Weight loss is not the answer to every health problem, but if your doctor recommends it, there are tips to help you lose weight safely.
That said, many eating plans designed to help you lose weight leave you feeling hungry or unsatisfied, or they cut out major food groups and are not sustainable.
Everyone has unique needs, and different eating styles and tips may work better for you than someone else.
You may find you are able to lose weight by following a low-carb diet or a diet that has a focus on whole foods, but there are some general principles that apply when you’re trying to lose weight.
If you want to lose weight quickly, some of these tips may help, but quick weight loss is rarely sustainable. Focusing on long-term health and habits that you can stick with over time will help improve your health and are more likely to result in lasting weight loss.
One way to help lose weight quickly is to cut back on sugars and starches, or carbohydrates. This could be with a low-carb eating plan or by reducing refined carbs and replacing them with whole grains.
When you do that, your hunger levels go down, and you generally end up eating fewer calories.
With a low-carb eating plan, you’ll utilize burning stored fat for energy instead of carbs.
If you choose to eat more complex carbs like whole grains along with a calorie deficit, you’ll benefit from higher fiber and digest them more slowly.
Research also suggests that a low-carb diet may reduce appetite, which can lead to naturally eating fewer calories without thinking about it or feeling hungry.
Note that the long-term effects of a low-carb diet are still being researched. It can also be difficult to adhere to a low-carb diet, which may lead to yo-yo dieting and less success in maintaining a healthy weight.
There are potential downsides to a low-carb diet that may lead you to a different method.
If you opt for a diet focusing instead on whole grains over refined carbs, a 2019 study correlated high whole grain intake with lower body mass index (BMI)
To determine the best way for you to lose weight, consult your doctor for recommendations.
Reducing refined carbohydrates may help curb your appetite, lower your insulin levels, and help you lose weight.
But the long-term effects of a low-carb diet are not yet known. A reduced calorie diet could be more sustainable.
By reducing carbs or replacing refined carbs with complex carbs, you’ll likely experience reduced hunger levels. Feeling hungry is often why it’s difficult to maintain a weight loss plan, so it’s important to find a way of eating that leaves you feeling satisfied.
By incorporating a sustainable low-carb or lower calorie eating plan, you can eat healthy food until you’re full and still lose weight.
Losing weight quickly may be your goal, but it’s important to think about the long run. While you may lose water weight quickly, fat loss takes longer, and developing sustainable weight loss may take longer than you’d like.
Don’t be afraid to load your plate with leafy green vegetables. They’re packed with nutrients, and you can eat very large amounts without greatly increasing calories and carbs.
All vegetables are nutrient-rich and healthy foods to add to your diet, but some vegetables, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and corn, are higher in carbs.
These vegetables are considered complex carbs because they contain fiber, but you may want to be mindful of serving size when adding these vegetables to your plate.
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