How to Lose Weight: the Ultimate Guide

10. Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

This tip is wise even if you’re not trying to lose weight. Artificial sweeteners are marketed as better alternatives to sugar, especially for weight loss. That couldn;t be further from the truth. Even if a sweetener contains no calories, the chemicals in it are not only detrimental, they can cause weight gain.

Natural sugars satisfy neurological signaling but artificial sweeteners do not, prolonging sugar cravings. (8) Additionally, artificial sweeteners can stimulate insulin production as the body anticipates having to break down sugars signaled by the taste center in the brain. Worse yet, increased insulin production over time can lead to diabetes.

Sugar addiction is a very real problem and is a major contributing factor to the global obesity epidemic. You can wean yourself from the craving for sugar with these tips. Cutting out added sweeteners of all kinds is a tip on losing weight with which all health experts can agree.

11. Eat Fermented Foods

Probiotics are healthy bacteria and yeasts that are essential to digestive health, among other things, they help move food along your gut and help fight off pathogens (8).

Probiotics also benefit:

• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Infectious diarrhea (caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites)
• Antibiotic-related diarrhea
• Skin conditions, like eczema
• Urinary and vaginal health
• Preventing allergies and colds
• Oral health
• Mental health

Probiotics occur naturally in fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and more. “Probiotics can impact just about everything in the body,” says Meagan McCusker, a dermatologist at the University of Connecticut. “They really can’t and shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to overall health maintenance.” (9)

Probiotics produce several important nutrients, including vitamin K and certain B-vitamins and help break down fiber. This improves digestion and helps control body weight. In fact, healthy individuals have different gut bacteria thna overweight and obese people (10, 11, 12).

12. Stress Less, Sleep More

Constant stress increases the amount of cortisol that the body produces. This stress hormone can stimulate hunger leading to weight gain and slows the metabolism, telling the body to hold on to the weight that’s there. Managing stress in productive ways will help keep hormones in balance and allow you to more easily lose weight.

Sleep deprivation also stimulates cortisol and contributes to feelings of stress. These two life conditions feed upon each other and make it difficult to lose weight.

Below are 6 tips for getting enough sleep and, consequently, tips for weight loss:

1. Stick to the same bedtime every evening. In the long run, this will help your body prepare for sleep at that time.
2. No coffee after 2 p.m. Just don’t–and remember that it takes time for caffeine to leave your body.
3. Limit your alcohol intake to no less than three hours before bedtime. While booze might make you woozy, it worsens sleep quality.
4. Limit exercise in the four hours before bedtime. Physical activity can make you wound up and make it difficult to go to sleep for several hours afterward.
5. Get 15 minutes of sunlight every day. This is good for your circadian rhythm (your “body clock”).
6. Finally, make sure that your bedroom is dark enough and stays on the cool side.

13. Eat Less Dairy and Limit Nuts

A diet for weight loss should restrict dairy, which contains lactose (milk sugar). In addition, the protein in animal milk is difficult for humans to digest.

Whey protein also stimulates insulin production, which increases sugar absorption in cells, promoting weight gain. (13)

Fermented dairy like kefir or cultured dairy like plain yogurt contain probiotics that aid digestion (essential for weight loss) but other than that, cut down the dairy.

Nuts are a great source of protein and healthy fats. Some also contain lots of carbohydrates. “Net Carb” is a number of carbohydrates in each type of nut or seed, excluding fiber (fiber isn’t digested and absorbed by the body). Select your nuts carefully to avoid too many carbs.