Weight loss can be an uphill task. It takes more than green tea or pills, or supplements. Often people think that to lose weight, all you need to do is diet and exercise. But there are many factors that go into weight management. Losing weight requires making long-term lifestyle changes. Making a few changes to your daily routine may have a considerable impact on weight loss. Weight loss is a personal journey so whatever methods you choose ensure that you are comfortable and that they work for you. So. which are the best weight loss tips for women? We explore the 24 top weight loss tips for women.
24 Top Weight Loss Tips
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Take A Healthy Breakfast
This is one of the best weight loss tips for women over 40. Eating a healthy breakfast goes a long way in helping achieve your weight loss goals. It helps keep you full till your next meal reducing the need to overeat during lunch or grab an unhealthy snack.
Taking a high protein breakfast has been found to decrease the levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin. It also slowed gastric emptying, leaving you feeling fuller for longer (2). You can take eggs, greek yogurt, nut butter with whole-grain bread, or a smoked salmon sandwich for breakfast.
Read More: Healthy Breakfast For Athletes That’ll Gear You Up For A Hectic Day
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Drink A Lot More Water
Hydrating is a simple and effective way to promote weight loss. Water is also an appetite suppressant. Drinking a glass of water before a meal can help take up space in the stomach resulting in fullness.
Sometimes, you may feel hungry when you are, in fact, thirsty, especially in the morning. So start your day with two glasses of water. This will help you stay hydrated, keep you from misinterpreting thirst for hunger and unnecessary snacking (1).
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Set Small Attainable Goals
This might sound basic, but it goes a long way in promoting weight loss by keeping you motivated. Goals help you stay focused and quickly form new healthy habits such as establishing eating and workout routines.
Instead of saying I want to cut 5 kgs in a month, say that I want to have dessert only two times a week or drink 2 liters of water a day or go to the gym twice a week. It is less stressful, your success is more in your control, and in the long run, you will develop a new lifestyle and lose weight.
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Cut Down On Processed Foods
Eating highly processed foods is associated with excess weight, especially among females (8). Processed foods such as processed meats, soft drinks, and packaged snacks are very high in added sugars, refined carbs, and trans fats. They are also low in essential nutrients like fiber, protein, and unsaturated fats.
To cut weight, limit the intake of ultra-processed foods. Instead, eat more healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods. Also include lean protein, fish, legumes, and nuts.
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Establish A Regular Sleep Schedule
Sleep is vital to your overall health. Studies show that getting enough sleep might be as crucial as diet and exercise are to losing weight.
For the brain, sleep is like nutrition. Getting inadequate sleep may be associated with metabolic dysregulation that contributes to weight gain by altering the time of meal intake, impairing glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity (5).
Sleep affects hormones that regulate the feeling of hunger and satiety. In individuals who are sleep deprived, ghrelin levels were elevated and leptin levels reduced. The dysregulation of ghrelin and leptin may result in increased appetite and a reduced feeling of satiety (7). In other words, you’ll be more hungry which could lead you to overeat. So, ensure you sleep at least 7 hours every night.
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Eat More Fiber
Filling up on fiber is a great way to slow digestion and stay full for longer. If you eat more fiber-rich foods, you will end up eating fewer unhealthy foods. A high fiber diet also promotes weight loss as it is low on calories and nutrient-dense. Choose fiber-rich foods like fruits, legumes, veggies, whole grains, seeds, and nuts.
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Keep A Food Journal
Using a food journal to track what you eat is an easy way to keep yourself accountable and make healthier choices. Basically, a food journal is a record of the meals, beverages, and all other meal intakes. You can keep it as simple or as detailed you would like it to be.
A food journal is a great way to keep track of your calorie count. It also helps you keep track of your goals and help you stick to them. As adopting new eating habits can be a challenge, food journals can serve as good reminders.
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Avoid Stress
Stress also plays a key role when it comes to weight loss. Over time, high-stress levels, depression, and anxiety result in weight gain. If your stress levels are high, your body produces cortisol, the primary stress hormone. This makes it difficult for the body to burn fat.
