Are you gaining much weight and feeling uncomfortable about it? Or are you looking for ways to go about breaking down excess fat from your body? Gaining weight does not only feel funny but it is also a sign of unhealthy living. It can be a gateway for so many health problems like obesity, cardiac disabilities and many others. If you notice you are gaining weight, then what you need to do is to take in fewer calories and burn more calories because weight gain means you have been taking in too many calories than are necessary. Before going ahead to know how we can lose weight efficiently, let’s look at some of the causes of weight gain.

Genetics

Children of obese parents often become obese like their parents whereas those of lean parents become lean. However, as we will see latter, gaining weight is something that can be controlled though it is genetic.

Food Cravings or Addiction

Some foods tend to be so addictive. Examples are artificial sweeteners and high fat junk which tend to stimulate that reward center in our brains. Such food can cause addiction to an extent that we can lose control over our eating habits and we end up becoming more like people suffering from the addiction of alcohol, cocaine, or even nicotine. People who are addicted to food overeat just like people who are addicted to alcohol lose control over their drinking habits. The problem with addiction is that it is difficult to overcome and it ends up making us gain more weight than one expects. We no longer make decisions on what to eat or how much to eat but rather the biochemistry in our brains make the decision for us.

Insulin

Insulin is the hormone produced in our bodies which regulate energy storage and perform many other functions. The storage of fat in our bodies for example depend on the insulin produced. The question is, how does this hormone cause weight gain? This hormone tells the fat cells in our bodies to store fat and to maintain the fat they already carry. This will mean that high insulin level will lead to an increase in weight gain because of the so much fat that would be stored. This article will hint us on how to manage the release of insulin.

Sugar

Sugar is one of the causes of weight gain in many obese people today. It is something one cannot avoid because of how it tastes. The truth is that sugar has an effect on hormonal secretion and the biochemistry of our bodies anytime we consume it in high quantities which leads to weight gain. The majority of fructose we get comes from added sugar. Fructose on its part increases the level of insulin in the body thereby leading to an increase in the storage of energy in the body. Therefore, when we consume sugar in larger amounts, we risk gaining weight.

You don’t eat enough protein

Eating enough protein keeps you full and reduces overeating. The good thing about consuming protein is that it helps in the maintaining of lean muscles mass. When there is protein in the body, the body does not need to break down muscle in order to access the nutrients it is searching for. And we have to note that less muscle mass will lead to a slow rate of metabolism which leads to weight gain over the course of time.

The availability of food

Any food you want to eat can be found around you. For example, shops display junk foods which always gain your attention and appear to be very cheap and affordable than healthy and whole foods. When one starts living on this junk food, one begins to gain weight.

Engineered junk foods are designed to be very cheap and taste so good that one cannot resist. These foods are made to taste good so as to increase their sales but they tend to promote overeating. It seems like these foods are designed to hook people and they are very addictive.

From the above points listed, we are able to see that weight gain has a root cause and in order for us to deal with it, there are certain steps we must take. Now, let’s look at some simple and effective steps one can take in order to lose weight efficiently.

Drink enough water

If you have trouble losing weight, then consider drinking enough water. Water can help accelerate weight loss because it increases metabolism rate thereby burning down calories in the body. It can be extremely useful if it replaces other beverages that are high in calories or sugar. In many cases, the excess calories in our bodies are brought in by the consistent drinking of soft drinks. When we drink soft drinks, we may not notice that we have taken in much calories because these drinks don’t trigger a sense of fullness the way food does. Replace the habit of drinking soft drinks consistently with the drinking of water. You can go ahead and drink your soft drinks during breakfast but throughout the day, stick to water. This helps you to control the excessive intake of calories into the body through soft drinks. Water can keep you full and reduces one’s cravings for food. This helps you to be able to stay for long without eating anything but yet still satisfied. It is said that we gain lot of weight when we are dehydrated. This usually happens when we don’t drink water before each meal. It is proven that when we take two cups of water before our meals, the process of weight loss is accelerated and we don’t end up overeating because our stomach is full already. The good effect of drinking much water is that it gives us energy and help maintain our body temperature. Water is life. So you should take in more of it. It is something we can easily access. Therefore, make use of this common element and lose weight efficiently. Drink 0.5 liters of water may augment the amount of calories you burn by 24-30% for an hour afterward, says Adda Bjarnadottir. Do not wait until you are thirsty. Keep sipping your H₂O throughout the day and you will see what I am talking about. The best way to cut weight is to stick to water.

