Anyone who has struggled with weight loss or dietary changes knows that they can seem like insurmountable obstacles on the road to better health. While a recent Gallup poll revealed that 55% of Americans want to lose weight, the problem is that most methods to lose weight they require sacrifices and lifestyle changes that are unsustainable in the long term. If you feel identified, we have some good news to share: Achieving your weight loss goals It doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult. To get started, we spoke with a registered dietitian and weight loss expert who shares her top daily habits for cutting calories and losing weight.
Barriers to weight loss lurk around every corner. These include lack of access to healthy foods, insufficient time, poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles, not to mention hectic work, family and social lives that keep our schedules busier than ever and filled with endless obligations. Fortunately, you don’t need to spend countless hours doing workouts to burn fat in the gym or meticulously count calories and obsess over every bite of food to lose weight. Instead, the best thing you can do is establish a solid foundation of health, sustainable daily habits that will set you up for success.
Like any worthwhile endeavor, having a long-term growth mindset rather than focusing on short-term gains is key to success. Remember that the effort you put in now will pay dividends in the future. So read on to find out which habits you should add to your daily routine to get one step closer to reaching your weight loss goals, stress-free.
In order to cut calories to lose weight, this first daily habit is important. You may not realize it, but many popular drinks like lattes, sodas, and wine are sources of empty calories that make weight loss difficult. Therefore, drinking more water throughout the day and drinking fewer sugary drinks can be a safe way to reduce calorie intake.
Mandy Enright, RDthe FOOD + MOVEMENT Dietitian and author of “30 minute weight loss cookbook“, He says Eat this, not that!“Hydration is a key component in boosting your metabolism and promoting weight loss. Try to drink at least 64 ounces per day. If you’re not sure if you’re drinking enough water, use a tracking system like a hydration app or refillable water. water bottle to control your intake”.
Cutting calories to lose weight doesn’t just mean swapping junk food for healthy options. Weight loss isn’t just about exercising for 30 to 60 minutes only to be sedentary the rest of the day, either. Regular movement throughout the day is critical in your body’s energy demands and speeding up your metabolism. For example, you could take the stairs instead of the elevator or park farther away at the grocery store.
Another great way to promote weight loss is through strength training. “Incorporating muscle-building strength training activities makes your body more metabolically active and use energy more efficiently, even when you’re at rest,” explains Enright. “Make a point to do strength training every day, like push-ups, squats, or planks to help build and maintain muscle mass.” In addition, constant daily movement helps improve your mood and allows you to better manage stress, two underestimated factors that can affect your weight.
“Cook more meals at home You can automatically decrease your caloric intake, since you have more control over ingredients and portion sizes,” Enright explains. “Home cooking can also help increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, which is associated with heavier weight.” healthy and better overall health.
If you don’t like to cook at home (or don’t know how), Enright recommends starting small and setting a small but achievable goal of eating at least three home-cooked meals per week. Also, plan healthy meals and shopping for groceries ahead of time allows you to keep only healthy foods in the house and eliminates the temptation to give in and indulge in junk food or takeout.
“Can we stop waiting until noon to have our first meal of the day?” Enright pleads. “There’s no reason to starve yourself until a certain time of day. Eating breakfast earlier gives your body energy to use more efficiently throughout the day. It also helps prevent overeating and making poor food choices.”
Research shows that those who eat their first meal earlier in the day tend to have a healthier weight and consume fewer daily calories than those who delay eating until later. Also, eating a large breakfast discourages having a large meal later in the day when you are less active and your body has less demand for energy. “Try to eat every three to four hours throughout the day to control hunger and portion sizes,” Enright advises.
Portion Size Monitoring and eating mostly whole foods is essential for healthy weight management and cutting calories. In particular, fruits and vegetables provide the best bang for your calorie buck.
“Make fruits and vegetables the star of your plate. They’re low in calories, high in fiber, and packed with vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients,” says Enright. He plans to include at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal and snack. Because these foods are high in fiber and good for nutrition, they’ll help fill you up and keep hunger at bay without all the extra calories.
