Weight loss & hormones!

If you’re trying to figure out the best and easiest methods for losing weight, have a read of this… Eatthis.com chatted with a group of dietitians to get their input on how to lose weight, so you can spend less time researching, and more time burning fat.

Bring these tips into your new year to help you build confidence while you lose weight.

Your Most Effective weight loss tips for 2022!

(Reference eatthis.com. S Boesch)

Get enough sleep!

It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for you. First it helps cut sugar cravings AND balance your hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. Plus, it helps your energy levels, so you feel motivated to exercise.

Eat protein with every meal

Pay special attention to adding protein to your breakfast.  This will keep you satisfied for longer, making it easier to resist high calorie, high fat foods until your next meals.

Quit the all or nothing attitude toward healthy eating

You may find you restrict your eating during the week and relax on the weekend. Then start again on Monday. To lose weight, a calorie deficit is needed. Your resting energy expenditure, or the number of calories you burn during rest, declines during and after menopause. Although it may be tempting to try a very low-calorie diet to lose weight quickly, eating so few calories can sometimes make weight loss harder.  Research shows that restricting calories to low levels causes loss of muscle mass and a decline in your metabolic rate. So, while very low-calorie diets may result in short-term weight loss, their effects on muscle mass and metabolic rate will make it hard to keep the weight off.  Moreover, insufficient calorie intake and decreased muscle mass may lead to bone loss. This can increase your risk for osteoporosis. Choosing a healthy lifestyle that can be maintained long term can help preserve your metabolic rate and reduce the amount of muscle mass you lose with age.

Plan your snacks and sweets

Have healthier alternatives available to you as snacks. There are going to be days when you want a little snack or a sweet and having good alternatives can help you eat what you want while continuing to lose weight.

Consider calorie quality

Have at least 20 grams of protein from foods such as dairy, eggs, tofu, seafood and lean meat at every meal and 10 grams at snack time.  Protein keeps you fuller for longer and helps you control hunger. Also, your body uses more energy to digest protein.

Support a healthy gut microbiome NB!

The gut is often referred to as your second brain. What you feed it affects so many other processes throughout your body. To support a healthy microbiome, the good bacteria in your gut need to be nourished and encouraged to grow into a diverse microbial community. You can consume a nutrient dense diet by: (1) filling at least half your plate with vegetables at most meals. (2) Include probiotic foods (like sauerkraut & pickled cucumber) It’s important you include probiotic containing foods as part of your regular diet.  It’s also important you consume prebiotic foods to feed the estimated 100 trillion bacteria living in your stomach, small intestine and large intestine (foods like apple, asparagus, oats, onion, flaxseed, garlic to name just a few)

Focus on fibre

Aim for 25 to 30 grams of fibre daily from foods such as beans and lentils, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.  In addition to keeping full, fibre feeds the healthy bacteria in the gut that helps you regulate your blood glucose levels. Your blood glucose levels are associated with hunger.

Eat most of your calories in the morning and afternoon.

Your body is better at processing food earlier in the day. Eating at night can make it harder to control your weight because insulin, the hormone that moves glucose produced by digestion into your cells, doesn’t function as well.

Skimping on food during the day may cause you to overeat at night making weight control even harder. Limiting food at night gives you an extra edge on losing weight.

Keep an eating journal

There are several reasons why keeping a food journal is an effective weight loss tip for 2022. It allows you to stay aware of what you’re eating and how it makes you feel physically and emotionally.  It also keeps you accountable, since many of us tend to forget what we eat during the day, or we overestimate how much we’ve eaten.  Junk food is easy to overeat because it tastes so good, so keep track of your meals to make sure they’re healthy ones.

Be kind to yourself and take care.

Youfemism, for a healthier you!