Here are 7 simple habits to supercharge weight loss that you can start practicing right now to get jaw-dropping results during your transformation challenge.
7 Simple Habits to Supercharge Weight Loss
#1 Have a Glass of Water Before Meals
Before you sit down to eat your next meal (or have a hankering for a snack), drink a big glass of water.
Research also shows that drinking water before a meal can help reduce calorie intake during mealtime.[1,2]
Extrapolated out over the course of days, weeks, and months, this culminates in huge calorie savings which can help you lose weight faster and with less effort!
If you’re not a fan of water, you can try drinking sparkling water, water infused with fruit slices, and/or having a serving of 1UP His or Her BCAA/EAA mixed up in 16 ounces of water before mealtime.
And, if you’re someone who struggles to consume enough fluids during the day, it can be helpful to carry around a water bottle with you and/or set a reminder on your phone or calendar to hydrate periodically throughout the day.
#2 Set a Fiber Goal
Fiber is the indigestible component of plant foods, which means our bodies derive negligible calories from them.
Now, that doesn’t mean that fiber isn’t beneficial. Quite the contrary.
First and foremost, it serves as an important source of food for our gut bacteria, which keeps our microbiome happy and healthy.
Second (and more importantly regarding weight loss), fiber helps slow digestion and increase feelings of satiety, which can help prevent overeating and keep you on track with your calorie goals for the day -- both of which support weight loss!
Recommendation for fiber intake are 14 grams per 1,000 calories consumed.[3]
Sources of fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
If you need assistance reaching your fiber goals each day (and let’s be honest, some days it can be a challenge to hit the daily recommended amount), it may be advantageous to use a fiber supplement, such as 1UP Fiber Plus.
Fiber Plus is a 3-in-1 fiber product supplying 8 grams of dietary fiber from natural sources as well as vitamin C and probiotics for added digestive health support.
#3 Lift Weights
When it comes to supercharging weight loss, most people default to performing endless hours of steady-state cardio (jogging, ellipticalling, etc.). While that’s all fine and good, if there was only one form of exercise to focus on when dieting, it should be resistance training (i.e. lifting weights).
The reason for this is that lifting weights helps build muscle and strength (which boosts metabolism and the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns...even at rest!).
Furthermore, resistance training (and other intense forms of exercise, such as HIIT), not only boosts calorie burning during a workout but for hours and hours afterwards!
To help dedicated gym rats attack their training sessions with added intensity, focus, and motivation, we’ve created a pair of top-tier pre workout supplements in 1UP Pre Men and 1UP Pre Women.
And, for those caffeine-sensitive individuals or those who enjoy training in the late evening/nighttime, we’ve also created 1UP Stim-Free, which delivers all the energy, focus, performance, and pumps of our flagship pre workout supplements minus the caffeine.
#4 Chew Gum Between Meals
One of the most common challenges individuals face when dieting is avoiding the temptation to snack between meals. Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with snacking, but if it forces you to exceed your calorie goals for the day, then it’s preventing you from losing weight.
One of the easiest ways to help prevent snacking (and freshen your breath!) is to chew on a piece of sugar-free gum. Research has found that gum chewing can suppress appetite and reduce the the desire for sweets and snack intake.[4,5]
If snacking between meals is a real challenge for you, you can also look into using an appetite suppressant, such as 1UP Appetite Suppressant, which contains natural, non-stimulant ingredients to help curb cravings and keep you on track with your diet and weight loss goals.
#5 Practice Mindfulness
These days we’re busier than ever, juggling work demands, family obligations, and weekly workouts, never mind trying to etch some personal time where you can just block out all the noise.
In this constant state of hustle and bustle, we try to multitask, and for most of us that entails trying to work and eat at the same time. However, this distracted eating often leads to eating too many calories.
Therefore, one of the most effective (and simplest) things you can do to help keep calorie intake in check, and enjoy your meals more, is to practice mindfulness when you sit down to eat.
Being mindful essentially means eliminating distractions and focusing on being present on what you’re eating and why you’re eating it. Appreciate and enjoy the food you’re eating, and if you’re in the company of others, enjoy their fellowship and conversation.
#6 Ditch Calorie-Containing Liquids
Liquid calories are one of the biggest sources of “empty” calories in the diet.
The reason we say they’re “empty” is that, by and large, calorie-containing drinks (juices, gourmet coffees, energy drinks, soda, etc.) offer little in the way of protein, fiber, or satiety, but they do take a considerable chunk out of your daily energy requirements.
Removing just one sugary beverage a day from your diet (between 150-200 calories) can cut 4500-6000 calories in a month! Extrapolated over the course of a year, that’s over 15 pounds of fat dropped!
In place of these sugar bombs, try to incorporate more zero-calorie or low-calorie options into your daily diet, such as plain water, carbonated water, mineral water, flavored water (infused with fruit slices), or a serving of His or Her BCAA/EAA.
#7 Stretch It Out
Many of us sit all day long, and in the present climate, more of us are working from home than ever before, which invariably involves more sitting.
One way to increase energy expenditure and break out of the monotony of sitting all day is to get up and stretch periodically throughout the day.
If you find that you’re starting to get neck aches, tight hip flexors, or a cranky low back from sitting too much, it may be helpful to stand up, walk around, and stretch for a few minutes every hour or two.
Plus, stretching and extra movement during the day (outside of dedicated workouts) helps to increase your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) which increases total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and supports weight loss.
References
- Corney RA, Sunderland C, James LJ. Immediate pre-meal water ingestion decreases voluntary food intake in lean young males. Eur J Nutr. 2016 Mar;55(2):815-819. doi: 10.1007/s00394-015-0903-4. Epub 2015 Apr 18. PMID: 25893719.
- Davy BM, Dennis EA, Dengo AL, Wilson KL, Davy KP. Water consumption reduces energy intake at a breakfast meal in obese older adults. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008 Jul;108(7):1236-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2008.04.013. PMID: 18589036; PMCID: PMC2743119.
- https://www.fiberfacts.org/consumer-recommended-daily-intake/
- Hetherington MM, Regan MF. Effects of chewing gum on short-term appetite regulation in moderately restrained eaters. Appetite. 2011 Oct;57(2):475-82. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2011.06.008. Epub 2011 Jun 28. PMID: 21718732.
- Hetherington MM, Boyland E. Short-term effects of chewing gum on snack intake and appetite. Appetite. 2007 May;48(3):397-401. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2006.10.001. Epub 2006 Nov 21. PMID: 17118491.
