Tips to lose weight – and lower your cancer risk

Excess body fat can lead to higher levels of estrogen and insulin, as well as increased production of insulin-like growth factors. These hormones can promote the development and growth of certain cancers. Higher BMI is also associated with chronic low-level inflammation–a known cancer risk–and impaired immune function, which reduces the body’s ability to fight off cancer cells. High levels of fat cells can also promote abnormal cell growth and proliferation, leading to cancer. 

Even a small amount of weight loss can help mitigate risk factors, however, while helping you develop healthier habits around food and exercise. Healthy weight loss is usually achievable with relatively simple lifestyle changes: 

• Keep a food journal - Tracking what and when you eat has been shown to correspond^[1] with an almost immediate reduction in overall calorie consumption. It’s believed that simply becoming more aware of food intake via self-monitoring helps individuals cut down on excess calories.
  
  
• Don’t drink your calories - Non-diet soda, juice, and alcohol are all sources of “empty calories”: calories with little or no nutritional benefit. There are also numerous health risks associated with both excess sugar and alcohol separate from their impact on weight. Cutting back on caloric beverages (or cutting them out of your diet completely) can have a significant impact on your overall calorie consumption without leaving you hungry.
  
  
• Share your goals - Not only will friends, family, or a weight loss community (such as Weight Watchers) support you on your weight loss journey, the mere act of telling others about your goal may help you achieve it. Multiple psychological studies have shown that sharing your goals–particularly with individuals you look up to–improves your odds of success.^[2]
  
  
• Stay hydrated - Clinical studies have shown^[3] that many people mistake thirst for hunger, leading to overeating. At the first signs of hunger, drink a glass of water, wait 10-15 minutes, and see if the feeling of hunger remains. If so, have a healthy snack (ignoring hunger won’t help you lose weight in a healthy way). 

• Increase protein and fiber - No single diet has been proven “most” effective at weight loss, and highly restrictive diets can be hard to maintain. Increased protein consumption, however, has been shown to correspond with long-term weight loss maintenance^[4]. This is due to a number of factors^[5]: protein takes longer to digest, which leaves you feeling fuller, longer. Protein is more difficult for the body to digest than foods like simple carbohydrates, which means when you eat protein you actually burn more calories through digestion alone. Additionally, protein is more difficult for the body to convert to fat than carbohydrates.
  
  Fiber has similar benefits^[6]: high-fiber foods, like protein, will make you feel fuller for longer and are harder to digest.
  
  
• Eat mindfully^[7] - Simply paying attention when you’re eating, instead of eating while doing other tasks, has been shown to help people lose weight. Eating slowly (and chewing your food), sitting down at a table, and avoiding distractions like phones, tablets, or television can help you enjoy your meals more while simultaneously helping you lose weight.
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• Get enough sleep - Research suggests^[8] that inadequate or poor quality sleep can lower your metabolism, and even lead to obesity. Low levels of sleep can also increase levels of ghrelin^[9] (the “hunger hormone”) and decrease leptin (a hormone linked to feelings of satiety). Sleeping more will not only help your body work more efficiently, it will make it easier for you to maintain a healthy diet.