KEEP YOUR BODY SLIM STEPS

Getting a slim body is not an easy feat. If you are wondering how to get a slim body, counting calories and being on fad diets may not be the most effective methods. Let us explain.

Counting calories may not always help with successful weight loss. This method only provides short-term results (1), (2). But fret not – here’s a curated list of the 30 ways you can shed fat fast and get a toned body easily. Give yourself 2-3 weeks, and you will be amazed at how slim your body looks and how great you feel. Continue reading.

30 Proven Ways To Get A Slim Body

1. Drink Green Tea Green tea is loaded with antioxidants called catechins (EGCG, EGC, and ECG) (3). Catechins detox the body by scavenging the harmful free oxygen radicals and reducing inflammation.

Green tea catechins have also shown promising results in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer (4). Drink two cups of green tea per day to flush out toxins, speed up weight loss, and improve your health.

Related: 13 Amazing Benefits Of Green Tea And Its Side Effects

2. Add Protein To Meals

Adding protein to each meal helps improve lean muscle mass (5). The muscles, which are made of protein, contract and relax to allow movements to occur. Since the muscles work constantly, they contain more mitochondria (the organelles that convert sugar to energy) (6).

Research shows consuming a high-protein diet aids more weight loss compared to a standard protein diet (7). Here’s a list of proteins sources:

Protein Sources – Eggs, skinless chicken breast, mushroom, ground turkey, fish, tofu, lentils, beans, soy, nuts, seeds, and milk.

Related: 48 High-Protein Foods List To Include In Your Diet

3. Consume Fruits And Veggies

Healthy lunchbox with a variety of fruits and veggies Save

Image: IStock

Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables can help you lose weight fast (8). They are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Fruits and veggies are low in calories, and they increase satietyi , reduce hunger, and lower BMI (9).

Eva De Angelis, Dietitian Nutritionist, says, “While bananas, like most fruits, are high in carbs, they are also high in fiber, minerals, and antioxidants, all of which are essential for good health. A medium banana also has only 105 calories but provides plenty of satiety, making it an ideal weight-loss snack. Even so, I suggest choosing green bananas over fully ripe bananas for better weight loss results. While both have the same net carb content, the green ones are higher in resistant starch, which acts as fiber, slowing sugar absorption, and increasing satiety.”

She adds, “It may also increase fat burning, which is ideal for weight loss. Yet, as bananas ripen, the starch is converted into glucose, resulting in higher sugar content in ripe bananas.”

Related: Why Is Healthy Food Important In Our Daily Life?

4. Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a popular strategy to lose weight quickly (10). You can eat anything you want in a window of time and then fast for the rest of the day. Fasting intermittently also helps lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels (11).

You may try the 16/8 intermittent fasting or try other types of intermittent fasting according to your convenience.

Related: 12 Health Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting You Must Know

Quick Tip

Avoid skipping breakfast because doing so will not aid weight loss. You may miss essential nutrients and eat more throughout the day because you are hungry.

5. Avoid Added Sugar

Avoid refined sugar to lose weight quickly. Avoid foods that contain added sugar, like soda, diet soda, cakes, pastries, cupcakes, milk chocolate, white chocolate, candies, waffles, pancakes, peanut butter cups, bagel, marshmallows, candied apple, and foods containing fructosei , sucrosei , and HFCSi .

Sugar also tends to increase inflammation in the body (12). This, in turn, leads to inflammation-induced weight gain.

6. Avoid Processed Foods

Processed foods, like salami, ham, frozen foods, ready-to-eat, canned foods, and packaged fruit and vegetable juices, contain high amounts of salt, sugar, preservatives, and artificial coloring agents.

Avoid junk foods like potato chips, burgers, pizza, fried chicken, and fries. These contain high calories, sugar, salt, and trans fats, which lead to quick weight gain (13). Avoiding these foods will help you shed fat fast and prevent you from regaining the weight.

Related: 15 Very Unhealthy Foods And Drinks You Should Avoid

Quick Tip

You can choose healthier options if you know how to read food labels. For example, use the calorie information to see how a certain food fits your daily calorie allotment on your weight loss plan.

7. Drink Water

Drinking water is key to weight loss.Save

Image: IStock

Staying hydrated is key to staying ahead in the weight loss game. A lot of times, we mistake thirst for hunger. Drinking water when you feel hungry at odd times will reduce your food intake and increase lipolysis (fat breakdown) (14).

A study found that drinking 500 mL water before meals led to greater weight loss in middle-aged women (15). Drink 2-4 liters of water per day, depending on your activity level and the climate you live in.

