Weight loss doesn’t have to be stressful, about deprivation or about completely changing your lifestyle for the short term to achieve a number on the scale for the long term. Nobody has the time or the tools to do that, or maintain that, plus you shouldn’t have a scale anyway because numbers don’t matter, right? Instead, making small, simple changes and using common sense to lose weight is the only way to go. Here are 8 simple ways to weight loss success.
Cook at home.
When you cook your own food, you control the quality of the ingredients. Restaurant food can be full of unwanted fats like butter and oils that will undoubtedly affect your waistline. Although not always convenient, cooking at home and planning your meals will have an instant positive affect on your weight.
Drink lots of water.
How much water should you personally be drinking everyday? That’s easy. Drink half of your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds, you should be drinking 65 ounces of water each day. Hydrating your body is essential to your health in so many ways, but it also increase your fat burning power enabling you to lose weight faster.
Eat more whole foods.
When you go food shopping, try to stick to the outer border of the store where the fresh foods are displayed. Eating tons of vegetables and low fat proteins such as chicken, eggs and fish will automatically shrink your waistline without having to think about it. Stay away from foods in boxes, bags and cans; processed foods are full of salt and chemicals that will not only negatively affect your weight, but also your health.
Move more.
Forget committing to the gym 5 days per week or those dreaded hard core workouts; just move more. What does that mean? Because we have a tendency to sit a lot during the day, promise yourself that you’re going to take more steps. The goal is 10,000 steps per day, but if that’s a challenge for you, just increase what you’re already doing a little bit everyday.
Eat breakfast.
The #1 meal that many skip each day is the culprit to gaining weight because a hungry brain is going to make unhealthy choices later in the day. No, I’m not talking about eating a donut or danish for breakfast. Your morning should start with eggs, whole grain seeded toast and/or some avocado to ignite your brain and keep you feeling satisfied until lunchtime. Learn the 3 best breakfast rules for health and weight loss.
Sleep 7-8 hours every night.
Most don’t realize that a lack of sleep can actually make you gain weight, so it’s important to get at least 7 hours per night. Being tired makes you hungry and increases cravings of unhealthy foods.
Eat nuts.
We’ve talked about this numerous times at SkinnyHealthyGirl, keep your hunger under control and lose weight by eating nuts. But keep in mind that nuts are fat, and if you eat too many of them, you could end up gaining weight, so be sure to only consume a palmful at a time.
Be aware of portion sizes.
Regardless of what you are eating, large portions of anything will affect your weight. Ultimately, weight loss is about calories in and calories out. So just be aware of how much you are eating.