Stress may also contribute to overeating. Stress eating is very common, and yes, it is a real thing. When stressed, some people tend to overeat as they find comfort in doing so.
So, it is crucial to relax after a long busy day. Take time to meditate, listen to music, take a walk, dance or just sit in a quiet place. But make sure you take some time off to unwind, regardless of whatever you choose to do.
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Eat More Protein
A high protein diet is vital for cutting weight. It is, in fact, one of the best weight loss tips for women over 50. Eating a diet rich in protein aids in weight loss as it helps increase the feeling of fullness and avoid overeating.
When combined with exercise, a diet rich in protein can also help build lean muscle mass. Lean muscle helps burn more calories in the long term resulting in weight loss. Add proteins like eggs, beef, legumes, fish, and dairy.
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Do Resistance Training Exercises
Resistance training, which is also referred to as weight lifting, is well-practiced for building muscular strength. It is done using body weights, dumbbells, free weights, resistance bands, or machines. It helps build strength and so improves muscle size that helps counter age-related muscle loss.
Resistance training helps with excess fat loss by increasing both after-burn after exercise and increasing muscle size, increasing the number of calories you burn at rest. Combining it with a healthy diet will further increase excess body fat loss and provide other positive health benefits.
Read More: Resistance Training For Weight Loss: How To Boost Your Weight Loss Goals Through Strength Training
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Do More Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise, also known as aerobic exercise, uses large muscle groups, involves controlled breathing, increases heart rate, and keeps the heart in an aerobic zone for a set amount of time. Walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, and fitness classes are some of the common aerobic exercises. Cardio burns calories and helps in weight loss.
To increase the rate of weight loss, one needs to combine cardio with at least two to three days a week of strength training workouts. Factors like current weight, diet, daily activity level, and age determine the amount of cardio you need to lose weight.
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Eat Fats
Your body needs fats also to function properly. Dietary fats provide energy, regulate hunger hormones, and help in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. So, even when you are trying to cut weight, eating fats is essential. Healthy sources of fats include avocado and olive oils, as well as seeds, nuts, and oily fish.
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Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is based on a practice of Buddhism – mindfulness which means focusing on the present while acknowledging your feelings and sensations. Mindful eating is an approach that requires an individual to entirely focus on food while eating. It encourages an individual to gain full awareness of their eating experiences.
Basically, it involves eating without distraction, slowly while paying attention to how the food tastes, smells and looks. This practice promotes healthy eating habits as you get to make eating an intentional act instead of an automatic one. In the long-term, it may promote weight loss.
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Try High-Intensity Interval Training
High-intensity Interval Training involves exerting your body for a while then taking short breaks. HIITs are usually short and very effective for weight loss. HIITS help burn up extra calories, increase metabolism, strengthen the heart, and significantly improve muscle strength.
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Chew Slowly
Putting in a conscious effort to chew your food more slowly can help increase weight loss. Slow eating has been shown to reduce energy intake during meals. According to a small study, caloric intake was higher with chewing 15 times per bite than with 50 times per bite (4). So take time to appreciate the food you eat, chew slower, and do not hurry through meals.
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Find Exciting Ways To Cure Boredom
Many of us often resort to snacking when boredom hits. You might find yourself in the kitchen looking for something to eat. So keeping your mind engaged is a great way to avoid random snacking throughout the day. Unhealthy snacks contain a lot of extra calories, which are unhelpful for weight loss.
Try out simple, fun activities like gardening, crocheting, knitting, cleaning your room, or reading a book. Resist the urge to reach out for a candy bar or a bag of chips. Make the smarter choice and fill up your extra time doing something fun.
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Walk More
Walking is an excellent form of a low-intensity workout. It is one of the best weight loss tips for women over 30. In the case you have a busy day at work and cannot do a full workout, walking is a great alternative. It is a simple way to remain active and burn a few extra calories.
Instead of using the elevator, take the stairs, walk to the grocery store instead of driving there or take a short evening walk. The best part is that you can listen to music, an audiobook, or your favorite podcast while you walk.