8. Consume Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are foods containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Consume nuts, salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, or carp, olive oil, sunflower seeds, and melon seeds.

Omega-3s help balance the omega-3 and omega-6 ratio in the body, thereby reducing inflammation and weight gain (16). Omega-3s also help prevent muscle loss and insulin resistancei (17).

9. Cook Your Meals

Cooking your meals at home will help prevent you from consuming too many calories. Restaurant foods often contain hidden calories in the form of sauces, dips, salad dressings, and taste enhancers. Consuming these every day can be harmful.

Jesse Feder, Clinical Dietitian at the Memorial Regional Hospital, discusses the relationship between rice consumption and the risk of gaining unwanted weight. He says, “Rice alone will not make your belly fat. However, if you overconsume rice every day, you are more likely to gain belly fat. This is simply because rice is a calorically dense food. People tend to have multiple servings of rice at a time throughout the day. This can add up calories quite quickly, leading to an increase in belly fat. If eaten in moderation, rice can be part of a healthy diet that does not lead to belly fat.”

Eva adds, “White rice may be less filling than brown or parboiled rice, and overeating white rice may result in weight gain and belly fat. Yet, white rice is high in manganese, iron, and some B vitamins. While I try to include brown rice more often, I also enjoy white rice, especially jasmine rice with curry. So, when I eat white rice, I always try to have plenty of vegetables on my plate or some seeds for fiber. This way, I can enjoy the texture and flavor of white rice while also getting fiber from other foods. This keeps me satisfied and helps me better control my body weight. ”

Make yourself a delicious salad with olive oil dressing or prepare soup for a quick meal. You may also grill chicken/fish/tofu/mushrooms with veggies, or make daal soup with veggies. You will also be able to monitor the amount and quality of oil, amount of salt, and use veggies of your choice.

10. Practice Portion Control

Controlling the portion size reduces calorie intake (18). This, in turn, is a great way to lose weight. The rule of thumb is – half of your plate should contain veggies, one-fourth of the plate should contain a source of lean protein, and the remaining one-fourth of the plate should contain whole grains. Also, eat in a smaller plate.

11. Pay Attention To Your Food

Pay attention to what and how much you are eating. It will give your brain a cue about the amount of food you have consumed. You will not feel hungry right after eating. Turn off the TV, laptop, and mobile for a while and enjoy your food.

12. Eat Slowly

Do not rush when you eat. Eat slowly, chew the food, and taste the flavors. Eating slowly and chewing well prevents overeating and increases satiety (19). A study showed that slow eating also helped people with type 2 diabetes reduce weight (20).

13. Drink Black Coffee

Black coffee contains caffeine. Studies have found that the caffeine in black coffee might help reduce BMI and promotes fat loss (21). A research study showed that 4 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg caffeine increased metabolic rate in people with obesity (22).

Another study on lab animals showed better glucose tolerance and prevented weight gain (23).

Consume two cups of black coffee per day to burn fat. Avoid it if you are caffeine sensitive.

14. Avoid Alcohol

Frequent and excessive alcohol consumption causes weight gain (24). It is best to avoid consuming alcohol for at least two weeks to shed the fat fast. You may consume a glass of wine at the end of Week 2 to celebrate your new lifestyle.

15. Consume Probiotics

Probiotics are good gut bacteria that help in digestion and reduce the risk of obesity and metabolic defects (25). Consume plain yogurt, probiotic drinks, kimchi, and sauerkraut to increase the number and variety of good gut bacteria.

16. Consume Healthy Snacks

Feeling hungry between meals is normal. You must be careful with the snacks you choose to consume to lose weight fast. Consume healthy snacks, like carrot, cucumber, baked chips, hummus, fruits, coconut water, buttermilk, and freshly pressed fruit juice. Avoid unhealthy snacks at all costs.

Feder says, “Bread can be good or bad for losing weight, depending on the type of bread you eat. If you eat processed white bread, and a lot of it, you are more likely to gain weight over time. This is because white bread does not contain any fiber or nutrients that can help you feel full. Additionally, this will spike your blood sugar and then make you hungry quite quickly once digested. ”

Eva adds, “Bread can be an ally in weight loss if we choose wisely. I always go for whole-grain bread because it is high in fiber. And to lose weight, fiber is the name of the game. Among many benefits, fiber increases satiety, so we don’t feel hungry immediately after eating. And it also reduces the number of calories we can absorb from food. It’s a win-win situation!”

