You can find many ways to lose weight. The Internet is full of information lose weight by suppressing appetite, exercising, taking pills.
Even you can find on the internet how to shed pounds of fat quickly and get in shape.
Most of the people try to lose weight by 80% by exercising, 7-10% by diet and rest by other methods while you should try this in reverse.
You should try to lose weight 80% by exercising, 20% by exercising and other methods.
If you want to just lose weight naturally and in a sustainable way the healthy diet is the only one and best way to lose weight. With you can lose a fast, naturally and healthily. Although you should also try exercising, exercise is very important for a healthy lifestyle and prevent diseases.
Here 3 easiest dietary changes that can help you to lose weight fast and naturally. You can also try other methods, but if you adopt these 3 dietary changes, you can lose weight without exercising or any difficult and it would take no effort.
3 Major Small Dietary Changes to Lose Weight Automatically
You need to know the basics, the only way to lose weight is negative energy balance means you need to burn more calories than you take.
If you take more calories and want to lose weight than you need to work hard to create a calorie deficit, you need to do lots of physical exercises and activities.
If you take fewer calories than you can lose weight while sitting.
Now, taking fewer calories is not an easy task, but making some dietary changes can make it very easy for you.
These 3 dietary changes will help you to boost metabolism, create a calorie deficit, suppress appetite, and take fewer calories.
It is the only way to lose weight by eating and sitting. We are not saying that you should not do any exercise, exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but exercise is not beneficial in weight loss.[1][2]
Diet and exercise are collectively very beneficial for weight loss. [3]
But, we are talking about weight loss with eating and without exercising and any effort.
Exercise alone cannot generate enough caloric deficit that diet restriction can do.[1]
If you burn 500-700 calories more with exercise and you take 500-700 fewer calories for 3 months both will help you to lose 6-8 kg. And believe me, burning 500-700 calories is so much harder than taking 500-700 fewer calories.
This also shows that weight only and only depends on negative energy balance than the weight loss method[4]
1. Eat More Protein
Eating more protein is the most important key to losing weight.[5]
It helps to boost metabolism, induce thermogenesis and suppress appetite. You can start to lose weight naturally if you just add more protein to your breakfast.
How does protein help to lose weight?
- Digestion of protein takes more energy – in the digestion of protein our system uses 20-30% of protein-energy which is way higher than carb and fat. It means if protein gives 100 calories than 20-30 calories if used to digestion that protein.
- It suppresses appetite – A study shows that eating 30% of total calories from the fiber can help you to take 441 fewer calories per day.
- Protein helps to boost metabolism significantly – it will increase the muscle mass of your body and basal metabolic rate (BMR). it can help you to increase the metabolic rate by up to 20-35%.[6][7][8]
- Protein can reduce cravings and prevent you from taking snacks – it can decrease fast-food craving by 15% and desire to eat by 15% and increase fullness by 25%.[9]
- It can regulate weight regulating hormones – eating more protein can decrease hunger hormones and increase satiety hormones.[10][11][12]
How much protein should you eat per day?
Eating 30% of calories is enough for weight loss. According to the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans 25-35% of calories from protein are good for healthy and sustained weight loss.
2016 study recommends that people should 1-2g protein per kg body weight.
If we convert the above results in terms of grams 90-150g protein per day is good for weight loss.
Best time to eat protein for weight?
The best time to eat protein is in your breakfast. The more protein in your breakfast prevents you from craving and makes you less likely to be hungry. And you will take fewer calories during the rest of the day without even counting on calories.
Snack time is also a good time to add protein. Eating protein-rich snacks result in fewer calories consumed in a later meal. [13] [14]
How to get protein for weight naturally?
You can get protein naturally from low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, meats, and fish.
Add this food in your diet to get the maximum amount of protein for weight loss.
- Parmesan (30g protein per 100g)
- Pumpkin seeds (30g protein per 100g)
- Beef jerky (33g protein per 100g)
- Tuna steak (30g protein per 100g)
- Canned tuna (29g protein per 100g)
Protein for Weight loss – A Guide – How Protein Helps to Lose Weight Fast?
