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The Best Way to Lose Weight
52 Ways to Cut Fat in 2012
Incorporate these brilliant strategies into your daily life to shred fat and make this next year your healthiest ever
By
Image: Corbis
Eat whole grains. A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that people who ate muesli with milk, peaches, yogurt, and apple juice burned almost twice as much fat during an hour-long walk than on the days that they ate cornflakes with milk, white bread, and an energy drink. Why? The first breakfast ranks much lower on the glycemic index than the second, and researchers think that the spike in insulin levels that occurs when the body digests simple carbs may interfere with your body’s ability to burn fat.
Eat at least 1,200 calories a day. Your metabolism slows down when it doesn’t have enough fuel, so going on a crash diet can actually reduce the rate at which your body burns fat. “I’ve seen that when people are consuming too few calories, and then they eat 200 to 300 more a day and start to lose weight,” says Gans. “It’s almost as if your body goes on starvation mode.” If you eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day, you can’t meet your nutritional needs for enough protein, healthy fat, and vitamins for your body to run properly, she adds.
Snack in the afternoon. Afternoon and evening snackers may lose more weight than those who nosh in the morning, concludes a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Researchers followed the snacking patterns of dieters and found that those who snacked in the morning lost 7% of their body weight after a year, while those who ate a treat later in the day or not at all lost 11% of their weight. Not only are morning snackers more likely than afternoon snackers to snack more than once a day, afternoon snackers tend to choose healthier foods to munch on, such as fruit and veggies.
Whip up this a healthy 60-second snack!
Choose the smarter topping. Eating two slices of ham pizza will save you 80 calories and 4 g of fat over two slices of pepperoni.
Stand up. The simple act of standing engages muscles in your legs, abs, and back—and when your muscles are activated, they release myokines, hormones that stimulate metabolism, according to a study published in the Journal of Physiology. The reverse also seems true. When you don’t move—think sitting in front of a computer or the tube—your metabolism slows.
Don’t serve meals family-style. Heaping platters of home-cooked foods might be a staple at your family’s dinner table, but keeping those dishes at the table can increase your likelihood of overeating. Research from Cornell University shows that when serving platters were out of sight, diners ate 20 to 29% less than when second helpings were within arm’s reach. “A lot of times we’re just mindlessly eating,” says Cassity. “We might not even realize that we’re full if food is right within reach.”
Just add ginger. Like cinnamon, black pepper, and red pepper, spicing your food with ginger may prevent weight gain. Scottish researchers found that mice fed a ginger supplement while on a high-fat diet gained less weight than those on the same meal plan but without the supplements.
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