Don't you agree that weight loss has become a rather complicated issue?
There are so many different diets out there and it's confusing. You don't know
what to follow and you get conflicting advice. So let's simplify it today and
let's back it up with science. I'm going to share nine science-backed tips that
have helped me lose weight and keep it off. No short term fixes. No fads and no
myths. If you're interested, keep watching.
Hello hello! Welcome back to the whole happy life. My name is Ria. Before we
dive into today's video, I wanted to say a few things and also share my personal
weight loss journey just to set the context of this video. Now while all of
the tips in this video are evidence-based, they may not work for
everybody because we're all a little bit different. So you have to experiment and
see what works for you. Now that being said - if you've tried everything in your
power to lose weight and it's just not budging and you're doing all the right
things - it's time to see a doctor. It could be a hormonal issue and it's a
good idea to get a diagnosis so you know what you're dealing with and you can
change your approach. Now let's move on to my weight loss story. I'm going to
keep this brief and I'm not going to go into too much detail because this is not
a transformation video - I just wanted to provide a little bit of context. So at my
heaviest I was 160 pounds, which is 40 pounds heavier than I am today. It's
actually quite significant on my frame because I don't have a very wide frame.
So that 160 pounds was not only overweight, it actually looked like quite
a bit on me. I would love to show you pictures from the time I was 160 pounds
but unfortunately I don't have any. I was extremely self-conscious. I did not let
people take pictures of me and this was well before the time when we had cell
phone cameras so there weren't really that many pictures taken anyway. But I
will show you pictures from along the way. Now I did not lose all my excess
weight in one go. I actually lost it in phases. In the first phase I went from
160 pounds to 140 pounds and I did this mainly by reducing excess sugar and also
increasing the amount of excercise I did. And then I stayed around 140
pounds 135 ish for quite some time. For the majority of my twenties. Now 140
pounds 135 was actually a normal weight according to the BMI but the problem is
just because you're a normal weight doesn't mean you're a healthy weight.
While my weight was okay, my body fat percentage was really high and that
increased my risk of things like hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and
that is why I decided to tackle the excess body fat in my early 30s. Because
to me it's not just about aesthetics, it's also about your long-term health. My
mother passed away from diabetes and I did not want to follow in her footsteps.
I wanted to do whatever I could in my power to reduce my risk and one way of
doing that was to reduce my body fat and lose that excess weight. A lot of people
tell you that it's really difficult to lose the weight after you've turned 30.
That's really not the case. I'm turning 36 this year and I lost the
majority of this excess body fat in the last few years, so it definitely is
possible. You just need to remember two things - consistency and lifestyle changes.
Whatever you do - you need to do it consistently and whatever you do - you
need to make it a long-term change. Because if it's a short-term change,
you'll lose the weight and then you'll regain it. Because so many people go on
diets and then they regain the weight. You can't do a diet - you have to make it a
lifestyle change. That is the biggest tip I can provide you guys - just make it a
lifestyle change. The first tip is to cut back on added sugar. Now I'm talking
about added sugar and not natural sugar found in whole fruits and vegetables. I'm
talking about sugar like white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup,
honey, fruit juice, as well as coconut sugar.
These are all added sugars. Now at my heaviest, I was having at least 75 grams
of added sugar a day, if not more! I was having ginger ale, cookies, candies, all of
that stuff. Now I'm having less than 10 grams of added sugar a day and some days
it's zero. But I do like dark chocolate, so I will give myself that allowance. I
will have dark chocolate but I won't have added sugar on a regular basis and
not big amounts because I know my body does not react well to it. So why is that
added sugar is such a problem? Studies show that people who consume a lot of added
sugar are at a higher risk of obesity and they also have a higher risk of
diabetes and heart disease. So it definitely is not something you want to
consume a lot of. If you're new and you're a beginner, what can you do to
reduce your added sugar? There's a lot that you could do and I actually have
two videos on added sugar that I would suggest that you watch because they're
very detailed but for now I want to give you two basic tips. One is to reduce the
amount of processed food you eat. Focus on whole foods and the reason for this
is whole foods don't have any added sugar. So if the majority of your diet is
whole foods you're automatically cutting down on added sugar. Now if you do decide
to eat some of the heavily processed foods, read the labels because that's the
best way that you can tell if there's too much added sugar in something or not.
