Every year, nearly 50 percent of Americans try to lose weight.
Are you ready to become part of this group?
Have you been talking about getting rid of those extra pounds for months or even years and are finally prepared to take the plunge and start working toward your goals?
If you’re finally getting serious about weight loss but aren’t sure where to begin, keep reading. Listed below are ten weight loss tips to help you improve your health and look your best.
Getting Serious About Weight Loss? 10 Weight Loss Tips That Work
Drink Plenty of Water
An easy starting point for anyone looking to lose weight is to ensure they’re drinking enough water.
When you’re well-hydrated, you’re less likely to give in to cravings and over-consume junk food.
In some cases, thirst is mistaken as younger. Instead of drinking water, people would opt to eat more food, which can become why they’ll gain weight instead of losing them.
Staying hydrated can also help you avoid bloating and improve your digestion, both of which will help you feel better while on your weight loss journey.
Being adequately hydrated can also regulate your bowel movement and help you stay healthy in the long run.
Regular bowel movements will make it easy for your body to flush out toxins and chemicals.
Staying hydrated can also help you avoid bloating and improve your digestion, both of which will help you feel better while on your weight loss journey.
Aim to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day.
If you weigh 180 pounds, for example, that’s 90 ounces of water.
If you see yourself hungry or craving food, opt to drink water first.
As mentioned, many people mistake their thirst for hunger, so make sure that you don’t make the same mistake.
Consider Intermittent Fasting
If you want to lose weight, you’ll have to eat fewer calories than you burn.
This is known as a calorie deficit.
One way that lots of people create a calorie deficit is through intermittent fasting.
In short, this means limiting their food consumption to a specific time frame and then fasting the rest of the time.
For example, someone might fast for 16 hours and then eat during an eight-hour window.
Intermittent fasting is a great way to lose weight.
But, because of your body’s changes, it’s important to consult a doctor first.
There are many variations to intermittent fasting, and following one that doesn’t suit your needs will only result in side effects and health risks.
Eat Fewer Processed Foods
Limiting your consumption of processed, packaged foods can be beneficial when it comes to losing weight, too.
Processed foods are often high in calories and low in nutrients.
Although processed foods are convenient and make you feel full faster, eating excessive amounts of processed foods can result in weight gain and make you more susceptible to chronic diseases, such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
Because of this, they don’t fill you up, and you may be more inclined to go back for more and overheat even after you’ve already had one serving.
If you avoid these foods and focus on whole, single-ingredient foods instead, you’ll likely feel more satiated and less inclined to indulge when you have a craving.
There are healthier alternatives to processed foods.
Aside from eating fresh fruits and vegetables as your snacks, you can also eat a healthy snack.
More and more people are becoming more weight-conscious today, so expect to find a wide variety of healthier products in the market.
Track Your Macros
Tracking macros (short for macronutrients) is an excellent way to ensure you’re consuming enough nutrients while you’re trying to lose weight.
The three macronutrients are carbohydrates, fat, and protein.
By tracking the number of these you consume (many apps make this easy), you can maintain a calorie deficit without going too low on one particular nutrient.
Making Unhealthy Food Inconvenient
If you have a bag of chips and a box of cookies in your pantry ready to go, it’s going to be harder for you to resist them when you feel a craving coming on.
If it’s inconvenient for you to eat these foods, though, you’ll have an easier time riding out the craving and sticking to your diet.
Keep these foods out of the house so that you have to go out of your way to get them when you do want them.
Lift Weights
Many people assume that they need to do endless amounts of cardio when they want to lose weight.
In reality, though, lifting weights will give you more bang for your buck.
You might not burn as many calories during your workout, but you will increase muscle mass.
This, in turn, will boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories both at work and at rest.
Get Enough Sleep
Adequate sleep plays a massive role in helping you lose weight and reach your health goals.
If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll find that you have less willpower and have a more challenging time saying “no” to calorie-laden foods and treats.
Being sleep-deprived can also cause you to retain water and leave you feeling puffy and bloated.
Getting enough sleep is essential because this is when your body naturally repairs damaged muscles and nerves.
Being well-rested can also replenish your energy, allowing you to do more within the day.
On the other hand, Losing sleep can weaken your immune system, which can become the reason why you’ll suffer common illnesses, such as colds and flu.
Being Sleep-deprived can also increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Skip High-Calorie Drinks
One of the easiest ways to consume fewer calories during the day is to stop consuming high-calorie drinks.
Sodas, sugary coffees, and juices are loaded with calories and devoid of nutrients.
When you drink these, you’re unlikely to feel satisfied, but you’re still adding to your daily calorie total without even thinking about it.
Try replacing one high-calorie beverage with water, black coffee, tea, or another calorie-free beverage.
If you’re in the habit of drinking several of these drinks daily, gradually replacing them will considerably impact your weight loss efforts.
Be Mindful
Make sure you’re being mindful when you’re eating, too.
If you sit down and eat without distractions, you’ll likely find that you feel fuller sooner and are less inclined to overdo it.
On the other hand, when you eat while watching TV or scrolling on social media, it’s easy to find yourself at the bottom of the chip bag without any memory of how you got there.
If you are going to snack while engaging in another activity, at least measure out one portion ahead of time to have a clear cut-off point.
Do Your Research Before Eating Out
It can be done if you’re looking into eating HCG meals, keto-friendly meals, or simply low-calorie meals at a restaurant. You just have to do some research beforehand.
When you’re getting ready to go out to eat, look up the restaurant’s menu online and find an item that seems like it fits your calorie and nutrition goals.
Many restaurants these days have calorie counts and nutrition information listed on their menus.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you get to the restaurant.
Find out which ingredients are used in a particular dish and how it’s prepared so you can decide whether or not it’s worth it for you.
Start Getting Serious About Weight Loss Today
When someone is getting serious about weight loss, their biggest challenge is figuring out how to get started.
If you keep these ten weight loss tips in mind, you’ll have all the tools you need to begin your journey and keep it going.
Do you want to learn more about weight loss and living a healthy lifestyle?
If so, check out some of the other health and fitness-related articles on our website today.
We’ve got lots of great resources that will teach you everything you need to know.