and will proceed to plate up a second serving, which will result in more calories being consumed. If we dish up in the kitchen however, and then walk through the house to our dining room, we’ll eat our meal and will be much less likely to go back for seconds as the leftover food will be out of eyesight.
Eat slower
Those that eat faster are much more likely to go back for second servings compared with those that eat their food at a much slower rate. On average, it takes around 20 minutes for the stomach to signal to the brain that it has enough food, thus helping to make you feel full. That means that if you rush your food, you’ll still be hungry even if you’ve actually eaten enough. By eating slower your body has time to register what you’re consuming and can then signal to the brain that you’re full, so you don’t go back and consume extra calories. Slow down, chew slower, savour your food, and don’t rush to grab seconds immediately after finishing. Even if you still feel hungry after eating, if you wait 10 minutes you’ll find your hunger will have almost certainly subsided.