The second thing I would say is to reduce the amount of sugar that you're
having in the form of liquids because it's so easy to overdo. It's so easy to
have multiple glasses of juice. It's so easy to have multiple glasses of Cola.
Reduce all of that because that is sugar that your body does not need. You don't
feel full from it and that's why you can keep drinking and that's the problem I
had. So definitely cut back on the liquid calories. The second tip is to cut down
on refined carbohydrates and finely milled carbohydrates. So carbs get a
really bad rap when it comes to weight loss. Everyone thinks that they need to
completely cut down the carbs and eliminate them and while that can
certainly work for certain people, I don't think it's necessary. I have eaten
quite a bit of carbs throughout my weight loss but it's about eating the
right carbs and in the right amounts and in a balanced way. Now what type of carbs
are not recommended? Refined carbohydrates.
These are carbs that can raise your blood sugar very quickly. They don't have
much fiber and they're essentially extremely processed.These are carbs that
are really not that good for your health. What are examples of refined
carbohydrates? There are things like crackers, cookies, cakes, most store-bought
bread, fruit juice, breakfast cereal, snacks that have any sort of refined
flour in them. Basically, the majority of processed foods. If you're going to have
carbs, it is a good idea to get them from whole food sources. Carbs from whole
foods such as whole fruits, whole vegetables, whole beans and lentils... those
are not associated weight gain. It really is the refined carbohydrates - those are
the carbs that we need to limit. Number three: eat enough fiber and enough fruits
and vegetables. Now when it comes to weight loss, I think one of the most
important things is to eat in a way where you're fuller for longer, so you're
not mindlessly snacking throughout the day and one way to do this is to get
enough fiber, especially soluble fiber. If you look at the studies, people who have
more soluble fiber tend to be a lower weight. If you're interested in a list of
foods that have quite a bit of soluble fiber, I will put a list in the
description but I just wanted to give you a few examples. So things like oats,
flax seeds, chickpeas, Brussels sprouts - these have quite a bit of fiber and they
will keep you full and satisfied for quite some time. Now, in addition to
eating a lot of fiber from these kinds of foods in general, I would recommend
increasing your fruit and veggie intake. Moreso the vegetables, that the fruit. I
try to eat at least half a plate of fruits and veggies for the majority of my
meals. Not with every single meal, but with majority of my meals and that has
helped quite a bit in losing the weight and keeping it off. Number four: eat
enough protein throughout the day. So we talked about eating enough fiber and
that was to keep you fuller for longer. Well it's the same with protein. If you
eat enough protein throughout the day, you will stay fuller for longer and that
will really help manage the cravings and all that mindless snacking. What can you
do? You can have a quarter plate of protein with every single meal. This is a
general recommendation and I've been doing this and I find this very
effective. Because by having a quarter plate of protein with every
meal, I'm getting my protein throughout the day, I'm stabilizing my blood sugar
and I'm not eating all these extra snacks these sugary snacks because I
don't really want to anymore. Now when it comes to the amount of protein that's
enough for you, everyone's a little bit different so I would suggest looking in
the description. I have a link there and it will help you figure out the optimal
amount of protein for you. 5 is to to thoroughly and eat slowly. In today's
fast-paced world, we're all eating very, very quickly and the problem with eating
quickly is that it's very easy to overeat and get extra calories. Now while
I don't believe in calorie counting to a T - calories do count. They are
important. You don't want to overeat, especially when you're trying to lose
weight and there are studies that show that people who eat quickly tend to be a
higher weight and it's probably because it's very easy to overeat. So I suggest
eating slowly, chewing your food thoroughly and being very mindful about
what you're eating. And another suggestion I would make is to try not to
eat family style where you're putting everything out on the table. It's so easy
to have second helping and that second helping is not helpful when you're