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Eat Your Calories
It is a fact that weight gain is a result of the consumption of extra calories. So when it comes to weight loss, many women tend to go too low on calorie intake. It is important to note that calories are essential for the proper functioning of the body. It is only when you consume more calories than the body needs does it become detrimental.
On average, women need about 2,200 kcal per day. When you do not take enough calories, your body thinks you are starving and slows down metabolism. Consequently, energy expenditure is reduced, and this negatively affects weight loss. To counter this, avoid reducing your calorie intake too much and focus on nourishing your body with the calories you take in. You can include nutrient-dense high-calorie foods such as nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil.
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Avoid Foods And Drink With Added Sugar
Added sugars are any sweeteners added to food or drinks during preparation or processing. They contain extra calories but lack essential macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Added sugars increase the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes type II, and weight gain (3).
Sodas, energy drinks, candy, and desserts are the most common sources of added sugars. And given that foods with added sugars are sweet, they are very tempting and easy to overeat. To promote weight loss and your overall health, cut back on added sugars.
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Practice Yoga
Practicing yoga promotes physical, spiritual, and mental development to bring out a better version of yourself. Active forms of yoga may be a great tool to help you cut weight. These intense types of yoga like power yoga, hot yoga, and ashtanga may help you burn more calories as they involve a series of fast-paced poses.
Practicing yoga is one of the most flexible weight loss tips for women at home. Yoga may also help increase metabolism and increase muscle tone. Yoga also helps reduce stress levels, therefore, reducing stress eating. With weight loss being your primary goal, it is best to combine it with other forms of exercise like walking or jogging.
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Swim More Often
Swimming is a great way to burn calories and tone muscle while having fun. It is beneficial for women of all ages. Even in older women, it is an excellent tool as the limited wear reduces injuries.
With low or moderate laps, you burn about 423 calories per hour. It is also a full-body workout. So, call your girls, pack that colorful bikini you love, and go for a swim.
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Snack Smarter
Choosing healthy snacks that are low in calories is a great way to promote weight loss and reduce hunger levels between meals. Choose snacks that keep you full for longer and reduce cravings. Avoid sugary or salty snacks as they tend to make you hungry (6).
Nutritious snacks you can try include whole grains, celery sticks, apple slices, and nuts like almonds, cashew nuts, peanuts, and hazelnuts. It is also a good idea to pack your snacks to keep the temptation of getting a chocolate bar or candy from the vending machine.
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Try Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating that involves alternating between periods of fasting and non-fasting. The method is not specific to which kinds of foods you should eat but rather when you should eat. Evidence is still limited, but it may aid in weight loss and promote overall health.
Fasting periods usually last for about 14 to 24 hours and can be done about twice a week. Like many other weight loss methods, IF helps burn calories and has an impact on metabolism.
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Be Kind To Yourself
Do not be too hard on yourself. You cannot lose weight in a single day, no matter how intense your weight loss plan is. Weight loss is a process achieved through gradual lifestyle changes. It will take some time to shed that extra fat and reach your desired weight.
So, be kind to yourself and practice patience because it pays. Also, remember that losing weight is also meant to promote your overall health. Stressing is also not very good for weight loss. So keep calm, relax and trust the process.
Conclusion
Unlike popular belief, there are many ways to cut weight. So take time to plan your weight loss program. Tailor it to suit your specific needs and goals. You can always seek help from a health care expert or nutritionist. Do not be too harsh on yourself, and remember that weight loss is a journey.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- Can water help you lose weight? – (2003, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Effect of a high-protein breakfast on the postprandial ghrelin response (2006, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Get the Facts: Added Sugars and Consumption (2021, cdc.gov)
- Increased chewing reduces energy intake, but not postprandial glucose and insulin, in healthy weight and overweight young adults (2019, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Metabolic consequences of sleep and circadian disorders (2014, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Mission control: Salty diet makes you hungry, not thirsty – (2017, sciencedaily.com)
- Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index – (2004, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Ultra-processed food consumption and excess weight among US adults (2018, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
