9 Must-Try Tips for Effective Weight Loss
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Effective weight loss tips that work can sometimes be hard to find.
Weight loss can be complicated and frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Since you are reading this post, my guess is that you are wanting to shed a few pounds without all the drama.
Here are 9 simple, yet effective weight loss strategies that anyone can add to their daily routine.
BE REALISTIC
When it comes to effective weight loss you need to be realistic with your expectations. We tend to gain weight over time due to circumstances and lifestyle habits that we created. It will also take time for the weight to come off, but it can be done if you are determined and create a plan of action.
CREATE A PLAN OF ACTION
So, you want to lose weight, now you need to know how you are going to do it.
Get a pen and paper out and write down your goals for the month and how you want to accomplish them.
Writing your goals makes you think about what it is you want to accomplish and motivates you to further complete certain tasks so you can succeed. The process of writing down your goals on paper will force you to strategize, to ask questions about your current progress, and to brainstorm what your plan of attack is going to be.
You got this!!
MAKE SMALL CHANGES
Start by making small changes that are reasonable and achievable. If you set the bar too high, you are probably setting yourself up for failure. Again, this is all part of being realistic with yourself and what you expect to achieve.
TWEAK YOUR EATING HABITS
If you have developed a pattern of unhealthy eating habits don’t lose heart. Do an honest self-examination and see where you can make a few simple tweaks.
If you are a late-night snacker then perhaps you can make the goal of not eating at 7 pm.
Try cutting out liquid calories that you may be consuming during the day and switch to water.
These are just a few simple suggestions but can make a huge impact over time.
ADD EXERCISE INTO THE EQUATION
Adding an exercise into your daily routine is a great way to create positive, healthy lifestyle habits.
It can be as simple as going for a 10-minute walk and increasing it slowly according to your fitness level.
Find something that you enjoy and get out there and do it. Maybe it’s swimming, biking, jump rope, hiking, yoga; the possibilities are endless.
COOK AT HOME
You don’t have to be an accomplished chef to cook your meals at home. It can even take less time to whip something up than eating out or ordering in having it delivered. There are plenty of quick and wholesome meals that you can prepare using simple ingredients and have fun doing it. Cooking at home is the healthier option for sure.
INTERMITTENT FASTING
If you want to shed some weight without starving yourself you might consider intermittent fasting. It has become extremely popular not only because of numerous health benefits but also because of weight loss success.
Fasting is a pattern of eating that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It doesn’t tell you what to eat but when to eat. There are different methods for fasting depending on the circumstances of the individual and what their goals are.
One popular method is called the 16/8 method. This method involves fasting each day for 16 hours and restricting your daily eating to an 8-hour window.
Do your research to see if an intermittent fasting lifestyle is something you want to try. As always, talk to your doctor first for medical advice.
GET SUFFICIENT SLEEP
If your goal is weight loss then getting adequate sleep is equally important. Being sleep deprived can lead to changes in hormones that regulate your hunger and appetite. Researchers at the University of Colorado found that a one week study of participants sleeping 5 hours or less a night led to a weight gain of 2 pounds.
Director of CU-Boulder’s Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Kenneth Wright, who led the study, recognized that problems associated with weight gain can be complex but by getting sufficient sleep coupled with weight-loss and weight-management programs could potentially help people reach a healthier weight.
FIND A DIET BUDDY
The journey to weight loss can sometimes be a bumpy road to navigate, especially if you are doing it all alone. If you want to have a smoother ride, find yourself a diet buddy, someone that can share the trip with you so it’s not so rough. Changing those lifelong habits you created is too hard to do it all alone.
According to exercise physiologist and chiropractor Adam Shafran, DC, and author of “You Can’t Lose Weight Alone: The Partner Power Weight Loss Program, “Most people put all their effort into finding the right diet or exercise program but don’t put any energy into creating a support and accountability system, and too often, that’s where the devil lies.”
Besides, it’s way more fun having a partner or buddy to join the journey and it will make it easier to reach your final destination.