Reduce your intake of added sugar

Most processed foods have significant amount of sugar and the amount can be hidden to you to an extent that you end up consuming a larger amount of sugar without knowing it. This usually happens when we go for added sugar with the feeling that the one put in processed foods is not enough. In a case where you cannot avoid these processed foods, the best way to avoid the intake of a lot of sugar is to limit your intake of added sugar. Sugar tastes good and it is difficult to keep away from but consuming more of it is not good for your health. Limiting your consumption of sugar is not just to help you lose some weight but will also keep you away from diseases like heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Everyone wants to live long and so one just have to reduce the intake of added sugar. To lose weight efficiently, all you have to do is to reduce your intake of calories and also burn some in the body. Consuming added sugar will only cause you to gain more weight and that is not what you want. If you cannot stop taking supplementary sugar, then just reduce the intake. It is still going to help you. This article is not just to inform one on how to lose weight but as well on how to control weight loss. It is important to know that gaining weight stems from the fact one is unable to control his or her weight.

Most times, we wait for fat to accumulate in our bellies or other parts of bodies or even wait for it to deform our bodies before we start looking for measures on how to reduce it. This should not be the case. When looking for simple ways to slim down, then be ready to look for measures to maintain your weight even after you succeed to lose some weight. If you have trouble losing weight because you cannot break away from the habit of consuming added sugar, then you should consider seeing your doctor.

Keep away from artificial sweetener

Most people who avoid sugar in the pretext of reducing their calorie intake turn to artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners do not help in weight loss. Science has proven that artificial sweeteners increase appetite and maintain cravings for sweet food. Instead of drinking drinks with artificial sweeteners, stick to water if you want to loseweightefficiently. These sweeteners cause you to become addicted to sweets and as well increase your desires for snacks. When we become addicted to sweets, it becomes difficult to break away from the habits of eating them. This will therefore mean an increase in the amount of calories in the body.

Most people who are obese usually consume a lot of sweets. If you cannot avoid eating sweets, then eat them in moderation. When it becomes excess, it becomes a problem. If you are worried that you cannot stop the habit of eating too much sweets, then see your doctor. If you havetroublelosingweight, then you have to do this: reduce your intake of added sugar and keep away from artificial sweeteners.

To keep your body in shape, there are some sacrifices you must make and that includes keeping away from artificial sweeteners. This is also a principle of living a healthy life. There are so many foods out there which taste good but are not good for our health. Most people with cardiac problems are usually obese. The body has fatty glands and so when this fat over accumulates, it becomes a problem for the body to deal with. It should also be noted that when there is too much fat in the blood, it may accumulate and block the blood vessels in the body.

Do not eat too much dairy products and nuts

If you are looking for simple ways to slim down, then this is what you need to do: eat less of dairy products and nuts. The problem is that dairy products like yoghurt, cream and cheese contain varying amount of milk sugar (lactose) and this slows down weight loss. Dairy products are good but it is wrong when we tend to eat a lot of them. For example, eating cheese in front of the TV when we are not hungry and eating a lot of cream with dessert when we are actually satisfied but still eat because we cannot get enough of the taste. Here, we see that the problem comes with eating too much of dairy products.

As we saw earlier, we should eat everything in moderation and drink water as much as possible. Nuts on the other hand, contain a significant amount of carbohydrate. Nuts like cashew nuts contain around 20% carbohydrate and one must also know that salted nuts tempt us to overeat even when we are already full. We eat much when the food tastes good but if we love our bodies, then we should consume less. Therefore, if you want to accelerate your rate of weight loss, then consume less nuts and dairy products. This is because the nutrients in these products will only increase weight gain and not the contrary.

Eat only when hungry

Most of us cannot tell what it is like to feel hungry. This is because we do not eat only when we are hungry but in many cases, we eat out of boredom, habit and frustration, pleasure. In a case where you hankering for a particular food, it is not hunger but food cravings. It can only be hunger when you eat anything you have at hand at that particular time. If you are willing to lose some weight, then you must be ready to eat only when you are hungry. We overeat anytime we eat when we are not hungry. If you have abnormal cravings for food and cannot handle it, then you need to see your doctor. And when hungry, go for low carbohydrate diet and if you are not hungry, do not eat. Eating a lot of food frequently can slow down weight loss. Most people who gain a lot of weight eat anytime they feel like and not when they are hungry. The best way to cut weight is to eat only when hungry and to stick to low carbohydrate meal.

