5 Proven Ways to Lose Weight
You might have heard that the older you get, the more challenging weight loss is. If you try to lose weight after age 40, or even after age 30, in some cases, you’ll learn that statement’s accuracy. Keeping a trim figure is tough when your body seems to work against you to keep weight on, a major difference from when you were young.
You don’t need to despair, though. There are still some ways you can lose weight and keep it off if you show determination and focus. Let’s look at some proven weight loss techniques now.
Add Probiotics to Your Diet
You know that diet has a lot to do with whether you can keep your weight down. You should also learn about probiotics, though. Probiotics:
- Are living microorganisms
- Provide many different health benefits
When you consume them, you restore and improve your gut flora. This matters more than you might imagine.
Several studies have indicated that obese people have a specific gut bacterium. Slim people have much less of it. These studies focus on two bacterial groups, called Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes.
You should have a 1 to 1 ratio of these. If you are obese, though, you have many more Firmicutes, sometimes as many as a 2,000 to I ratio.
If you consume probiotics, you can get that ratio back to where it should be. You can ingest them through supplements, or you can also eat certain foods, such as Greek yogurt.
Watch Out for Between-Meal Snacking
You can also lose weight if you monitor your between-meal snacks. You might eat between-meal items such as:
- Chips
- Popcorn
- Cookies
Anything like that is not going to do your weight loss goals any good. They are all high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
Instead, purchase snack foods at the grocery store like fresh fruit and raw nuts, like walnuts and almonds. Make sure you get the raw, unsalted ones.
If you eat raw nuts and fruit for snacks, that’s one way to lose weight. If you reside in a place where you can’t easily get fresh fruit, you can order dried fruit from Amazon, and you’ll get it delivered right to you. If you don’t keep unhealthy snack foods in the house, they won’t be there for you to eat when you want a snack.
Exercise
Immobility leads to weight gain. That’s true at any age, but it becomes more so the older you get. Many individuals have jobs where they sit behind a computer all day, and if that’s your career, you have to get up and move around if you’re serious about weight loss.
Make sure you exercise even on days when you can’t get to a gym. You can look into some exercises you can do at home. If you can afford something like a Peloton or a Mirror, those can definitely motivate you.
However, they’re expensive, and not everyone can afford them. You can get yourself a yoga mat and some resistance bands or free weights instead. They cost much less, and you can look online for some low-impact workout routines you can do every day, even in an enclosed space if you have a small apartment.
Train with Your Friends
It’s hard losing weight by yourself. Maybe your family can encourage you, but they probably have their own activities going on.
You might see if any of your friends want to go on a weight-loss journey with you. If some of them do, that’s great, since you can help motivate each other.
You can all join a gym together, or maybe you can ride your bikes around the neighborhood. If those are not viable options, you might take some group yoga classes. Look at your physical capabilities, your financial situation, and what’s around you to help make your decision as to what workout plan will work best.
Eliminate Soft Drinks from Your Diet
You can also lose weight by getting rid of empty calories. Soda is one of the biggest culprits.
You can always go from full-sugar sodas to diet versions, but even that’s not the best choice. Diet sodas still have all kinds of chemicals you should keep out of your body.
It’s better if you stop ingesting soda entirely and drink water instead. Sodas dehydrate you, and most adults don’t drink enough water anyway.
If you do all these things, weight loss is likely. The real trick is sticking with it rather than going swiftly back to old habits.