2. Eat more fiber
Dietary fiber is the indigestible part of the carbohydrate that passes through our digestive system unchanged and absorbing water. [15][16][17]
According to Colorado State University fiber can be divided into two Category – soluble fiber and insoluble fiber
Soluble fiber is most beneficial for weight loss. It dissolves in water and turns into a gel during digestion. It slows down digestion and gives us a feeling of fullness for a longer time.
How does fiber help to lose weight?
- It is good for gut bacteria – fiber is beneficial for gut bacteria and these gut bacteria are good for weight loss. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24]
- It helps to burn more calories and reduces caloric intake by 10-18% – it has zero calories and has significant negative energy due to the attenuating effect on digestion.[25][26][27]. If you eat 14g more fiber per day. It can decrease the 10-18% caloric intake.[28][29]
- Fiber can suppress appetite – it helps you to create a caloric deficit by suppressing appetite. It stretches in the stomach and makes you feel full and also suppresses appetite.[30][31][32][33]
- It can boost metabolism – A study found that fiber-rich food can boost metabolism, which results in burn 92 calories/day more.
- It can slow down digestion – fiber reacts with water and forms a gel. It increases intestinal viscosity and the feeling of fullness for a longer time.[34]
How much fiber should eat per day to weight loss?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and The American Heart Association suggests that people should eat 34g fiber for men and 28g fiber for women.
How to get soluble fiber?
Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and beans are the greatest source of natural fiber. You need to just add vegetables and fruits to your diet.
5 foods with the highest fiber content
- Black beans (5.4g soluble fiber per 129g)
- Soy nuts (3.5g soluble fiber per 50g)
- Lima Beans (5.3g soluble fiber per 128g)
- Bran Buds with Psyllium (2.7g soluble fiber per 30g)
- Avocado (2.1g soluble fiber per ½ fruit)
Weight loss 101: How eating more Fiber help to lose weight?
3. Drink water in adequate amount and at the right time
Water is the most basic element in our body. About 60% of our body weight is due to water weight. Health authorities recommend that we should drink at least 2 liters of water a day. But does water helps to lose weight? And how much water should we drink for weight loss?
How water help to lose weight?
Water helps to lose weight by several mechanisms.
- Helps to burn more calories – a study shows that just drinking 500ml of water before a meal can help you to lose 2kg more weight. Another study shows that drinking 500ml of cold water can help you burn 100 more calories within 40 minutes. It is also proven that cold water increased 25% of our resting energy expenditure.[35][36]
- Water helps to consume more calories – Drinking water before a meal can help to lose 2kg weight over 12 months [37][38][39][40][41]. Drinking water before also reduces calorie intake by 13% in older adults [39][40][41]. A study shows that people who consume mostly water take 200 fewer calories.
- It is necessary to burn fat – it is essential to metabolize fat. During metabolization of fat most important phase comes in called hydrolysis, in which lipid triglycerides interact with water and create fatty acids.[43] [44]
How much water should drink for weight loss?
According to The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine people should take 2.7 liters of fluid for women and men should take 3.7-liter fluid (water and beverage).
For weight loss, it is recommended, always drink 500ml water every meal.
The IOM also recommends that adult people should drink 2.7-3.7 liters of fluid a day. Generally, we get about 80% of the total fluid by just drinking water, which makes 2-3 liters of water a day.
What is the best time to drink water for weight loss?
There is no special time to drink water. You should drink water whenever you like. But for weight loss, drinking water in a specific time slot can be more beneficial. If you aren’t drinking water on the right timing it won’t be effective as much.
- Drink 500 ml water 30 min before every meal – Drinking water half an hour before every meal help to consume fewer calories and prevent you from overeating. A study found that just drinking 500 ml of water before a meal can help to lose 2kg more weight.
