Many people are trying to lose weight by doing all sorts of crazy things—even those that have no evidence behind them.
Thanks to the scientists who have found several strategies that seem to work for weight loss. Here are 26 science-backed weight loss tips for you to try.
1. Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking plenty of water has been said to help with weight loss.
In fact, drinking a half-liter of water about 30 minutes before meals has been shown in one study to help dieters eat fewer calories and drop 44% more weight.
2. Drink Black Coffee
Loaded with antioxidants, coffee can have numerous health benefits to offer
The caffeine in coffee has been shown in studies to increase fat burning by up to 10–29% and boost metabolism by 3–11%.
Just make sure not to add any high-calorie ingredients, like creamer or sugar, to your coffee, as they can completely negate its benefits.
Coffee is available online or at your local grocery store.
3. Drink Green Tea
Like coffee, green tea may also promote weight loss.
Although it holds small amounts of caffeine, it is packed with catechins—powerful antioxidants believed to work synergistically with caffeine to improve fat burning.
Although evidence is mixed, green tea has been shown in several studies to promote weight loss, either as a green tea extract supplement or as a beverage.
Green tea is available for purchase at most grocery stores, health stores, pharmacies, and online.
4. Eat Eggs for Breakfast
Eating whole eggs for breakfast can also provide all sorts of benefits, including weight loss.
In fact, replacing a grain-based breakfast with eggs has been found in several studies to help you eat fewer calories for the next 36 hours as well as lose more body fat and body weight.
If you don’t have eggs in your pantry, you can have any source of quality protein.
5. Try Intermittent Fasting
A popular eating pattern, intermittent fasting involves a cycle between fasting and eating periods.
It has been suggested in short-term studies to be as effective for weight loss as continuous calorie restriction.
Moreover, this eating pattern may also reduce muscle loss typically associated with low-calorie diets.
Higher-quality studies are however necessary before making any stronger claims.
6. Say No to Added Sugar
Most people consume added sugar way too much. This ingredient is probably the worst in the modern diet.
Sugar consumption has been shown in studies to be strongly associated with an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
If you’re trying to shed pounds, say no to added sugar. Make sure you read food labels before purchasing them.
7. Minimize Refined Carbs
Refined carbohydrates include grains and sugar that have been stripped of all fiber, bran, and nutrients. These include pastries, sweet desserts, white rice, white flour, white bread, and pasta.
Refined carbs have been shown in studies to rapidly cause blood sugar spikes, leading to cravings, hunger, and increased food intake. Thus, refined carb consumption has been strongly linked to obesity.
8. Take a Glucomannan Supplement
Several studies have linked the fiber called glucomannan to weight loss.
Glucomannan absorbs water and stays in your gut for a while, which helps you eat fewer calories by making you feel fuller.
In fact, people who supplement with glucomannan have been shown in some studies to lose more weight than those who don’t.
9. Follow a Low-Carb Diet
Carb restriction has a lot of benefits to offer, including weight loss. If you want to get that benefit, then consider committing to a low-carb diet.
This diet has been shown in numerous studies to help you lose 2–3 times as much weight as a standard low-fat diet.
10. Count Calories or Exercise Portion Control
Counting calories or portion control can be very helpful when it comes to losing weight.
In fact, taking pictures of your meals or keeping a food diary has been shown in some studies to help you lose weight.
Increasing your awareness of what’s on your plate is likely beneficial.
11. Use Smaller Plates
Some people who use smaller plates automatically eat fewer calories. However, this doesn’t seem to affect everyone: overweight individuals seem to be more affected.
12. Keep Healthy Food Within Your Reach
Keeping healthy food within your reach can help prevent you from consuming any unhealthy foods should you feel very hungry.
Simple and easily portable snacks include yogurt, baby carrots, whole fruits, nuts, and hard-boiled eggs.
13. Eat Spicy Foods
Containing capsaicin, chili peppers can boost metabolism and slightly reduce appetite.
Some people may however develop tolerance to the compound’s effects over time, thereby limiting its long-term effectiveness.
