Crush weight like you would a donut. Contrary to what many women are led to believe, there is no magic pill when it comes to true and long-lasting weight loss. When you want to lose weight, there is only one real way to be successful—a combination of healthy eating habits and regular exercise. These two elements provide the best and most effective way to achieve long term results.
Here’s a list of some of the best ways to lose weight permanently so that you never have to be fall back to being overweight again. Try one to start, add a few more as you go along—making several of the following small changes and sticking to them in your life can go a long way in seeing permanent results. Good luck.
1. Don’t skip meals
Your blood sugar crashes when you don’t eat for prolonged periods. And when that happens, your hunger will lead you to keep yourself satisfied with junk, i.e. sweets, chocolates, chips, etc. By eating a solid three meals a day with a couple of snacks between meals will ensure that you keep yourself satiated. This alone can save you several hundred calories per day.
2. Eat more fiber
Fiber keeps you feeling full, longer because it takes more time to digest! Foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains are great high fiber options—and most of them are low in calories too!
3. Use smaller plates
You may have heard this tip many times before—and that’s because it actually works! A recent study showed that 86% of woman who ate the same amount of food in regular sized plates asked for second helpings, compared to only 16% of woman who ate the same amount of food on plates half the size who asked for second helpings.
This may sound silly, but if you need help with eating smaller portions, get yourself a kiddie plate. You know, the ones with the separated slots. You’ll feel fuller even if you’re not eating the same amount as before.
4. Ditch the filthy soda habit (including diet ones)
Regular soda is loaded with sugar (and calories), which will turn into stored fat. While diet soda is sugar free, it contains artificial sweetener which often times makes us more hungry, thus consuming more food than we normally require.
5. Exercise every single day
Consistent exercise can burn a substantial amount of excess fat, leading to greater weight loss. A study conducted by the University of Alberta showed that just walking for an hour a day helps boosts your metabolism by 15%.
6. Drink plenty of water
Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated will keep you from snacking and bloating. Additionally, if you drink an 8oz glass of water before every meal, you’ll get fuller quicker.
7. Make eating out only for special occasions
Restaurant meals, processed foods and fast foods contain an abnormally high amount of calories. Prepare most of your meals at home but every now and then, treat yourself!
8. Find an exercise buddy
Having a workout partner who will help motivate you will make you exercise harder and more often. If you can’t find a gym partner, hire yourself a personal trainer. Many women in my gym hire trainers just to have a companion or a spotter (and for some, just for the eye candy)! I’ve been going to one who consistent yells at me and makes you feel inadequate—it makes me so motivated to prove that S.O.B. wrong that I outdo myself in the majority of my workout. But, always make sure you’re working out safely and not doing anything that will cause you to get hurt.
9. Switch up your workouts
Being bored is the number one reason why many women quit the gym. Stay consistent but switch your workout routines up, and remember, don’t over complicate it. Just have fun and you’ll keep going back! Exercise doesn’t have to be shouldn’t be miserable.
10. Get off your butt
Sitting at a desk all day can take a toll on your weight. Get up and move periodically throughout the day. Perform 25 squats every hour on the hour, right at your desk. On your lunch break or after work, get active with some awesome tunes.
11. Simplify your life
Limit your distractions. Shed the activities that cause you to sit still for extended periods of time. Limit phone, computer and television time. Get moving instead. Clean the house, go for a walk or go bowling or dancing! Who says fitness has to be boring? When you stay active you’re less likely to make unhealthy choices.
12. De-stress whenever you can
Your body responds to all stress in exactly the same way. So every time you have a stressful day, your brain instructs your cells to release potent hormones. You get a burst of adrenaline, which taps stored energy so you can fight or flee. At the same time, you get a surge of cortisol, which tells your body to replenish that energy even though you haven’t used very many calories. This can make you hungry…very hungry. And your body keeps on pumping out that cortisol as long as the stress continues.
To control your stress, take up yoga or learn to mediate. And perhaps keep all the emotional vampires out of your life.