Use self-monitoring digital health tools

Are you using any digital health tools to monitor your weight? If you’re not, start using one. It may help you lose weight significantly, suggests a new study. According to the study, published in the journal Obesity, greater engagement in self-monitoring using digital health tools was linked to weight loss in 74 per cent of occurrences.

The authors, including Michele L. Patel from Stanford University in the US, analysed randomized controlled studies of behavioural weight loss interventions for overweight or obese adults using digital health technologies for self-monitoring. Use of digital self-monitoring was associated with weight loss across all three major behaviours that were tracked — dietary intake, physical activity and body weight, the researchers said.Since digital tools are highly portable, they allow users to track their health at any time of the day and also make tracking quicker, said Patel.Among self-monitoring technology tools, websites were most commonly used by people, followed by apps, wearables, electronic scales and text messaging, the team said.
Things That May Hamper Weight Loss
You’re not getting enough sleep
Sleep deprivation can alter your body’s appetite-regulating hormones, and make you feel hungrier than normal. You should try to get seven hours of sleep every night. A 2006 study revealed that women who slept 5 hours or less per night weigh more on average than those who sleep 7 hours. Those who slept for 5 hours per night were 32% more likely to experience major weight gain (an increase of 33 pounds or more) and 15% more likely to become obese over the course of the 16-year study compared with women who slept 7 hours, the study added.
You’re not getting enough sunshine vitamin
Not only vitamin D makes bones strong and healthy, but it can also help the fat-burning process. Studies have also linked vitamin D deficiency with obesity. An adequate vitamin D in the bloodstream when combined with heathy diet and regular exercise can significantly help reduce belly fat. So, make sure to step out into the sun every morning to get a daily dose of vitamin D. Foods sources of vitamin D include oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel – red meat, liver, egg yolks and fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals.
You’re not drinking enough water
Starting your day with a glass of water in the morning is a great step to losing weight. You should drink at least 2 litres or a minimum of 8 glasses of water each day to ensure that your system runs smoothly. Dehydration can slow down various chemical reactions inside the body including the fat-burning process. Often, many people reach out for calorie-rich fruit juices or soda when they are thirsty, instead of plain water. This ends up creating extra calories which get stored as fat inside the body. Always keep a water bottle handy with you, keep refilling it and sipping on through the day to prevent the body from getting dehydrated.