Approximately 40% of adults and 19% of youth living in America is obese – and these numbers continue to rise every year. To address this growing epidemic more and more people search for ways to control their weight. Unfortunately, most of these weight loss shortcuts fail to be sustainable.
While diet and gut health can be supported with a high-quality probiotic supplement, you'll need to work on other areas of your wellness to achieve ultimate fitness. Here are 8 fitness tips to get you started.
Keep an eye on your sugar intake
Foods that have a high concentration of sugar may be tasty, but they are not healthy at all. Eating foods loaded with sugar has been linked to several health problems such as an increased risk of heart disease. The problem with sugary foods is that they are high in calories, however, they do not satisfy your stomach so you feel hungry again in no time at all. Instead of choosing processed sugary foods, include fresh fruits in your diet. Use unsweetened flavors to make your smoothie, or snack on watermelon when you feel a cookie-craving coming on.
Include iron-rich foods in your diet
Iron is an important mineral for your overall body health. Having a deficiency of iron can cause anemia. This mineral aids your blood vessels in their charge of ensuring that enough oxygen is supplied to each of your cells. When cells do not get adequate amounts of oxygen, they cannot break down food optimally and this leads to a slower metabolic rate. Include iron-rich foods like chicken, spinach, lean red meats, and fortified cereals to keep your blood iron levels balanced.
Avoid skipping breakfast
If you're trying to lose weight fast, skipping breakfast is a very counterproductive idea as you would only end up snacking more during the day. Researchers at the University of Alabama in Birmingham state that a person’s metabolic rate, and blood sugar control are better in the morning than in the evening or at night, making more sense to eat more food earlier in the day. Skipping breakfast regularly has also been linked to the hardening of arterial walls. A study conducted in the US found that only 10.9% of the obese population had breakfast frequently, while 26.7% of the people who skipped breakfast were obese.
Drink more water
If your goal is to lose weight fast, it is important to keep yourself hydrated. Sometimes people end up eating more than necessary because they get confused between feelings of hunger and thirst. Drinking lots of water every day ensures that you steer clear of this confusion. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that drinking 500ml of water increases the rate of metabolism by 30% both in women and men.
Exercise at least a few times a week
One of the sure-shot ways of maintaining a healthy weight is doing physical activity and exercise. Studies have found that physical activity combined with a restricted diet is most effective when you want to lose weight. Weight training or pumping iron is widely regarded as the best way to lose weight fast. This type of exercise increases the resting metabolic rate so the number of calories that are burned while resting increases. This rate continues to stay high for a couple of hours after weight training. Lunges, squats, planks, pull-ups, and push-ups are some of the exercises that you should be doing.
Get your beauty sleep
Research conducted at the University of Chicago has linked partial sleep deprivation to changes in hormones that regulate hunger, thereby, increasing your appetite and cravings for high-carb foods. Other epidemiological and lab studies have found a link between increased risk of obesity, and poor quality of sleep as well as short duration of sleep. These studies show that sleep plays an important role in the weight loss process. To appropriately follow the aspects of this process ensure that you get at least 7-8 hours of rest every night.
Eat small meals and frequent meals
Many people tend to stick to three big meals a day. However, research indicates that it would be much healthier for your body to have smaller meals spread throughout the day. This way you do not overeat in one sitting and your blood sugar levels remain balanced. This also tricks your metabolic system into working double-time as it creates the illusion that you are continuously eating. Do not leave huge gaps between meals – snack on something nutritious every four hours or so.
Take daily probiotic supplements
Research suggests that probiotics help in maintaining gut flora balance. This leads to quick and effortless weight loss. Some strains of probiotic bacteria from the Lactobacillus family are known to specifically reduce dreaded belly fat. It is important to choose the right strains of probiotics to supplement your diet. Guarded by trademark Bio-tract technology, LoveBug Probiotics are 15 times more effective than other competing options. This technology ensures that good bacteria is introduced to your gut gradually over a period of 8-10 hours. Helping to give you the maximum gain of probiotic benefits throughout the day.
Get Started
Our fitness and health tips are designed to give you sustainable weight loss efforts that are not drastic nor unhealthy. The most effective tricks to lose weight quickly and efficiently are actually the simplest ones: eat the right food items, drink lots of water, add some exercise to your day, and rely on probiotics to get your internal gut flora working in order.
References
Beccuti, G., & Pannain, S. (2011). Sleep and obesity. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 14(4), 402–412. http://doi.org/10.1097/MCO.0b013e3283479109
Michael Boschmann, Jochen Steiniger, Uta Hille, Jens Tank, Frauke Adams, Arya M. Sharma, Susanne Klaus, Friedrich C. Luft, Jens Jordan; Water-Induced Thermogenesis, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 88, Issue 12, 1 December 2003, Pages 6015–6019, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2003-030780
Swift, D. L., Johannsen, N. M., Lavie, C. J., Earnest, C. P., & Church, T. S. (2014). The Role of Exercise and Physical Activity in Weight Loss and Maintenance. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 56(4), 441–447. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2013.09.012
University Of Chicago Medical Center. (2004, December 7). Sleep Loss Boosts Appetite, May Encourage Weight Gain. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 17, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041206210355.htm
Uzhova I, Fuster V, Fernández-Ortiz A, et al. The Importance of Breakfast in Atherosclerosis Disease – Insights From the PESA Study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Published online October 2 2017