Losing weight comes down to one thing, consuming fewer calories than you burn in a day. While it sounds easy to do, it isn’t for many people. Here are tips that are easy to do and will be easy to help keep the weight off permanently.
Eating Habits:
- Cut out one thing a day – skip the extra soda or chips at lunch
- Cut down on refined carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta
- Cut down on bad fat such as butter, bacon, food fried in oil
- Make healthier choices – for a snack instead of potato chips, try nuts
- Dip your fork into dressing instead of pouring the dressing on the salad
- Reduce foods that are high in added sugars (candy and chocolates)
- Adjust portion size – small changes in portion size will add up over time
- Limit snacking
- Slow down how fast you eat (you will feel fuller faster and eat less)
- Minimize distractions – it has been proven that people eating while
- watching TV or looking at their phone or tablet consume more calories
- Take a moment to thank a coworker for something they have done
- Acknowledge positives that make you happy
Drinking Habits
- Reduce alcohol intake – alcohol is full of empty calories
- Drink less soda – cutting out one soda a day, cuts 140-250 calories
- Stay hydrated – drinking a glass of water prior to your meal will help you feel full faster, thus consuming fewer calories
- Strive to drink 6-8 glasses of water daily
Increasing your activity level will help burn off additional calories as well. If you aren’t “into” exercise, even going for a walk will increase your heart rate and metabolism. Find a buddy to go walking with to keep you motivated to continue and make the walk more enjoyable.
Many people think cardio exercise is the only way to lose weight. That isn’t true. Lifting weights has been proven to boost your metabolism throughout the day which will increase the number of calories you burn. If you enjoy lifting weights, consider hitting the gym.
Remember, to make weight loss long lasting, you need to find ways to limit calories that you can make for the rest of your life. Small changes here and there will have an impact over time.