18 Science-Backed Weight Loss Tips That Will Help You Lose Weight & Stay Healthy

Many science-backed weight loss tips can help you lose weight safely and stay healthy.

Some of these tips are easy to follow, but others require a bit more effort.

If you're looking for some simple ways to shed pounds and keep them off for good, these 18 suggestions will give you a great place to start:

1. Exercise Frequently

Exercise can help you lose weight, manage your weight, maintain your weight and feel better about yourself. It's also been shown to help people live longer.

The trick here is not how hard you exercise once in a while, but the frequency of exercising. The perfect exercise routine is a daily routine that lasts for around 20 minutes.

So if you're looking for a healthy lifestyle or a way to get in shape or stay healthy, regular exercise is the way to go.

2. Get Enough Sleep

You may have heard that sleep is important for weight and body fat loss, but have you ever questioned how that works?

Let's take a look at how much sleep you need and when to go to bed so that you can improve your eating habits and start getting better quality rest.

In general, most people need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night.

If you're feeling tired during the day or waking up groggy in the morning (even after getting enough rest), this could be an indication that your sleep schedule needs some tweaking.

If possible, try going to bed at the same time every night so that your body knows when it's time for rest.

This will help regulate melatonin production and improve the overall healthiness of your circadian rhythm (the 24-hour cycle).

3. Drink Lots of Water

Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your body.

It helps to flush out toxins, keeps your digestive system running smoothly, and helps you feel full, all of which are important components in a successful weight loss plan.

But how much water should you be drinking? The Institute of Medicine recommends that men consume roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) per day while women aim for 2.2 liters (9 cups).

However, if those numbers seem too high or low for you, use this simple trick: drink half your body weight in ounces every day!

For example, if someone weighs 150 pounds then he needs 75 ounces (3 liters) worth of liquid each day.

4. Eat More Fiber

Fiber is important for your digestion. It helps you feel full, which can help you lose weight.

Fiber also helps with blood sugar control and heart health, as well as other numerous health benefits.

If you want to lose weight, eat more fruits and vegetables. Aim for at least 5 servings a day.

This doesn’t mean that you need to eat 5 large pieces of fruit or 5 cups of salad every day; it just means that when you do eat these things, they should be a significant part of your meal plan.

5. Eat Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are good for you and can help you lose weight. They include olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds (including chia seeds), fish like salmon and tuna, coconut oil, and even butter!

If you're trying to lose weight or simply maintain a healthy body weight, then you'll need to add more healthy fats into your diet to feel full longer while eating fewer calories overall.

This means avoiding trans fats at all costs because they've been shown to increase abdominal fat deposits around the waistline which leads directly to obesity.

6. Avoid Refined Sugars and Flour

You may have heard that refined sugars, such as table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, are bad for you. But what about refined grains?

Refined grains are processed to remove the bran and germ (the healthy parts), which makes them easier to digest but also strips them of fiber and B vitamins.

In addition to being linked with weight gain and diabetes, refined grains have been linked with an increased risk for heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases.

7. Drink Coffee and Tea in Moderation

In moderation, coffee and tea can be great for your metabolism. Coffee has been shown to help with weight loss and may even lower your risk of certain cancers.

Tea is known to have antioxidant properties that protect against heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

The best part? You don't need to give up your favorite beverage if you're trying to lose weight, just drink it in moderation.

Just make sure it doesn't become a crutch when you're stressed or bored. If so, consider cutting back on how much caffeine you consume each day.

8. Have Plenty of Variety in Your Diet

The best way to ensure that you're eating a variety of healthy foods is to eat a rainbow.

That's right! Eating different colors of fruits and vegetables will help ensure that your diet is balanced, as each color represents a different nutrient.

For example, red foods are rich in antioxidants, yellow ones contain beta-carotene (which has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease), orange foods have lots of vitamin C, and purple produce contains anthocyanins (a type of flavonoid).

Also make sure you're not just eating one type of lean protein, or carbohydrate at every meal.

Try this:

• Mixing up lean meats with legumes such as lentils or chickpeas

• Mixing whole grains like brown rice with high-fiber fruits like apples

• Eating nuts with seeds like chia seeds or flaxseeds

• Consuming low-fat dairy products such as Greek yogurt mixed into smoothies for extra protein on top!

9. Choose Whole Grains over Processed Starches

Whole grains are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain antioxidants that can help lower cholesterol levels.

Refined grains have been stripped of their bran and germ, which contain most of these nutrients.

This means they're digested more quickly than whole grains, leading to a spike in blood sugar levels that causes weight gain or even diabetes over time.

Whole grains are better than refined ones because they help you feel full longer, and there's no need to worry about getting bored with them: there are dozens of delicious ways to prepare them at home!

10. Cut Down on Salt

Cutting down on salt is one of the best things you can do for your overall health too.

