It's no secret that diet and exercise are the key components to lose weight.
But life gets busy.
School, exams, relationships and family are among the short list of things that absorb our attention and the better part of our days.
If you're like me, the thought of cutting carbs for a month won't work.
And if you try and steal my sugar-induced latte...
then beware the back of my hand.
The good news is that there are ways that busy people can lose weight without an unrealistically strict diet or intense cardio program. And in this article, I want to show you some proven, and less time-consuming ways to reach our weight loss goals.
1. Fix your posture
If your posture resembles Quasimodo's, you’ve got some work to do. Research shows that good posture leads to better physical and emotional health.
The way it works is hormonal.
Good posture can increase the confidence hormone, testosterone, and reduce the stress hormone, cortisol.
Most importantly, standing tall and sitting straight helps to naturally work out your core all day. A strong core facilitates better blood circulation and deeper breathing, producing more muscle and burning more fat.
To maintain good posture throughout the day, apply these simple tricks:
- Roll your shoulders back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Pretend there is a piece of string pulling your two shoulder blades closer together.
- Imagine you are holding a tennis ball under your chin
- When sitting, stop crossing your legs and keep both feet planted on the ground
2. Kick the cravings with essential oils.
Essential oils are concentrated plant oils that are extremely potent. Some of us look to oils to make our homes smell wonderful.
But others believe that there are therapeutic benefits that may help with everything from sleep and as scary as cancer.
An article on using essential oils for weight loss investigated multiple clinical studies. To summarize these studies, there were a few oils in particular that helped people lose weight.
One study tested the effects of lavender oil on 30 overweight subjects.
The results showed that the group using a lavender inhaler before meals lost an average of 5.3 pounds without altering their eating habits.
In another study, researchers studied if fennel essential oil could help reduce carb cravings.
Subjects were instructed to apply a 3% fennel oil dilution to their wrists, three times a day. The control group did not.
From the group that used fennel, the average person lost 3.5 pounds without changing their diet or adding exercise to their daily regimen.
It is important to note that essential oils are not a magical thing that will make you lose weight overnight. However, these studies suggest that they may help reduce cravings and curb the temptation of overeating.
3. Don't go to the grocery store hungry.
Doing your grocery shopping when you're hungry is one of the worst things you can do for your waistline. Nevermind your bank account.
Researchers from Cornell University found that people who went grocery shopping on an empty stomach bought larger amounts of high caloric foods.
When test subjects were given a small, healthy snack prior to shopping, they were more likely to leave with healthier groceries in hand.
Grocery shopping when famished is like taking a hyperactive kid to a candy store.
Just don’t do it.
To prevent leaving the grocery store with a cart full of salty and savory treats, make a point of going when you are happily full.
4. Stick around with your family for meals.
The ritual of family mealtime is a long-standing tradition that is worth practicing.
Another study done at Cornell University shows that individuals who engaged in the ritual of family mealtimes were 35% less likely to engage in disordered eating. They were also 24% more likely to eat healthier foods and 12% less likely to be overweight.
Who would have thought that the setting in which you eat your meals can affect your eating habits so drastically?
But it makes sense.
When you’re talking and thoughtfully eating your meal with loved ones, you are more likely to eat a reasonable amount than if you stuffing down a Big Mac before your exam begins.
Setting regular meal times also keeps you from getting into the horrible cycle of starving yourself and then binge eating. When you skip meals, your body automatically lowers its metabolic rate to conserve energy, diminishing your ability to burn fat effectively.
By sitting down to share a quality meal with your family, you are building healthier emotional and physical habits into your weekly routine.
5. Practice the art of eating slowly.
We live in a fast food nation that celebrates quick meals. If mealtime can be done within 15 minutes or less, it’s seen as a success.
The art of slowly eating your meals is one we have almost completely lost in the Western hemisphere.
Think about it.
Most of us only get 30-minute lunch breaks at work or we grab an unhealthy snack on the way to our next class.
Eating slowly may not be a luxury many of us can afford, but it is of utmost importance when it comes to healthy living.
The National Institutes of Health tells us that taking smaller bites and chewing your food longer can result in less food being consumed at each meal. Chewing more also helps you absorb more protein from food.
Zen Buddhist monks have long practiced this art of “mindful eating” by chewing their food no less than 30 times. They believed this aided in better digestion and circulation of bodily functions.
Eating slowly is an easy way to change your daily eating habits and shed some pounds. Old habits die hard, but practice makes perfect.
6. Avoid the food coma.
The Guardian published an article stating that "America is addicted to overeating." As infuriating as the title is, the points they make are true.
The quantity we eat is usually ruled by our tongues rather than our tummies.
We end our meals with one too many helpings of dessert and then take a nap after. It doesn’t help that portions at restaurants are 3 times the size of what’s required.
The first step in curbing down your portions is to know how much you should be eating in terms of caloric intake.
According to the Office of Disease Prevention, the daily intake for adult women should be 1,600 to 2,400 calories and 2,000 to 3,000 calories for men.
Keeping a tab on how much you eat at each meal is the most important step towards losing weight.
There are a lot of apps out there now like MyFitnessPal and Lose It.
7. Cut out processed sugars.
It’s not just about how much you eat, but what you eat. A well balanced diet comprised of quality foods is the best thing you can do for your body.
When deciding what to eat and what to avoid, the reality is that added sugars should always be avoided.
Sugar has been compared to the likes of cocaine.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends no more than 5% of daily energy from processed sugars. More simply put, average women should consume no more than 25 grams of sugar per day.
To put this in perspective, that is about 5 cubes of sugar. And you can forget about soda.
A single can of coke contains 32 grams of sugar.
Sugar from processed food leads to a greater chance of obesity, tooth decay, and can cause your skin to age and wrinkle faster.
The good news is that there is a healthier kind of sugar you can reach for the next time the sweet tooth strikes hard.
When you get a sugar craving, eat fresh fruits, nuts, and anything with loads of fiber. These foods will help delay sugar absorption and control blood sugar levels.
Conclusion
Losing weight isn't easy. But it doesn't have to be excruciatingly painful either.
Stick to these easy tips and work on changing some crucial daily habits to be a healthier, happier you.
One thing all of these tips have in common is to simply slow down. When you are busy, it's easy to become unaware of your body and mindful of your habits.
Make intentional time for yourself and remember that health is something you can't buy. And life is something you can't do over.