Related: 22 Yummy Oil-Free Snacks For A Healthy You (With Recipes)

17. Consume Dinner Early

Have your dinner by 7 PM. You will get 2-3 hours to digest the food before you hit the bed. Eating late and sleeping right after prevents proper digestion. Also, if you choose to consume carbs, have your dinner before 7 PM.

18. Take A Walk After Dinner

Take a stroll after dinner. It will help digest the food and use up some calories as you walk. You can do it with your friends, spouse, colleagues, alone, or with your dog. Walking will also relax your mind.

19. Avoid Late-Night Snacking

Do not stay awake more than 2-3 hours after your dinner. You will feel hungry and might end up snacking, which will prevent you from losing the extra inches. Brush your teeth and read a book or listen to soothing music to help you fall asleep on time.

20. Run!

Woman running for weight lossSave

Image: IStock

Running is a great cardio and helps you shed fat from the whole body. It also helps improve stamina and lung capacity. You must run if you want to get slim. All you need are running shoes, workout clothes, and a treadmill or a running track near you. You must also be careful about your running posture. If you are not too sure about how to start running, here’s a detailed post.

21. Try Other Aerobics

Apart from running, you must also try other aerobics. Aerobic exercises use oxygen while using glucose, glycogen, or protein as fuel. You may go for Zumba, step aerobics, swim, a spin class or kickboxing, walk, or do yoga.

22. Do HIIT

HIIT or high- intensity interval training is an anaerobic exercise (does not use oxygen). HIIT burns fat rather than glucose or glycogen.

Bouts of high-intensity exercises with equally spaced rest phases help burn more calories than moderate-intensity exercises. Studies found that HIIT reduced 28.5% fat compared to moderate-intensity exercises and increased glucose tolerance (26), (27).

Do HIIT at least twice a week for 30-45 minutes, and you will shed fat and get a chiseled body.

23. Do Strength Training

Strength training is all about strengthening and toning your muscles. You may lift weights, do bodyweight workouts and isometric exercises, and use resistance bands and TRX bands.

However, do not only restrict yourself to strength training. To lose weight, you must do 4-5 hours of cardio in the first 3-4 weeks and then start 2-3 hours of strength training per week.

Related: 15 Best Upper Body Strength Training Exercises For Women

24. Play A Sport

Play an outdoor sport. You will burn calories, sweat, improve lung capacity, balance, mobility, brain and muscle coordination, get shots of “feel good” hormones, be more energetic, and make great friends!

25. Enjoy A Cheat Meal

If you adhere to a healthy lifestyle for a week, you will earn one cheat meal. Cheat meals act as “caloric shock” and prevent the body from adapting to a new diet and reaching a weight loss plateau.

On a cheat meal day, you will consume an extra 500 calories in one of the meals. But not exceed the 500-calorie limit. You may consume any food of your choice.

You can also check out our highly recommended Fast Metabolism Diet to kickstart your metabolism.

26. Take The Stairs

If you want to get slim quickly, change a few habits that you don’t even realize you have. For example, taking the elevator. Start taking the stairs and burn a few extra calories. You will be happy and thankful for choosing stairs over the elevator.

Note: Avoid the stairs if you have a knee injury or are recovering from surgery.

27. Get Proper Sleep

Woman sleeping for weight loss and rejuvenationSave

Image: IStock

Research shows that sleep deprivation also causes weight gain (28). Get at least 7 hours of sleep every day. Sleep helps to rejuvenate your mind and repair the muscles in the body. If you do not get a good night’s sleep, your brain will be stressed out and cannot function properly. When that happens, you will be more prone to eating unhealthy and gaining weight.

Go to sleep within 2-3 hours of having dinner. Push away all the worries by reading a book or listening to music. Get up early so that you have time to work out and prepare a good breakfast.

28. De-stress Regularly

Take out at least 30-45 minutes every day for yourself. Uses that time to de-stress and unwind. Do the things that you like to do – draw, paint, read, write, listen to a podcast or your favorite music, or just stargaze! Try not to get bothered about work, school, or anything else. Practice deep breathing.

29. Seek Help

We often tend to not discuss our problems and avoid being open. This not only causes you to gain weight due to the mounting stress but also puts your health at risk. Talk to your bestie or anyone you consider close. You can also seek professional help if something is bothering you too much and is hampering your day-to-day life.

30. Take A Break

Take a break from your routine. Go on trips, learn a few new skills, or watch movies to break the monotony. A change of place and activity will release the “feel good” hormones that fill us with a sense of satisfaction. This will make us stop depending on comfort food to feel better.