Salt, or sodium chloride, is found in many foods and can be hard to avoid. It's also added to processed foods during production, even if they're not "salty" by nature (like bread).

Salt raises blood pressure and increases your risk for heart disease and stroke (two leading causes of death worldwide).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 3 Americans has high blood pressure; that number jumps up among African Americans (more than half) and Hispanics.

11. Always Have Breakfast

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but it's also one of the most difficult for people to get right.

The best way to start your day is with a healthy breakfast that contains protein and fiber.

This will help you feel fuller for longer, so you won't be tempted by unhealthy snacks later on in the day.

Protein helps you build lean muscle and mass while fiber helps keep your digestive system running smoothly, both things that will help keep weight gain at bay!

12. Include a High Portion of Protein in Your Breakfast

To start the day, include a high-protein breakfast.

Protein helps to keep you full and satisfied, which will help you resist eating unhealthy snacks later in the morning or afternoon.

Protein also plays an important role in muscle growth and repair, immune system function, brain function, metabolism, and hormone balance!

If you're in a rush in the morning, try making a smoothie with protein powder.

You can also add beans, nuts, and seeds to your breakfast cereal or oatmeal. Other good sources of protein include eggs, cheese, yogurt, and even dark chocolate!

13. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

One of the best ways to lose weight is by eating more fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, which means they'll help you feel full longer.

Fiber can be found in the skin of fruits like apples or pears, so don't peel them before eating!

If you're working on losing weight but want to enjoy some sweet treats now and then, choose fruits over baked cookies or pastries.

14. Cut Calories for Realistic Weight Loss

Cutting calories isn't the only way to lose weight, but it's one of the most effective.

To lose 1 pound per week, you need to create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. Otherwise, you burn calories off more than you consume. That means eating fewer calories than you burn (or both).

To determine how many calories you should eat each day and how much fat to keep your weight loss program on track, calculate your daily calorie needs with this formula:

• Your current weight x 12 = number of calories needed daily if sedentary (little or no exercise)

• Your current weight x 15 = number of calories needed daily if moderately active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days per week)

• Your current weight x 19 = number of calories needed daily if very active (hard exercise 6 days per week)

15. Cut Back on Sugary Drinks, Fast Food, and Potato Chips

Cutting back on sugary drinks, fast food, and potato chips can help you lose weight fast.

Remember that “sugar-sweetened beverages” include many popular drinks besides soda such as fruit juices and energy drinks.

If you drink one sugar-sweetened beverage a day, cutting down to one per week will save about 150 calories each week or about 1 pound of total body weight each month.

If you eat fast food twice a week and cut back to one visit per month, you’ll save about 1,000 calories or about 3 pounds each month.

If you normally eat potato chips once per day and cut back to once every other day (or three times per week), you’ll save about 2,500 calories or 7 pounds each month.

16. Eat More Beans and Soy Products.

Beans and soy products are high in fiber, which satisfies your hunger for longer.

They're also low in fat, making them a good choice for healthy weight management and modest weight loss too.

Beans and soy products are also high in protein, which helps you feel full longer.

In addition to being great sources of protein, both beans and soy products contain antioxidants that help fight disease-causing free radicals that can damage your cells and cause aging.

Dried beans have been shown to lower blood pressure as well as decrease cholesterol levels by 10% after consuming them regularly over time.

Soybeans contain phytoestrogens called isoflavones that may help prevent certain cancers such as breast cancer or prostate cancer by blocking the growth of cancer cells.

17. Get Your Proteins From Real Sources, Not Packaged Meats.

The truth is that there are plenty of real sources of protein, and you don't need to eat packaged meats or soy products to get enough.

Eating a healthy diet with a variety of nuts and seeds, including almonds and pumpkin seeds, are a great source of protein.

They also contain healthy fats that your body needs to function correctly.

Nuts and seeds can be eaten as snacks or added to salads for extra crunch.

Here are some other sources of healthy proteins:

• Fish (wild-caught)

• Meat (grass-fed cattle, lamb)

• Eggs (organic or pastured)

• Beans and legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and kidney beans

• Nuts like almonds and walnuts

18. Be More Mindful About Portion Control at Meal Time or Snack Time

It’s easy to overeat when you’re not paying attention, especially if you’re trying to get enough protein.

Nuts or whole grains are great ways to add more protein to your diet without eating the excess calories of meat or dairy products.

Portion control is key when it comes to healthy eating, so make sure you measure out servings of nuts before pouring them into a bowl or snack baggie.

Here are some tips to help you manage your portion:

• Use smaller plates. One of the easiest ways to control your portion size is by using smaller plates and bowls.

• Eat slowly and mindfully.

• Eat with others whenever possible.

Losing Weight Healthily Should Be Your Next Goal!

Remember, the most important thing for sustainable weight loss is that you keep your goals realistic, be consistent with your actions, and progress towards them over time.

It may seem like a lot at first glance, but remember that small changes can make big differences in metabolic health and how your body feels!