trying to lose weight. So plate up your meal in your kitchen, bring it to the
table and enjoy it, but try not to have second helpings if you're trying to lose
weight. Number six: get enough sleep. When it
comes to losing weight, everyone talks about diet. Everyone talks about exercise,
but no one talks about sleep but the fact of the matter is - sleep is so
important for weight loss. If you're struggling with weight loss and you've
been doing everything else right, have a look at your sleep. There's actually a
study from 2008 - a major review that found that a short sleep duration
increased the likelihood of obesity in adults by 55%. That is actually quite a
bit, so my suggestion is to focus on good sleep. Make sure that you're getting at
least seven hours a night. If you want some tips on how to sleep better, I do
have a video on it. Number seven: track your progress. Now I'm
not telling you to track your weight every single day or your measurements
every day. That can be a bit much but tracking your progress can be a very
helpful thing when it comes to achieving your goals. According to the American
Psychological Association, people who track their progress are more likely to
achieve their goals. So what can you do? I would suggest tracking your weight as
well as your measurements because your weight alone is not a very good gauge of
your progress. Weight plus measurements. Track it every single week. If you can do
that and you can see progress, you're going to be more motivated. And let's say
you don't see progress, at least you know that there is something that's not
working right and you can make a few changes. Number eight: reduce your
stress. Now when it comes to stress, everyone's a bit different. Some people
lose weight under stress and some people gain it. I happen to be someone who gains
weight when they're stressed and I can't lose weight when I'm stressed. Now if
you're someone who is struggling with your weight, you've tried diet and
exercise, have a look at your stress levels. Sometimes, when we produce too
much cortisol, which is the stress hormone, we can actually have a very hard
time losing weight, especially the weight around the abdominal area. That is
associated with high stress levels. So my suggestion to you is to figure out a way
to reduce your stress. You can't eliminate it completely, you can figure
out a way to manage it. I like to do meditation. I've talked about this many,
many times but also forms of self-care. If you're interested in learning more
about the forms of self-care than I enjoy, I do have a video on it. Number
nine is to move more. When it comes to weight loss, we all know diet and
exercise go hand-in-hand. Exercise is important - I did quite a bit of aerobic
exercise in the form of brisk walking as well as some strength training but
beyond that there's something known as NEAT and people who do more NEAT tend to
be a lower weight. So what's NEAT? NEAT is non-exercise activity thermogenesis. A
very sciency term but basically it's all the calories you're burning while not
exercising, eating or sleeping. So these are things like cooking in the kitchen,
cleaning your car, cleaning your house and walking to the bus stop. All of these
activities are not really exercise but they're still activities that burn
calories and they add up, especially if you're doing them daily and are doing
them consistently. So in general, I would suggest increasing your NEAT if you can
and that way you'll be able to lose the weight faster than just focusing on
exercise alone. All of these tips may seem very simple and basic, but that is
because they are. A lot of weight loss is quite simple unless you have a hormonal
problem, then you require a slightly different path. But for the most part I
lost majority of my weight with these tips. 90% of my weight with these tips.
With the simple things. With the foundation. It's all about consistency
and making these things a lifestyle change and that is where most people
struggle. Now, if you're interested in learning some of the other things that I
did to lose weight, some of the add-ons, some of the more advanced techniques, I
can create a separate video on that. Just let me know in the comments below. But
for now, I would suggest that if you're a beginner and you're just starting, focus
on the foundation. The foundation really is
diet, exercise, sleep and stress management. If you can tackle these, you will
definitely start to see some results. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this video. If
you did, please do consider subscribing and do give it a thumbs up and I will
see you in the next video. Bye!