Weight loss is something many individuals which to achieve, but most won’t for a variety of reasons. One of the biggest contributors to unrealized weight loss is the massive amount of conflicting information that abounds on the internet and social media.
Eggs are bad...eggs are good.
Fat is bad...fat is good.
Carbs are bad...carbs are good.
You get the idea.
What’s more is that a lot of the diet advice you’ll encounter promotes strategies that are extreme, unsustainable and requires considerable amounts of time and effort.
But, the truth is that dieting doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming.
And, we’re going to show you how!
Here are 9 diet hacks that are easy, effective, and sustainableto help make your transformation challenge as successful as possible!
9 Diet Hacks to Try Right Now for Easier Fat Loss
#1 Eat More Protein
The power of protein is unequivocal when it comes to optimizing fat loss.
It is the most energy-intensive macronutrient for your body to digest, taking more time and energy to break down, absorb, and utilize than carbohydrates or fats. While that might sound like a negative, it’s actually a very good thing for weight loss.
Protein keeps you feeling fuller for longer periods of time, andyour body is forced to burn more calories digesting it than other macronutrients, providing a dual-pronged benefit for fat loss. Consuming enough protein also supports immune function and promotes recovery, allowing you to train more frequently and burn more calories!
Numerous studies have also shown that higher protein diets yield greater satiety as well as better fat loss and muscle retention while dieting, which bodes well for achieving optimal body composition (and avoiding the skinny fat look) after your transformation challenge is complete.[1,2,3]
Put into practice, make sure every meal or snack you have is centered around a high-quality protein. Some of our favorite protein sources are:
- Beef
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Pork
- Eggs
- Greek Yogurt
- Cheese
In addition to the foods outlined above, it may also be useful to supplement with protein powder, such as 1UP Whey protein or 1UP Organic Vegan Protein. Many of us lead hectic lives where we don’t always have time to prep, cook, and eat a full meal (or clean up the mess afterwards).
Protein powder offers a convenient, affordable, and delicious option to help you hit your protein goals each and every day no matter how busy you are.
Plus, research also shows that protein powder supplementation can enhance body fat loss and weight loss![4]
#2 Pile on the Veggies
Alongside your portion of lean protein, make sure there’s a healthy serving (or two or three) of vegetables on your dinner plate.
Veggies are low in calories, rich in vitamins and essential minerals, and high in fiber, which takes up space in your stomach and slows digestion, which helps keep you feeling full.
In fact, most veggies are so low in calories (especially green vegetables like kale, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, etc.) that many individuals don’t even bother counting them.
The takeaway here is that before you dive headfirst into the mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, or other starchy side with your meal, make sure you get in your lean protein and greens first!
And, if you need added support getting in enough greens each day, check out 1UP Organic Greens & Reds which contains 19 organic fruits and vegetables to support digestion, immune function, and metabolism.
Our Greens & Reds formula is vegan-certified ensuring only plant based vegan natural ingredient sources are used to make our product. Furthermore, our Organic Greens & Reds is non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free and contains no Synthetic or artificial Ingredients, no added sugar, and no sucralose.
#3 Slow Down
It’s quite common these days, especially with our hustle-and-bustle lifestyle, to either eat in-transit or shovel our food down so quickly it’s gone before we can even taste it. Yet, this is directly hindering your weight loss results.
You see, it takes between 20-30 minutes for our brains to register that we’ve had enough food to eat. What this means is that if you woof down your food faster than Kobeyashi during a hot dog eating contest, you’ll end up eating far more calories than you should, which inevitably leads to you overeating for the day.
Instead of trying to break the Guinness World Record for fastest completion of a post-workout meal, try eating slower and being more mindful of what you’re feeding your mind and body. Doing so will give your brain enough time to register the signals from your stomach that you’ve had enough to eat, which can help prevent overeating.
You’ll also get more enjoyment from the foods you’re eating, and if you’re dining with others, you’ll be able to partake and savor their company and conversation.
#4 Drink Water Before Each Meal
Drinking a big glass of water (at least 16oz / 500mL) can help take up space in your stomach and cause it to expand, which sends a signal to your brain and can help you not overeat.
Research even shows that having a water preload can help reduce calorie intake, which helps you maintain the negative energy balance that’s required to lose weight.[5,6]
Drinking water before each meal also helps ensure you’re staying sufficiently hydrated during the day, which is important since many individuals often mistake hunger for thirst. To top it off, staying adequately hydrated also supports performance, promotes recovery, and boosts metabolism.
#5 Track Your Food
One of the pillars of fat loss is making sure that you’re consuming fewer calories than you burn each day. The only way to know with reasonable certainty that you are actually sticking to your calorie limits for the day is to track your food.
Research shows that the average individual over-estimates how many calories they burn during exercise and underestimate how many calories they eat, which is the perfect recipe for stalled fat loss and potential weight gain.
By closely tracking your food, either using an app like MyFitnessPal or pen & paper, you reduce the guesswork in your weight loss plan, which bodes well for achieving your goals.
