Losing weight is usually never as simple as eating less, choosing a different diet or simply deciding to exercise more. Let’s be right: it’s always a combination of all these strategies, combined with heartfelt self-discipline, a supportive network of friends and family, and all sorts of smart tips and tricks you can use to help yourself along the way. After all, there is a reason why a large number of dieters simply quit, and about 80% of people who have successfully lost weight stop getting back most of it. Weight loss will be followed by fatigue and constant tiredness.
However, if you are determined to lose weight, a brand new study is published in the journal Obesity contains some interesting data that you can potentially use to make your own weight loss a little easier, and it highlights the importance of tracking your weight loss goals with all the digital tools at hand.
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For the study, researchers from Stanford University analyzed the results of nearly 40 weight loss trials with overweight or obese people conducted over ten years and observed nearly 70 different types of digital self-control in all. At the end of the study, more than 70% of the dieters who used digital self-monitoring technology as part of their weight loss efforts experienced successful weight loss. The most common techniques used to help with weight loss were simply websites (66%), followed by apps (33%), wearables (11%), electronic scales (12%) and text messages (12%).
“Frequent self-control via digital health is linked to greater weight loss during behavioral interventions,” the study concludes. “This association was maintained regardless of which domains were self-monitored or which digital methods were used.”
The study also notes that “the rate of engagement was higher in digital than in paper-based self-monitoring.”
However, there is a caveat. Weight loss success associated with digital self-monitoring was most successful in the short term. Those who tracked and recorded their progress within a time frame of less than a year successfully lost weight with 84% success. Those who tracked for more than a year had only 47% success. “Longer intervention duration hardened this relationship,” the study explains, “suggesting that self-monitoring may be less effective for weight loss over time, either because engagement decreases or because the weight loss rate is slow despite a similar degree of engagement.”
Still, if you are dedicated to your goals, the data shows that it is wise to sign up for a website that can help you track your progress and your goals. And for a few more little tricks and strategies you can use along the way to help you reach your goals, read on, because we’re included some here. And for more great health news, read the drug “Game Changer” which can help you lose 10 pounds.
If you train tomorrow morning, prepare for it tonight by making your morning routine as frictionless and as easy as possible. “When you are tired in the morning, you can find excuses why not go to the gym or work out,” he says Allen Conrad, BS, DC, CSCS. “Getting everything packed and ready to go helps you stay consistent with your program period.” And if you’re looking for good workout inspiration, make sure you try The One Workout That Drives 29 percent more fat loss, Science says.
Jinan Banna, Ph.D., RD, CDN, professor of nutrition at the University of Hawaii in Manoa, says that one of the best ways to maintain a disciplined diet is to “pamper” your favorite dishes – yes, healthier twists on them. “If you love ice cream, you can try mixing your own simple ice cream with banana, almond milk, peanut butter and ice cream,” she advises.
According to a study published in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolismafter drinking about two long glasses of water, the participants’ metabolism increased by 30 percent. Researchers estimate that increasing water intake to just six cups a day will burn an additional 17,400 calories a year – a five-pound weight loss.
A study published in the journal Molecular metabolism found that “cold ambient temperatures” will encourage your body to produce more vitamin A, which helps your body convert white fat (the bad type) into brown fat (the good type). When this happens, your body burns more energy than it stores as fat. And for healthier life advice, know that this incredible four-second workout actually works, says new study.