- When you feel hungry, first drink water – According to medium.com “Thirst occurs when our body needs water and we aren’t drinking enough water. Our body receives mixed signals of hunger. Dehydration causes us to believe, we need to eat when we really need liquid”
- Drink water when you get up – Drinking water in the morning helps to boost metabolism and turn your body on.
- Drink water when you feel thirsty – water is essential to perform basic functions in your body. So, drink water immediately when you start feeling thirsty.
How to get more water?
There are several ways and forms to get more water inside your body. But you should try this at least.
- Drink cold water – Cold water increases about 25% of resting energy expenditures [45][46]. Our body needs to burn more calories in order to water to body temperature.
- Replace sugary drinks with water – In a study on 1108 adults aged between 21 and 59 years shows that higher plain water consumption was associated with lower calorie beverage consumption. [47][48][49]
- Drink enough water – Remember for weight loss and for your healthy drink plenty of water and keep your body adequately hydrated. Remember 8 x 8 rules mean eight 8-ounce glasses of water.
Drinking Water A Weight Loss Guide – How water help to lose weight?
Bonus tip for you
Just remember weight loss depend on negative energy balance. You need to burn more calories than you take. [4]
You can do that either by taking fewer calories or burning more calories. You need to create a negative energy balance or caloric deficit.
Everyone wants to lose weight, but you should keep in mind that you should try to lose weight healthily and naturally. It will take time, but keep patience and take a healthy lifestyle.
Although the best technique to lose weight is through a healthy diet, but you should mix it with exercising.
Diet and exercise is the healthiest way to lose weight for the long term. It is also beneficial to heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other deadly diseases.
You can also try to lose weight by following other diets such as the keto diet, intermittent diet, etc.
Eat healthily and exercise daily melts fat like snow.
Bottom line
Negative energy balance is the only way to lose weight. Losing weight is independent of the method you are following. You need to create a calorie deficit, it doesn’t matter what method you follow.
Diet is the most effective way to lose weight.
Exercise is not that much effective to lose weight as a diet can. You need to just make 3 dietary changes and you will lose weight automatically, fast and naturally.
If you combine this method with exercise you can lose weight very extremely fast, healthy and sustainable way. It would also beneficial for your general health.
References
- NCBI “The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review” “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15466943/”
- NCBI “Normal protein intake is required for body weight loss and weight maintenance, and elevated protein intake for additional preservation of resting energy expenditure and fat-free mass.” “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23446962”
- Health.gov “Daily Nutritional Goals for Age-Sex Groups Based on Dietary Reference Intakes and Dietary Guidelines RecommendationsCopy link” “https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-7/”
- NCBI “Dietary protein intake and human health.” “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26797090”
- NCBI “Substituting whole grains for refined grains in a 6-wk randomized trial favorably affects energy-balance metrics in healthy men and postmenopausal women.” “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28179223”
- Health.gov “DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS 2015-2020 ” “https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources/2015-2020_Dietary_Guidelines.pdf”
- Heart.org “Whole Grains, Refined Grains, and Dietary Fiber” “https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/whole-grains-refined-grains-and-dietary-fiber#.WVVm4RMrIdU”
- MERCK Manual “About Body Water” “https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/water-balance/about-body-water”
- NCBI “Water consumption increases weight loss during a hypocaloric diet intervention in middle-aged and older adults.” “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19661958”
- NCBI “Water-induced thermogenesis.” “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14671205”
- NCBI “Plain water consumption is associated with lower intake of caloric beverage: a cross-sectional study in Mexican adults with low socioeconomic status.” “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25928232”
- NCBI “Why do individuals not lose more weight from an exercise intervention at a defined dose? An energy balance analysis.” “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22681398/”
- NCBI “Isolated aerobic exercise and weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21787904/”
- NCBI “Weight loss, exercise, or both and physical function in obese older adults.” “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21449785/”
- NCBI “Fat loss depends on energy deficit only, independently of the method for weight loss.” “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18025815/”