Researchers claim that the average person gains between one and two pounds every year, but it seems that consuming just 100 calories less each day could be enough to avoid that fated weight gain. If you’re finding that you’ve already gained the weight and want to lose it, then you will need to cut your calorie intake down by 500 every day. However, you don’t need to take them all of your plate – you could cut 250 from your diet and then burn 250 calories by walking 30 to 45 minutes each day. If you were to do this each day you would be able to produce a pound of weight loss. This may not seem like a dramatic weight loss, but small changes in your lifestyle such as this will be the key components of a healthy and effective weight loss regime. Your diet and level of exercise count, obviously, but you may not be aware of how hormones impact your weight loss too.
Your diet should be the first change, as this is where most people fall short in weight loss programmes. There are many changes you can make so that you don’t feel like you’re on a diet though. For example, you could start with your salad in your evening meal so that you stock up less on the carbs and fatty aspects of your meal. Research has shown that women ate 10 percent fewer calories throughout the course of the day when their salads were topped with low fat mozzarella and Italian dressing, instead of high fat salad toppers. And if you would rather keep your salad on the side, dip your fork into it before picking up your greens – this is a simple trick but could save you hundreds of calories each time. Surprisingly, you could actually save calories by visiting the vending machine. Opting for a single serving of crisps or chocolate will save you calories compared to the amount you may eat after digging into a mega-sized bag or bar. Your snacking doesn’t have to rely on the vending machine through – try a handful of nuts, which researchers claim could help people keep weight off better than any other food.
Getting yourself moving more will help you to burn off those extra calories that you’ve stacked up during the day. There are easy ways to slip a little extra movement into your day – when your mobile goes off, for example, get up and move around rather than sitting still during the conversation. If you were to do this for 10 minutes every day, at an average of 3mph, you could burn an additional 1000 calories every month – that’s three pounds a year! You could also get off the bus a few stops early and walk the remainder of your journey, or park a little further away for the same results. The average person burns around 100 calories an hour from sitting down and 140 each hour standing up, so get on your feet for around 2 hours a day to drop an extra six pounds every year. If you want to help your body in its bid to lose weight, get some shut-eye. Studies show that a lack of sleep can increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol, which helps us regulate our appetite. If you get more sleep, your hunger pangs will be regulated and you’ll be less likely to store fat as a result of overeating. The same can be said of staying calm – stress will lead to overeating and the storage of fat, so take time to rest and relax for a healthier body and mind.