If you go to the gym every day and control the portion of the food you eat but fail to follow a certain scientific weight loss routine, you may not lose weight. Although there are gym routines, supplements and diet plans for weight loss, most of them are not backed by scientific evidence. Thankfully, there are routines and strategies with scientific backing that can impact weight in a short time.
Exercise, calorie counting, intermittent fasting, and a diet low in carbohydrates are some of the scientific ways to burn fat.
Science-backed ways to lose weight
Below are some of the methods backed by science to lose weight.
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting involves short-term fasting and eating within a shorter time of the day.
According to studies, short-term intermittent fasting that lasts up to 24 weeks leads to weight loss.
Below are some of the intermittent fasting methods
Alternate day fasting: You can eat normally on days when you are not fasting. NCBI
recommends consuming only 25-30% of the body’s energy requirements on fasting days.
The 5:2 Diet:
Two days out of every seven should be fast days. On fasting days, consume 500-
600 calories.
The 16/8 method:
Fasting for 16 hours and eating every 8 hours is required.
The majority of people would have an eight-hour window from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
According to research on this technique, eating within a specific time frame caused people to consume fewer calories and lose weight.
And on the days that you’re not fasting, you must eat healthily and avoid over-eating by all means.
Tracking your diet and exercise
If you want to lose weight, you should be mindful of what you eat and drink. You are a reflection of what you consume. To keep track of your diet, get a journal to record what you eat or adopt a diet plan.
In addition to this, you can have an app on your smartphone that keeps track of your progress in the weight loss journey. If you realise that you are making progress, chances are that you will be motivated to do better.
Meanwhile, consistently tracking physical activities also helped in weight loss. Studies have
shown that there’s a correlation between tracking physical activities and diet on weight loss.
Mindful eating
Minding eating is one of the scientific ways to burn fat. Eating mindfully means paying attention to how, when and where you eat. When you do this, you enjoy your meal and maintain a healthy weight.
Most people eat quickly, when they are on their way to work, and so on. Therefore, they hardly pay attention to what they eat.
If you want to eat mindfully, eat slowly, sit down to eat, avoid distraction when eating and be deliberate about what you eat.
Eat Protein For Breakfast
A proteinous breakfast is preferable and effective for weight loss. Protein promotes satiety, that is, it gives a feeling of fullness for a long time.
According to research on young adults, the hormonal effects of a high-protein
breakfast can last for several hours.
High-Protein breakfast foods include eggs, beans, oats, nut and seed butter,
quinoa porridge, sardines, and chia seed pudding.
Cut Down on refined carbs, and sugar
You can easily find foods that are either high in sugar or refined carbs and this is why obesity is prevalent in this generation.
Processed foods are packed with refined carbs that have minimal or no fibre and other nutrients. Rice, bread, and pasta are high in carbs, hence, they are converted to glucose rapidly because they quickly digest.
Insulin is responsible for promoting the storage of fat in adipose tissue. When you eat refined carbs and sugar, it will cause excessive sugar in the blood and provoke the hormone insulin. This contributes to weight gain.
Instead of sugary foods and refined carbs, opt for healthier foods like fruits, nuts, herbal tea, brown rice, smoothies, and so on.
Eating plenty of fibre
Fibre also promotes satiety like protein, which can lead to weight loss. Dietary fibre is a plant-based on carbohydrates that are not digested in the small intestine, unlike starch and sugar. Foods that are rich in fibre include nuts and seeds, beans, peas, pulses, fruits and vegetables, barley, rye, whole grain cereals, whole-wheat pasta, oats and so on.
Getting a good night’s sleep
Your sleep pattern can determine your weight. According to a report, getting less than 6 hours of sleep can cause obesity. This is because sleep affects the regulation of the hormones that control the appetite.
If you have a poor sleep pattern, your metabolism will be affected. Your body will not easily
convert calories to energy. And when your metabolism isn’t effective, your body tends to save more fat from unused energy.
Managing your stress levels
Stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that affects the appetite. When the body is subjected to too much stress, cortisol will remain in the blood for a longer period, thereby increasing the appetite.
Cortisol signals to the body that it needs to replenish its nutritional reserves, which are its preferred fuel source.
Following that, insulin transports blood sugar from carbohydrates to the muscles and brain.
If this sugar is not used during a person’s fight or flight response, the body will store it as fat. According to research, implementing an 8-week stress-management intervention program significantly reduced the body mass index (BMI) of overweight or obese children and adolescents.
The following are some of the methods you can use to manage stress: Meditation, yoga, outdoor activities, breathing and relaxation techniques.
Balancing gut bacteria
Bacteria play a huge role in the weight of humans, according to research.
The guts of humans contain a number of microorganisms including billions of bacteria.
We all have different types and amounts of bacteria in our guts. Some of these bacteria can
increase the amount of energy a person gets from food, which often leads to weight gain through fat deposition.
Foods that can increase the number of good gut bacteria include fermented foods, probiotic foods and a variety of plants.
Conclusion
It is critical to remember that there are no quick fixes for losing weight. However, the scientific ways to burn fat have been found to be quick and effective weight loss methods.
Eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet is the most effective way to achieve and maintain a
healthy weight.
This should include 10 servings of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day is also beneficial.
