I know how hard it is to lose weight, especially when you’re trying to do it for the long-term. When I first started trying, I failed miserably. But over time, I learned that there’s no need to feel discouraged—and that there are actually ways you can make it easier on yourself. You just need a few healthy habits under your belt and a supportive group of people around you.
Plan ahead:
Planning ahead is the key to success. When you plan your meals and snacks, you can be sure that you’re getting the nutrition that your body needs. It also helps keep from feeling hungry or deprived. Here are some tips for planning ahead:
- Think about what you want to eat, and how much. Plan out three meals per day for yourself for one week (or longer if needed). Make sure each meal has some protein in it–like chicken or fish–and includes vegetables as well as some fruits or whole grains like brown rice or quinoa. This will keep your blood sugar stable so that cravings don’t take over!
- Make a list of healthy foods that are easy on the budget too! For example: potatoes; eggs; beans; lentils; nuts/seeds (almonds are great); low-fat milk products such as cottage cheese.
- Also make sure to plan about the supplements you’ll be taking during exercise sessions! For example, your whey protein should be properly taken in the right amount.
Think quality, not quantity:
- Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Eat more whole grains.
- Eat less processed foods.
- Eat less meat, especially red meat, which has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes in some studies (although it’s important to note that these studies are controversial).
- Don’t forget that sugar is also an important part of your diet: it gives you energy when you need it most — right before or during a workout — and helps with the absorption of certain vitamins such as A and C into your body (but remember not too much!). So don’t cut out sugar completely! Just try not using sweeteners like honey or maple syrup as substitutes for processed sugar whenever possible because they add extra calories without giving any nutritional benefit whatsoever (and we all know how hard those calories are working already!).
Get moving:
Many people think that exercising is a chore, or something you have to do in order to lose weight. But the truth is that exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your body, mind and spirit. It has been proven to help with weight loss and keep off what weight you’ve lost over time. It helps you sleep better at night; it makes you feel better about yourself; it helps strengthen bones and muscles; it improves brain function by increasing blood flow; and it has even been shown to extend lifespan by reducing stress levels! On the contrary, if you won’t move much, would sit idle and miss out on exercising then your body will give all the negative signals! You’ll see the side effects physically, e.g. hair issues, skin issues etc. if you are already suffering from hair fall then go for prp treatment as soon as possible!
Eat a rainbow:
Eating a rainbow of colors is an easy way to ensure that you’re getting a variety of nutrients. The more color, the more phytonutrients (antioxidants) and other health-promoting compounds.
One way to do this is by adding different colored fruits and vegetables into your meals throughout the day. For example:
- Start your morning off with blueberries or blackberries in oatmeal or yogurt
- For lunch, try red bell peppers over brown rice with chicken breast strips marinated in lemon juice and olive oil as an entrée plus a side salad made up mostly of dark greens like kale or Swiss chard topped with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and carrots drizzled with balsamic vinegar dressing.
Drink to your health:
As you make your way through the day, you can drink to your health. Here’s how:
- Water: If you’re thirsty, drink water! It’s free and available everywhere.
- Tea: Tea is good for your heart, helps to prevent diabetes and even fights cancer. It has antioxidants that fight disease-causing free radicals in the body and may also boost metabolism slightly by helping you burn more calories than normal when drinking it instead of other beverages like soda or juice (but not coffee). You should be careful about how much caffeine you consume though–too much can cause headaches or insomnia as well as heartburn in some people. Try decaffeinated varieties if this happens often enough that it becomes problematic for you personally; otherwise just enjoy knowing that there are plenty more benefits than drawbacks when consuming moderate amounts on a regular basis!
Keep a food journal:
Keeping a food journal is a great way to keep track of what you’re eating, how much and when. You can use an app or notebook for this purpose. If you don’t have an app, just write down what you eat and drink every day, including calories and fat content. This will help you see if there are any patterns in your eating habits that need changing–maybe every day at 3 p.m., for example, is when I tend to reach for chocolate chip cookies instead of carrots!
Don’t wait to eat until you’re hungry:
- Eat small meals and snacks throughout the day.
- Eat breakfast.
- Avoid eating late at night, especially before bedtime. This can cause you to gain weight because your body will store any extra calories as fat instead of burning them off for energy during sleep time or exercise later in the day (if you do either).
- Eat slowly and mindfully–set a timer if needed so that you don’t eat too fast! Slowing down helps reduce how many calories you consume; plus, it allows your brain time to register that it’s full before overeating takes place!
If possible, try eating at least one meal per day without distractions like television or computer screens nearby–this will help ensure proper portion sizes since most people tend not to pay attention when distracted by other things going on around them (like TV shows).
Say “no” to trigger foods:
- Avoid trigger foods. Trigger foods are the ones that cause you to eat too much, whether it’s because they’re delicious, easy to eat (which makes them more likely to be eaten), or both. If you have a food that makes you feel out of control when eating it–like a bag of chips or an entire pint of ice cream–it’s probably best not to keep those around the house unless they’re part of a special occasion or meal plan.
- Don’t eat in front of the TV or computer screen while doing something else at the same time. It’s easy to forget how much we’ve actually eaten when our eyes are glued on something else! If possible, try setting aside some time each day where eating becomes the sole focus rather than just one activity among many others happening simultaneously
Avoid skipping meals and snacks altogether:
If you’re like most people, skipping meals and snacks altogether is a habit you’ve picked up over the years. You might think that skipping meals will help you lose weight and achieve your goals faster, but in reality it’s actually counterproductive. Skipping meals can cause you to overeat later in the day or night because your body thinks it’s going into starvation mode, which means it’ll start storing fat instead of burning it off for energy. This leads us into our next point:
Skipping meals also increases cravings for unhealthy foods that provide instant gratification (think chips or candy). After all, if we’re not giving our bodies what they need on a regular basis then we’re bound to crave something else! When this happens too often over time–like many times per week–it becomes an issue that affects both mental health as well as physical health (elevated blood sugar levels due to lack of fuel).
Read your food labels:
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to read the food label. The label will tell you how many calories and grams of fat are in a serving of that item. If you eat an entire package or box of something, then multiply that number by two and subtract it from your daily calorie goal (the amount of calories you should consume each day).
If there is sugar listed as one of the first three ingredients on the list, put it back on the shelf! Sugar is hidden in many foods so make sure you check for it before buying anything packaged with added sugars like high fructose corn syrup or white cane sugar.
Conclusion
The key to success is building healthy habits that you can follow for the rest of your life. The more you practice these tips, the easier they will become. Remember: You’re worth it!
