Weight-Loss Secrets That Can Make You Thin Again! This article explains how the most successful people on earth keep their weight down. Discover why most dieters fail… and how you can be different!

In today’s world, everyone wants to be slim, trim and fit. In order to achieve this goal, people are adopting various fad diets that promise quick weight loss. However, most of these diets are not only unsustainable, but unhealthy as well. Therefore, it is important to understand what works to help you lose weight fast.

In this article, we will discuss nine steps that have helped people lose weight and keep it off.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a type of fasting where you eat only during certain hours of your day. Several studies have shown that this method of fasting is very effective at helping people lose weight over a period of time.

There are many different intermittent fasting (IF) methods. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Alternate day fasting  (ADF) is an effective way to lose weight and keep it off. By eating only 25 to 30 percent of your normal daily calories every other day on fasting days you can easily lose weight. On my fasting days I consume approximately 500 calories and on non-fasting days I eat a normal diet of lean protein and lots of vegetables – especially leafy green vegetables.
• The 5:2 Diet: for 2 days you consume 500 calories a day and then for the rest of the week you eat a normal diet. I have found that male patients can consume about 600 calories on these days and still lose weight.
• The 16/8 method: You consume all of your calories within an 8 hour period and you fast for the rest of the 16 of the 24 hours. You can drink water during the 16 hour fast. My brother follows this plan and he eats from 11 a.m to 7 p.m.

I just want to point out that when following the Alternate Day Fasting or the 5:2 diet, you should eat healthy on your non-fasting days and do not binge eat.

Keep a Log of Your Exercise and Diet

If you want to lose weight, you should keep a food and drink journal. You should also keep track of your physical activity and exercise. Now keeping track of everything that you eat and drink and your exercise for each day is very easy to do. To keep track of everything you have several options… You can log everything into an app on your phone, you can use an online app or you can use a good old fashion paper journal like I did before cell phones were invented.

There is an abundance of phone apps that you can use. Some of them are free and some of them you have to pay for. I was actually quite surprised at how good many of the free food tracking apps are. Before you purchase an app I would suggest that you use the free version first just to get the feel of it and make sure that you are comfortable with it. I actually tried three different apps before finally sitting on the one that I use now. 

Keeping track of your exercise, physical activities and diet is one of the most important habits that you should develop because it has been shown to be powerful tool in helping people lose weight.

Tracking physical activity and weight loss progress on-the-go can be an effective way of managing weight.

Also one of the most important factors t help you lose weight is tracking your physical activity and weight loss progress. 

Recent studies have shown that people who keep track of their food and beverage consumption and exercise are significantly more successful at losing weight and achieving their weight loss goals. Simply tracking the number of steps you take each day can have a positive impact on your weight loss. 

Be Aware of (Pay Attention To) What You are Eating

Paying attention to what you are eating is now called mindful eating. Instead of eating in your car, at your work desk or even while watching the TV or streaming a program try to make eating an enjoyable event.

Steps for mindful eating are:

• When you sit down to eat, the primary job of your brain is to make your body feel full, happy and satisfied. Focus on the food, and really taste and smell and experience the pleasure of eating.
• Eating is a time for you to focus 100% on your food, without any outside distractions. Turn off the TV, close the laptop, and put away the phone. You’ll be surprised at how much more you enjoy the meal and how full you will feel.
• Slow down when eating: People who eat slowly lose more weight than those who eat faster. By taking time to chew and savor each bite, your brain gets a chance to recognize when you’re satisfied, which can help to prevent overeating.
• Eat smart: You need to make all your food choices with thought and attention. This means choosing foods that are high in nourishment and will keep you satisfied and feeling full for hours at a time.

Make Protein Your First Meal of The Day

Protein is an essential macronutrient that makes you feel more full and satisfied. When you eat protein it reduces production of ghrelin which is the hunger hormone and increases production of the chemicals that tell you that you are full  like peptide YY, GLP-1, and cholecystokinin in young adults. 

Foods like chicken, fish and lean cuts of beef are some of your best choices for protein foods.  Protein helps reduce your appetite and cravings for hours.

Reduce Processed Carbohydrates, Sugars and White Flour

We consume far more added sugar in our diet now, and this has been linked to obesity. Now it seems that most of us are consuming even more sugar because we are drinking beverages that are loaded with extra sugar and this all causes us to gain body fat.

Most of the carbohydrates we consume are refined carbohydrates and there’s a reason why they’re called “white foods.” because they are overly processed and contain little or no fiber and other nutrients. Pasta, bread and white rice are examples of refined carbohydrates. These foods turn to sugar (glucose) quickly.

Glucose is a type of sugar. When you have too much glucose in your blood, the hormone insulin gets triggered and tells the body to store fat in the adipose tissue. This can lead to weight gain.

