10 Nutrition Habits to Lose Weight Faster

If you have decided to lose weight, there is no need to try exotic diets or stop eating. Don't fall into the trap of common mistakes of people who wish to lose weight. Realize that you want to be slim and healthy forever! Taking even a couple of nutrition habits into your daily life may help you lose weight faster.

In this article, we don't want to speak about willpower and motivation. Essentially, both qualities would be helpful but are not the most important. There are certain reasons that are stopping us from choosing carrots instead of sweets. Mostly, these reasons are connected to our physiology, habits, and daily ration. Our GPA labs team wants to share with you scientifically proven nutrition habits that will help you become healthier and thinner without causing harm to your body.

1. Drink water.
   It's scientifically proven that increased hydration can cause weight loss. When your body receives a normal quantity of water it increases calorie burning and lowers your appetite.

   Replace most of your drinks with clean water or add one cup of water to any drink you have. Also, you can stick to the standard recommendation to drink eight glasses of water per day.

2. Eat less sugar.
   Research has shown that sugar can trigger the same type of addiction (or even worse!) as cocaine. Now, it's no surprise why you can't live without sweets! Have you ever experienced a burning desire to eat candy? It's one of the signs of physiological dependence. You can start to reduce sugars gradually, starting from what's least important to you (e.g. stop adding sugar to your tea/coffee).

   Some nutritionists recommend their clients to reduce sugar consumption during the span of one or two months. It is believed that all people who frequently eat sugar-sweetened products become dependent. Even one week without sweets, pastry, honey, and even fruits can change your tastes and basic ideas about common products. When we don't eat sweets, our tastes change and begin to perceive things differently.

3. Include vegetables and high-fiber products in the daily ration.
   According to research, there is a connection between our health, tastes, and gut microbiota. In simple words, a large number of microbiota live in your gut, consume what you eat, and produce waste. This waste contains chemical compounds that influence mood, behaviour, the work of other organs, and even taste. To feed the right bacteria, you need to eat more vegetables and high-fiber products, and the new balance in your gut will change your tastes according to healthy food.

   It may be hard to change your preferences. We recommend adding at least one vegetable for each meal, no matter whether it's a salad or just a tomato. Also, you can include probiotics as an additional food supplement, but you need to consult a doctor.

4. Change nutrition routines.
   Have you a habit to eat some sweets after lunch? Or do you buy a Cinnabon for your morning coffee? Analyze your actions connected to your daily nutrition and point out your behaviours connected to food. Routines are an essential part of everyday life, as it gives us an illusion about consistency in life and saves energy that you would spend on making decisions. Some routines can be a great help, while others can be held against us.

   Start reducing your bad habits with small steps. Replace Cinnabon with a handful of nuts twice a week. Push the boundaries of your everyday habits with something pleasant: a walk with a friend, new clothes, etc. Also, try to incorporate new habits like drinking a cup of water or a smoothie in the morning.

5. Add whole grains.
   Whole wheat, whole oats, brown rice, freekeh, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, quinoa, corn, and other whole grains may dramatically change the quality of your meals. They're a great source of slow-releasing carbs that will give you more energy than processed foods.

   According to Lancet, a low intake of whole grains is one of the leading dietary risk factors for deaths globally. You can make it a habit to eat porridge as your breakfast, changing the type or recipe every day. Or, add cereals to your lunch or to your salads.

6. Forget about starving.
   It may sound weird, but if you want to lose weight, you need to eat. Your body turns on the instinct of self-preservation when you feel a strong sense of hunger. The body is wise and will start making reserves to survive because of fat-free mass. It doesn't mean that you should always be fully stuffed with food, but you shouldn't starve yourself. If you have starved for some time, but the weight is still the same, it's no surprise. Just keep a healthy snack with you.

   Also, you can try intermittent fasting, where you don't eat for a certain period of the day. You can choose any comfortable interval and safely lose weight. For example, you can try the 16/8 interval, which means that you can eat from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (adjusting the window to suit your schedule), and “fast” for the rest of the day.

7. Measure your portions.
   Having large portions of food is the most common reason why people gain weight. It's a fact that people finish eating big portions not out of hunger. It's human nature to finish the food on the plate. The best option is to weigh your food or eat from smaller plates. Also, you can take as a habit to count calories and stick to the normal count for your age and weight. To define your proper intake, there are a lot of calorie calculators over the internet.

   Also, make the right choices at restaurants. Even if you have decided to eat fast food, it's better to eat a simple hamburger instead of a Big Mac in McDonald's or drink a cappuccino instead of cola or concentrated orange juice. Avoid king-size portions and give preference to the smaller ones.

8. Create meal plans and strictly follow them.
   The main problem of constantly busy people is having uncontrolled meals. When you have no time to eat, you start eating the first thing you see in your fridge or eat on the go. If you feel constant stress, you can't control food variety or quality.

   Create a meal plan and a shopping list accordingly. If you are too busy to cook every day, you can create lunches, freeze them, and microwave before you eat. No excuses! Your body will thank you.

9. Stick to a regular eating pattern.
   It's proven that a regular eating schedule keeps your body strong and slim. A larger number of small meals usually provides an improved diet quality and lower body mass index (BMI). Usually, it's recommended to have three meals and two or three snacks every day at the same periods of time. This habit will help you modify portion size, food content, and uncontrolled eating. Also, it will normalize your blood sugar levels and metabolism.

   Make time to eat, plan your meals, prepare healthy snacks, and don't skip meals to get the best result. Regular eating will help you binge less, and therefore, lose weight.

10. Make it a habit to read product labels.
    To improve the quality of foods you eat we recommend to check the content of fat, sugar, and salt before sending the product to your basket. You may wonder how much sugar may be contained in your favourite juice or crackers. Sweeteners, hydrogenated vegetable oils, artificial flavours, and preservatives are not healthy ingredients. Also, pay attention to low-fat products, as they often contain a lot of sugar to keep the consistency and taste.

    In the choice between two products of the same category, check their nutritional value and give preference to those which contain more protein and fewer carbohydrates and sugars. Healthy eating begins with the right choices in the supermarket. You won't eat poor food if you don't have it at home.

Even implementing one habit will take you a step closer to the desired weight. Be prepared, as the process of weight loss may take time, and you should keep to this path. We hope that our recommendations will help you become a better version of yourself and live a healthy life.

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Nicky Quinton is a professional writer and blogger. With more than 7 years of experience, she has collaborated on different educational projects. Nicky is writing a book that is going to see the light of day by the end of 2019.

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