Losing weight is often seen as a long and arduous journey that requires strict diets and rigorous exercise routines. However, the reality is that sometimes small changes in daily habits can bring significant results without much effort.
What are simple but effective ways to lose weight?
You don’t have to starve yourself or spend hours in the gym to see changes in your weight. By simply adjusting your habits, you can still gradually achieve your weight loss goals in a gentle but sustainable way.
1. Drink more water
Drinking more water is common health advice, but most of us still don’t drink enough. When it comes to weight loss, water is beneficial for many reasons. First, water in the stomach creates a feeling of fullness, which helps suppress hunger. While this doesn’t directly affect weight loss, it does help us snack less between meals (which can significantly reduce our daily calorie intake). In addition, most people are unable to differentiate between hunger and thirst signals. Usually, when we feel hungry, our bodies are actually craving water. If we provide enough water, the “hunger” will disappear.
2. Stop drinking soda, coffee and alcohol, beer
Soda, fruit juice, specialty coffee and alcoholic drinks contain a lot of empty calories. For example, a can of Coke contains 140 calories. A large Frappuccino mocha (20 oz) contains over 400 calories (depending on the type of milk chosen and the whipped cream that may be added). Alcoholic drinks are even worse, not only are they high in calories but they also slow down the metabolism.
For many people, drinks alone can easily add up to over 1,000 calories a day. But even if you only drink 200 calories, the calories still add up. Any doctor will tell you that a pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories. Do the math. When you cut these drinks out of your diet, it won’t take long for you to lose weight.
3. Exercise During Your Breaks
Exercise is really the key to sustainable, long-term weight loss. Most people will benefit greatly from even a moderate increase in physical activity.
During your break, do some push-ups, jumping jacks, or walk around the office or block. It’s a simple way to burn calories and get your blood flowing. While it may not be practical, it’s best to do these exercises at as high an intensity as possible, as even short bursts of high-intensity physical activity, as little as 10 minutes, have been shown to boost your metabolism throughout the day.
4. Eat a salad every day
Even if you don’t change anything else, eating a large salad every day is actually beneficial to your health. You’ll get a huge dose of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Plus, you’ll fill your stomach, which means there’ll be less room for other fatty foods you might eat. This probably goes without saying, but choose a healthy salad without meat, cheese, greasy dressings, or croutons.
A little trick when it comes to salad dressing is to leave it on the side. That way, you can dip your fork into the dressing before taking a bite. This way, you’ll eat less dressing than usual, but still get the full flavor.
5. Eat more whole grains and fiber
Adding fiber to your diet can definitely help you lose weight. Fiber is essentially the structural framework of plants. It comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel, slowing down digestion and helping you feel fuller for longer. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, but it adds bulk to stools and acts as a laxative, helping to prevent constipation. Fiber is especially important in regulating the rate at which sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, a great benefit for diabetics.
When it comes to weight loss, foods high in fiber will help you feel full faster. This means you can consume fewer calories at a meal. What’s more, both types of fiber help keep you feeling fuller for longer. This means you’re less likely to snack or feel hungry just a few hours after your last meal.
Adding more fiber to your diet is actually quite simple. Avoid refined or processed foods that are low in fiber, and eat more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans. Switching to whole wheat pasta, bread, or brown rice is also easy. Women are recommended to consume 25 grams of fiber per day, while men should consume 38 grams. Try adding more fiber and you will see the pounds start to fall off.
6. Eat more home-cooked food
Home-cooked food is often much healthier than restaurant food. Restaurant food is often very fatty/greasy, high in calories, and high in salt. Another issue is portion control, many restaurants serve much larger portions than you would normally eat at home. Eating more home-cooked food also gives you more control over your overall nutrient intake. Add it all up, and you have a simple way to lose weight.
7. Hide Healthy Snacks
Snack foods are often high in sugar, fat, and salt, and are a clear source of excess calories. While it’s best not to snack at all, snacking healthily is a simple change you can make. Instead of reaching for chips or a granola bar (which is basically a heavily advertised candy bar), eat an apple, a handful of nuts and raisins, or some carrot sticks. These healthy snacks will be lower in calories, more nutritious, and higher in fiber than anything prepackaged. This can definitely help with weight loss over time.
8. Don’t skip breakfast or eat less breakfast
Breakfast is known to be a key component to sustainable weight loss. It kick-starts your metabolism in the morning, meaning you’ll burn more calories throughout the day. Often, people skip breakfast simply because they’re not hungry; others do it in an effort to cut down on their daily calorie intake. However, by mid-morning or lunch, these people often feel hungry. This can lead to snacking throughout the day or bingeing later in the day. Even if you eat the same amount of calories as before, eating more in the morning can easily lead to weight loss.
9. Brush and floss for dessert
This is another simple trick. It works through psychology rather than any physical impact on our bodies. Brushing and flossing after a meal can signal to your brain that it’s time to eat. But even if it’s not, you’re less likely to snack if it means brushing again.
10. Sleep
Our bodies need 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, and too little (or too much) can have negative effects. There are many studies that show that people who sleep less tend to gain weight. And here’s why: sleep deprivation can change the way our bodies regulate our appetites. Too little sleep can make you crave more food than usual, and therefore consume more calories. Experts also believe that too little sleep can make you crave foods high in fat and carbohydrates. Too little sleep is also known to negatively affect the body’s metabolic rate, meaning the body burns fewer calories throughout the day. This is something that anyone trying to lose weight should avoid.