People should try to eat healthier food. Good food choices are:

• Eat brown rice and zucchini pasta instead of white bread and rice
• Instead of snacks with a lot of sugar, have fruit, nuts, and seeds.
• Instead of sodas that are high in sugar, you can drink fruit-infused water or herbal teas.
• Instead of fruit juice, make smoothies with water or milk.

Eat Your Fiber

Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that we cannot digest in the small intestine. Whereas sugar and starch are easily digested and can cause us to gain weight. Increasing dietary fiber can help you feel fuller for longer and this can help you eat less, consume less calories and help you lose weight.

Fiber-rich foods include:

• Vegetables are the best source if dietary fiber – broccoli, carrots and collard greens are a few tasty examples
• Seeds and nuts
• Rye, rye bread, oats, whole wheat, barley are very high in fiber
• vegetables are the best source if dietary fiber
• Some fruits like raspberries, strawberries, mangoes and guava are high in fiber
• Beans are also good sources of dietary fiber

Microbiome Gut Bacteria

Balancing your gut bacteria. Scientists are studying how bacteria in the gut affect weight loss and weight gain.

The human gut, which contains over 37 trillion microorganisms, is home to a large number and variety of microorganisms.

Every person harbors a unique variety and quantity of microorganisms in their stomach.

Some bacteria may cause the body to store the food that we eat as fat and other good bacteria help us use the food that we eat for energy.

Foods that increase the amount of good bacteria in our stomach are:

• If people eat more fruits, vegetables, and grains in their diet, they will have more fiber. And they will get different types of gut bacteria. People should try to eat three quarters of their meals with vegetables and other plant-based foods.
• Fermented foods help good bacteria work better. Kimchi, tempeh, sauerkraut, yogurt, miso and kefir all have probiotics that help with producing good bacteria. Kefir has been shown to help with weight loss and kimchi is widely known for the positive effect on healthy weight loss.
• Prebiotic foods: These foods help the good bacteria grow and also help them work better to help you lose weight and maintain weight loss. Fiber is in many fruits and vegetables. It is also in grains like barley and rye. Fiber can also be found in asparagus, avocado, onion, leeks and garlic.

Get A Good Night’s Sleep To Boost Your Metabolism

Studies have shown that people who get less than 5 or 6 hours of sleep have a higher chance of being overweight.

There are several causes for this..

According to experts, sleep deprivation slows down your metabolism which is your body’s ability to use calories for energy. When your metabolism is slower, the body will usually store those calories as fat.

When you don’t get enough sleep, it can also increase how much insulin and cortisol your body produces. And increased levels of cortisol and insulin increases the amount of fat your body stores.

The amount of time you sleep can also affect your appetite. The longer you sleep the hormone leptin is produced and this decreases your appetite it’s basically tells your brain that you are totally full and not hungry. Conversely, if you do not get enough sleep the hormone ghrelin is produced and this increases your appetite and cravings.

Simply stated, when you get the proper amount of sleep you will have a better fat burning metabolism and also be less hungry.

Reduce Stress and Lose Weight

When you are stressed your body’s fight or flight mechanism is activated and this causes an increase of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol.

When you are under stress 24/7, the cortisol levels will stay at a higher level in your bloodstream for a much longer period of time. And this could increase your appetite and cause you to eat more.

And when your cortisol levels are high your body will store almost everything you eat as body fat. High cortisol levels will also tell your body to burn the sugar from the carbohydrates you are eating as fuel instead of burning your own body fat for fuel. And to make it even worse if you do not use / burn this sugar your body will store it as fat.

Studies have shown that a 60 day stress reduction program significantly reduced the BMI of its participants.

Great ways to reduce stress are:

• Meditation and yoga are great stress busters.
• You can use relaxation and various breathing techniques when you are stressed.
• Going for a nice walk outside is always relaxing for me.
• Recently I have been practicing tai chi outside in the early morning and I have found this to be a tremendous way to reduce stress and help me handle the stress of the coming day.

Simply Put

When it comes to weight loss, there are no shortcuts. The ideal approach to attain and maintain a healthy weight is to eat a balanced healthy diet filled with nutritious food. You should also try to be physically active for at least 20 to 30 minutes every day. More importantly you need a plan and if you don’t have a plan you need a coach.

If you, a friend, loved one or a coworker need help with losing weight I invite you to call us and schedule your free medical weight loss consultation. Call us now at 215-821-7336 and will gladly schedule your free weight loss consultation.

Our Philadelphia Medical Weight Loss Program includes: physical evaluation, diet and exercise coaching, appetite suppressant medications, weight loss pills like Phentermine to help reduce your hunger and cravings, Vitamin injections therapies like vitamin B12 and Lipotropic injections to boost your fat burning metabolism. All to give you the best chance of losing weight and keeping it off.

Call us now at 215-821-7336 and schedule your free weight loss consultation.