#6 Keep Healthy, High-Protein Snacks on Hand
We all have those days when there’s not enough time to sit down and eat a meal, let alone prep and cook one.
In these instances, it can be tempting to hit the drive-thru or order take-out. But, these options are often very high in calories, carbs, and fat, while being woefully low in protein and fiber (both of which keep you feeling full).
Instead of hitting the fast-food restaurants (or raiding the office vending machine), make sure you always have some type of healthy snack on hand, preferably one that’s based around protein.
Some great high-protein, hunger-crushing snacks are:
- Cheese
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Beef jerky
- Mixed nuts
- Protein bars
1UP Protein bars are high in protein, cold pressed, and contain no sucralose, no Preservatives, and no trans fat. They’re available in a wide range of flavors (sure to suit any palate), and make the perfect on-the-go snack to help you keep on track with your diet and physique goals!
#7 Practice Mindfulness
We touched on this above, but it bears repeating for emphasis.
Too often we’re caught up in what’s going on around us (or on our phones) and we don’t take time to live in the moment. This invariably leads to not savoring or appreciating the food we’re eating while at the same time causing us to eat more than we need.
Distracted eating (not being mindful) is known to lead to increased calorie intake and weight creep.
Simply put, stop letting things distract you when you’re sitting down to eat. If it helps, set a reminder on your phone to turn off electronics (including your phone) during mealtime so that you can focus on what you’re doing as well as the people you may be sharing a meal with.
#8 Focus on the Process
Building off of the previous point, being mindful not only applies to being in the moment when you’re eating, but also extends to what you’re doing throughout the day.
When preparing a meal, eating it, or even organizing your training program, ask yourself some simple questions:
- Is this food part of my meal plan?
- Does this meal bring me closer to or further away from my goals?
- Am I eating foods that bring me nourishment and enjoyment?
- How is this food affecting my mood, performance and recovery?
- Could I improve on my diet plan?
Taking a step back, analyzing what lies before you, and what you are about to do helps you shift your mindset from a results-fixated one to a process-oriented one which will bring your greater fulfillment and keep you motivated to keep on keepin’ on during your transformation challenge.
#9 Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good
We’re human, which means we’ll inevitably make a mistake, such as having a dessert or snack that’s not exactly included in our meal plan. The individuals that adhere to the “all or nothing” mentality will view this misstep as the proverbial “nail in the coffin” to their weight loss aspirations.
But, the truth is that, adopting this mindset impairs long-term success and invariably leads to jumping on and off the dieting bandwagon. your dieting process and get you nowhere fast.
When (not if) you have a “moment of weakness”, acknowledge it, own it, and move on. Do Not Dwell On It!
Accept this mess up and live to fight another day, which means getting immediately back on track with your meal plan at the next meal.
Over the coming weeks, these dietary hiccups will dwindle and you’ll develop better control of your decisions/actions.
Takeaway
Losing weight takes time, patience, consistency, and dedication.
It will (in all likelihood) require some retooling of your current diet and exercise habits, but it’s important to remember that making long-term changes requires small steps.
We’ve outlined 9 different steps you can take to enhance your transformation challenge results, but the key is to try one at a time.
Allow yourself about two weeks to adjust and ingrain a new habit before trying to add another one.
As the weeks progress, you’ll find that these small diet hacks will compound on each other into an all-encompassing weight loss strategy that maximizes results and minimizes stress!
References
- Veldhorst M, Smeets A, Soenen S, Hochstenbach-Waelen A, Hursel R, Diepvens K, Lejeune M, Luscombe-Marsh N, Westerterp-Plantenga M. Protein-induced satiety: effects and mechanisms of different proteins. Physiol Behav. 2008 May 23;94(2):300-7. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.01.003. Epub 2008 Jan 12. PMID: 18282589.
- Wycherley TP, Moran LJ, Clifton PM, Noakes M, Brinkworth GD. Effects of energy-restricted high-protein, low-fat compared with standard-protein, low-fat diets: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Dec;96(6):1281-98. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.044321. Epub 2012 Oct 24. PMID: 23097268.
- Astrup A, Raben A, Geiker N. The role of higher protein diets in weight control and obesity-related comorbidities. Int J Obes (Lond). 2015 May;39(5):721-6. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2014.216. Epub 2014 Dec 26. PMID: 25540980; PMCID: PMC4424378.
- Lopes Gomes D, Moehlecke M, Lopes da Silva FB, Dutra ES, D'Agord Schaan B, Baiocchi de Carvalho KM. Whey Protein Supplementation Enhances Body Fat and Weight Loss in Women Long After Bariatric Surgery: a Randomized Controlled Trial. Obes Surg. 2017 Feb;27(2):424-431. doi: 10.1007/s11695-016-2308-8. PMID: 27885532.
- 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.
- Parretti, H.M., Aveyard, P., Blannin, A., Clifford, S.J., Coleman, S.J., Roalfe, A. and Daley, A.J. (2015), Efficacy of water preloading before main meals as a strategy for weight loss in primary care patients with obesity: RCT. Obesity, 23: 1785-1791. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21167
