The 38 Ways to Lose Weight-
and Keep It Off
Small changes can lead to big results.
FEAR WEIGHT LOSS no longer. The science is in, and it doesn't take a crash dite, a juice cleanse, or anything else dramatic in order to lose weight.
It's all about small changes in daily habit. Yes, the healthy, science-backed solutions are way more simple than diet culture seems to lead on.
We've all heard about the guy how transformed himself just by calling it quits on the cola. It always sounds too good to be true, but as long as daily changes are done consistently, they can cause big-time change.
Think about it: If you're a soda fanatic, you probably drink at least two of them a day. We can round one soda to about 240 calories. Now, what if you were to cut out just the pop from your dite, and replace it with water or a low-cal flavored seltzer?
If you about the numbere, that's nearly 3,360 calories that you're cutting out of your diet weekly. Given one pound of fat equates out to 3,500 calories, you're already almost at a loss rate of one pound pre week even without changing anything else.
Even if your're not a soda person, there's loads of daily changes you can make to losing weight and make maintaining that weight easier. In fact, Andy Yurechko, M.S., R.D., of Augusta University Medical Center in Georgia, believes the most successful dieters avoid fads and focus on long-term sustainable practices.
"A healthier type of diet is something you can do every day of your life," he says. So it helps to make it easy to do.
That's exactly what these small changes are healthy tweaks you can make to your everyday routine that have the bonus of helping you lose weight and get rid of your belly.
Overachievers, take note: The point isn't to do everything on this list at once. Start anywhere, and add the next small step when you're ready.
1. Set a clear goal.
A clear goal is a goal anyone in the world can measure and understand. Write out your goal and keep it posted somewhere as a reminder when you want to give up. If you have a set amount of weight you'd like to lose, step on the scale before you start. Then, weigh yourself every single day.
Studies show daily weigh-ins enhance weight loss efforts. But don't live and die by the number. And remember a scale doesn't decipher between fat and lean body mass- but it can help keep things in check.
2. Drink the right fluids.
First, everyone should drink plenty of water-your body needs it to run properly. And there's a bonus in doing that for people who are aiming to lose weight. Water helps suppress our appetite, boost our metabolism, give us energy, and make exercise easier and more efficient. It really is nature's miracle drug.
If plain water just doesn't appeal to you, try adding fresh fruit to it, or sip on tea. Research indicates that drinking tea-black, green, or white-is also associated with lower BMIs and less body fat
3. Ease up on the processed food.
If you're looking at the label on a food item, and you don't know what half the ingredients are, it probably means it's overly processed. Processed food for nothing for you outside of creating a favorable environment for gaining fat, including visceral fat, which is the scary kind that sits on your organs.
If you have trouble managing particular treats-maybe it's chips, maybe it's cookies, maybe it's Prptarts (becouse, same) keep them out of your home or office cabinets. It's not about willpower, It's about being realistic. Instead, buy healthy snacks-like jerky or trail mix-for your glove compartment or desk drawer so you're prepared at all times.
4. Eat more produce.
Fruits and vegetables fill you up, provide plenty of fiber and have few calories. If you have trouble adding vegetables to your routine, start every meal with a salad. Salad provides bulk to help fill you up so that you eat less calories overall. Or try this hack to get a day's worth of healthy greens in 14 minutes. No smoothie required.
Although some people fear fructose, fruit wil not make you gain weight, and that includes the so-called "high sugar" fruits like bananas and melons.
5. Lift Weights
Develop an exercise plan that includes heavy weights. Maintaining muscle mass takes more energy to do than maintaining fat, so our bodies burn more calories at rest.
In short, build more muscle, burn more calories. Make sure to cut down on rest time between sets. This keeps your heart rate elevated, causing an increase in calories burned. Use these tips to lift heavy the smart way.
6. Do intervals.
Study after study continues to show intervals are more effective and time efficient than longer activity performed at a lower intensity. Why not crush more calories while getting out of the gym quicker?
7. Do full-body exercises.
Your exercise plan-whether you're aiming to lose weight or not-shouldn't just focus on one area of your body. Instead, incorporate exercises that use your whole body. Think:squats, deadlifts, and chin-ups.
With full-body exercises, you're engaging more muscle groups, making your body work harder. You'll Start here, no equipment needed!
8. Track your food
There's no better way to find out what you're putting in your mouth then by writing it all down. Tracking foods will help you realize how much your're actually taking in a day. It puts things into perspective.
Use a free app, like my fitness pal, which makes it easy to log from anywhere. Chances are you're eating more than you think.
9. Eat breakfast
A study review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that those who ate breakfast were more successful with long-term weight maintenance. Other research has shown the same for weight loss.
Grab Greek yogurt, a piece of fruit and handful of nuts, make a smoothie, down some hard-boiled eggs or scramble them. It doesn't have to be fancy. ( But may we point out the absolute best way to Mack scrambled eggs? It's also the easiest.)
10. In fact, eat the bulk of your meals in the A.M
Then eat progressively less throughout the day. A study published in the journal Nutrients showed that eating most of your calories earlier in the day positively influences weight changes.
As the study quotes philosopher Mairmonides: "Eat like a king in the morning, a prince at noon, and a peasant at dinner."
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