Go for low carbohydrate diet

Though mentioned above, it is necessary that we elaborate on this point. Avoiding starch and sugar is just the best way to cut weight. A good example of a starchy food is bread. The good thing about sticking to a low carbohydrate diet is that it reduces hunger and causes you to eat less and also increases the burning of fat in the body. Studies has shown that when you focus on a low carbohydrate diet, you burn 300 more calories a day. Most people who cannot stop eating much can eat as much as they want if they are dealing a low carbohydrate diet. When you go for low carbohydrate diet, your level of insulin is lowered leading to the burning of the fat in your body. As we have seen above, insulin is that hormone which regulates the storage of fat in the body. When it is produced at a high level, there is an increase in the storage of fat. This definitely will mean that the lesser the insulin, the higher the breakdown of fat and this makes you a fat burning machine as you tend to lose fat with no efforts.

Eat a lot spicy foods

Some spices in food are not just there to make it taste good, they are also very good for the health. In fact, if you are looking for simple ways to slim down or the best way to cut weight, then this is what you should do: eat a lot a lot of spicy foods. Some spices are able to fight food cravings and boost fat burning and weight loss. Let’s take a look at some spices and their role in weight loss.

• Cayenne pepper

This is a type of chili pepper which is used to add flavor to many dishes. This pepper has its heat due to the presence of capsaicin which also provides it with numerous health benefits. Capsaicin reduces hunger thereby promoting weight loss. It has been proven that capsaicin reduces levels of ghrelin, a hormone which is responsible for stimulating hunger. It also boosts metabolism leading to the burning a significant number of calories during the day. This is to tell us that cayenne pepper does not just add flavor to your dish but plays an important role as far as losing weight or maintaining weight is concerned. Those who have taken capsaicin capsules also testify of how they lose some weight as this compound keeps you full and decreases total calorie intake. If you have trouble losing weight or looking for one of the simple ways to slim down, then you should consider adding cayenne pepper to your dish.

• Turmeric

Turmeric is not just loved for its flavor, nice color but it is also highly revered for its medical properties. The presence of curcumin in turmeric provides it with these properties. This chemical has been proven to have effects on many things such as inflammation and weight loss. Curcumin in the body enhances fat loss, breaks down belly fat and ensures weight loss. Therefore, if you want to lose some weight, then consider consuming turmeric daily.

• Ginger

Ginger helps to increase metabolism and accelerate the fat burning process in the body. It decreases appetite leading to less feeding and eventual weight loss.

• Black pepper

Black pepper is gotten from the dried fruit of Piper nigrum. This spice is effective in weight loss due to the presence of piperine. The pungent flavor which comes from black pepper is also provided by piperine. If you have trouble losing weight, then you have considered adding black pepper to your meal.

• Cinnamon

Cinnamon is made from the inner back of trees in the Cinnamomum genus. This aromatic spice is rich in antioxidants and research has shown that it can increase weight loss. It can help reduce appetite and help to stabilize blood sugar. Research has shown that cinnamon can decrease the levels of digestive enzymes and this helps to slow down the breaking of carbohydrate. This is to tell us that cinnamon is very good not just because of its aroma but because of its health benefits. If you are looking for the best way to cut weight, then add cinnamon to your dish. Supplementing these spices is very good because you get to enjoy your meal while they help you lose weight efficiently.

• Cumin

The dried and ground seeds of Cuminum Cyminum produces the cumin spice. The Cuminum is said to belong to the parsley family. This spice helps accelerate weight loss and fat burning. Most people choose to consume cumin in yoghurts and the good thing is that they still have the same results which is weight loss and breaking of body fat.

• Cardamon

Cardamon can be used in both baking and cooking but has great health benefits. It helps promote weight loss and reduces body fats.

• Fenugreek

This is a household spice which is gotten from the legume family. Research has shown that fenugreek controls appetite thereby promoting weight loss. This spice gives a sense of fullness and reduce hunger thereby regulating the number of calories entering into the body.

Eating spicy foods is a good measure to put in place when you have trouble losing weight. Most at times we have trouble losing weight because we cannot break away from the habit of overeating. When you include these spices into your meal, you have a sense of fullness and your appetite is controlled leading to a lesser intake of calories in the body. If you are looking for simple ways to slim down, then consider eating spicy foods.