With the metadata crush of weight-loss information available to the consumer both online and offline, it is understandable to be skeptical of each and every, emerging weight loss "trend." As a fashion designer and personal trainer, I am often asked what weight loss or stabilization program is the most effective for sustainable, safe weight loss. While there is no "one size fits all" rubric to follow, there are several existing lifestyle remedies available for the average consumer to provoke weight loss that have proven, medical benefits. The following five, scientifically-verified weight loss suggestions can easily be adapted into your daily lifestyle to boost your self-esteem and energy levels:
1.) Remove Sugar from Your Diet
1.) Remove Sugar from Your Diet
- Sugar consumption is one of the most debilitating habits to incorporate into your daily diet. Sugar's rapid conversion into fat and resultant storage in your adipose tissue after the completion of the digestion cycle dramatically increases the risk of obesity. Further, sugar inhibits the natural deconstruction of glucose in your body and the regulation of your blood sugar levels, leading to a higher risk assessment for Type-2 Diabetes. Individuals who are overweight also exhibit a significant risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and heart attacks. On a cosmetic level, heavy sugar consumption interferes with the body's production of collagen for the skin,your body's largest organ. When going to the grocery, always inspect the nutritional labeling of each food item to ensure that foods you wish to purchase are not embedded with high levels of sugar. Removing sugar from your diet will restore your energy levels throughout the day, increase your focus and concentration, and lead to healthy, weight loss, provided you monitor your daily, caloric intake.
- Drinking coffee is an enjoyable, daily rite of passage for millions of people around the world, but, did you know that coffee offers many health benefits including the potential for weight loss? Several medical studies have found that coffee raises a person's metabolic rate anywhere from 5-12% on average, facilitating fat-burning throughout the body. Also, coffee is abundant with rich antioxidants that reinforce the body's immune system and regulate cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, coffee has been shown to actually lengthen the telomeres of each chromosome that resides inside the nucleus of each cell of the human body. Telomeric length has been empirically shown to be a prime indicator of a human being's longevity or life span. Next to maintaining a healthy level of nightly sleep, consuming coffee daily will spark growth in the telomeres of your chromosomes. Just be sure to order coffee plain or "black," as any sugar added or extra, Starbucks-like ingredients (read: mocha, latte, chocolate, etc) will negate your coffee's therapeutic, weight-loss benefits.
- This weight-loss suggestion seems the most accessible to achieve daily, yet for many people, water consumption is sorely missing as part of their habituated lifestyle. Drinking about eight, eight-ounce glasses of water (or 2 liters) everyday will boost the body's metabolism and accelerate the cleansing of waste in your body. Since many people overindulge and eat too many calories per day, alternating water intake for food will serve as an appetite suppressant and enable you to expunge the excessive calories that are holding back your potential weight-loss. If your body is dehydrated at any point, the fat-burning process is inhibited and slows down; thus, it is vital that you consume enough water to keep your body's systems operating at full efficiency. Water intake has also been proven to give a healthier glow to your skin, by facilitating the transportation of necessary nutrients.
- One of the most deleterious side effects of following an untested, weight loss plan is the loss of muscle tone that accompanies any attempt at caloric restriction or fasting. For too many people, dieting is an attempt at weight loss by food intake alone. Unfortunately, whenever someone chooses to dramatically restrict, daily caloric intake WITHOUT concomitant, aerobic and anaerobic lifestyle changes, the body will resort to a "starvation mode," whereby lean muscle mass is often consumed as a desperate, energy source. Since the possession of lean muscle mass accelerates metabolism, the loss of this type of muscle tissue lowers your body's metabolic rate, further reducing its fat-burning potential. Thus, while maintaining a nutritious diet is important, it is not solely a weight-loss panacea. To maximize weight-loss potential, the adoption of a weekly, weight lifting schedule is an imperative. Weight lifting with proper technique and direction can significantly elevate your body's lean muscle development, thereby boosting your metabolism and calorie-burning mechanisms. Individuals that subscribe to a weekly, weight lifting schedule possess lower incidence rates for cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and physical impairment with age.
- In combination with weight lifting, engaging in a daily, aerobic activity like walking or jogging significantly enhances your body's ability for weight-loss by boosting your metabolism. Aerobic exercise reduces your blood pressure and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Running or walking spikes your body's immune system, serving as a bulwark against contracting diseases. Following a daily aerobic schedule also improves your nightly sleep, making you feel more energized, motivated, and balanced each day. The American Cancer Society and American Heart Association both recommend daily aerobics to lower the risk for several cancers and cardiovascular outcomes. By increasing your heart's capacity to send blood and oxygen to the myriad muscle groups of your body, aerobics are undisputedly linked to greater longevity or lifespan.