14. Take Probiotic Supplements
Probiotic supplements with bacteria of the Lactobacillus subfamily may help reduce fat mass.
However, this isn’t applicable to all Lactobacillus species. In fact, L. acidophilus has been linked to weight gain.
Probiotic supplements are available at many grocery stores, as well as online.
15. Do Aerobic Exercise
Doing aerobic exercise does not only improve your physical and mental health; it is also an excellent way to burn calories.
It seems to be effective at losing belly fat, which is the unhealthy fat that may build up around your organs, causing metabolic disease.
16. Lift Weights
Dieting can cause muscle loss and metabolic slowdown. Doing some sort of resistance exercise like weight lifting is the best way to prevent this.
In fact, weight lifting has been shown in several studies to help prevent you from losing precious muscle mass and keep your metabolism high.
17. Get Good Sleep
Sleep is as important as exercising and eating healthy.
Poor sleep has been shown in several studies to be one of the strongest risk factors for obesity, as it is linked to 55% and 89% increased risk of obesity in adults and children, respectively.
18. Fight Food Addiction
Characterized by the compulsive consumption of palatable foods, food addiction can lead to weight gain.
You know you’re suffering from food addiction when you experience overpowering cravings and can’t seem to control your eating no matter how hard you try.
If that is the case, you may need to seek professional help. It’s impossible to lose weight without combating food addiction.
19. Eat More Fiber
Fiber consumption can help you lose weight.
In fact, it has been shown in some studies to increase satiety and help you manage your weight over the long term; evidence is mixed though.
20. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Certain fruits and vegetables are low in calories but high in fiber. They are not only very nutritious but also effective at losing weight.
In fact, people who eat more fruits and vegetables have been shown in some studies to weigh less.
There are a number of weight-losing vegetables and best fruits for weight loss available.
21. Eat More Protein
Following a protein-rich diet can help you achieve your weight loss goals.
In fact, eating 25% of your daily calories as protein has been shown in one study to reduce obsessive thoughts about food by 60% while also reducing your desire for a late-night snack by 50%.
Thus, one of the easiest and most effective ways to achieve weight loss is adding protein to your diet.
22. Avoid Sugary Drinks
Nothing is worse than sugar in liquid form.
Liquid sugar has been shown in several studies to be the single most fattening aspect of the modern diet.
For example, sugar-sweetened beverages have been shown in one study to be associated with a 60% increased risk of obesity in children.
It is important to note that this applies to fruit juices as well. Eating whole fruit and avoiding fruit juice is therefore a good idea.
23. Supplement with Whey Protein
Supplementing with whey protein can help you get enough protein in your diet.
In fact, replacing some of your calories with whey protein has been shown in one study to cause weight loss of about 8 pounds while boosting muscle mass.
Whey protein can be purchased online and in most health stores.
24. Eat Whole, Single-Ingredient Foods
Eating whole, single-ingredient foods can help you become a leaner and healthier person. Naturally filling, these foods don’t cause you to gain weight.
25. Chew More Slowly
A component of mindful eating, chewing more slowly aims to help you pay attention to each bite and slow down your food intake.
Chewing more slowly has been shown in some studies to help you eat fewer calories and rev the production of hormones responsible for weight loss.
Increased chewing has been shown in studies to reduce calorie intake at a meal.
26. Don’t Diet—Just Eat Healthy
Most diets are unsustainable in the long term. People who diet often experience weight gain over time.
In fact, dieting has been shown in studies to be a consistent predictor of future weight gain.
Instead of dieting, try to become a fitter, healthier, and happier person. Instead of depriving your body, try to focus on nourishing it. That way weight loss will for sure naturally follow.
Conclusion
There are a lot of evidence-based techniques to achieve weight loss.
Some of the tips we provided are mainly focused on dietary, which involves cutting back on added sugar and consuming more protein and fiber.
Others are also lifestyle-based, such as adding a workout routine (e.g., belly fat burning exercises), lifting weights, and improving sleep quality.
If you follow some of these tips, you are likely to achieve your weight loss goals.
