1. Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting. This approach can lead to a calorie deficit, which is key for weight loss. Common methods include:

• Alternate Day Fasting: Fast every other day, or consume 20-30% of energy needs on fasting days.
• The 5:2 Diet: Fast (or eat very few calories) on two out of seven days.
• The 16:8 Method: Fast for 16 hours and eat within an 8-hour window.

Consult a healthcare professional before starting any fasting regime.

2. Tracking Weight, Diet, and Exercise

Awareness of your daily intake and activity is crucial. Logging your food and drink, as well as your exercise, can promote behavioral changes and increase motivation. Self-monitoring weight is consistently linked with significant weight loss.

Use our dashboard to track your progress and visualize your weight loss journey.

3. Eating Mindfully

Pay attention to how and where you eat to better enjoy your food and recognize fullness cues, preventing overeating. Techniques include:

• Sitting down to eat without distractions.
• Eating slowly, chewing thoroughly, and savoring flavors.
• Considering nutritious food choices.

4. Eating Protein with Meals

Protein helps regulate appetite hormones, making you feel fuller for longer. A high-protein diet (1.2 to 2 g/kg body weight daily) can help maintain muscle mass during weight loss and manage hunger.

Explore high-protein recipes in our Meal Plans section.

5. Cutting Back on Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates

Added sugars and refined grains (white rice, white bread, regular pasta) are linked to weight gain. Swapping them for nutritionally dense options can significantly aid weight loss.

• Choose whole-grain versions of rice, bread, and pasta.
• Opt for fruit, nuts, and seeds over sugary snacks.
• Drink herb teas or fruit-infused water instead of sodas.

Our Meal Plans offer healthy, low-sugar alternatives.

6. Eating Plenty of Fiber

Dietary fiber increases feelings of fullness, helping you eat less overall. Include fiber-rich foods like whole-grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, peas, beans, nuts, and seeds.

7. Balancing Gut Bacteria

A healthy gut microbiome can influence how much energy your body absorbs from food. Increase good bacteria with probiotic-rich foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir) and prebiotics (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans).

8. Getting Enough Sleep

Insufficient sleep slows metabolism, promotes insulin resistance, and increases cortisol levels, all of which can lead to fat storage. It also disrupts appetite-controlling hormones, increasing hunger.

Aim for at least 7 hours of quality sleep per night.

9. Managing Stress Levels

Stress is linked to obesity and can affect hormones like leptin, ghrelin, and cortisol, promoting abdominal fat storage. Stress can also lead to unhealthy eating behaviors.

Practice stress-relief techniques like diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation.

10. Regular Exercise

Regular physical activity is crucial for burning calories, boosting mood, lowering blood pressure, and improving sleep. It's most effective for weight loss when combined with a calorie deficit.

The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise and two days of muscle-strengthening exercise per week for most adults.

Browse our Workouts library for interactive exercise tutorials.