You’re not the only one who’s tired of the conventional weight loss methods. Society today is pounded constantly with advertisements, articles, and self-help books about the latest diet and the most effective exercise regimes.
If you’re ready to forget diets and daily trips to the gym but still want to lose weight, there are other options. The most effective way to slim down is to combine healthy eating and an active lifestyle with other healthy habits.
Here are a few tips for weight loss to get you started.
drinking water to lose weight
Drink Water
Researchers don’t know exactly why drinking more water helps people lose weight, but whatever the reason, most agree that it does. Some suggest that any weight loss from water intake is actually due to the absence of other high-calorie drinks (soda, energy drinks, etc.). Others claim that drinking more can make you less hungry, which means less munching and smaller meals. Another theory is that drinking more water keeps your body from retaining water.(which causes bloating and a few pounds of “water weight”).
All of the above claims are probably true. Whatever the real reasons, however, drinking water can help you lose weight. So how much should you drink daily? You’ve probably heard “8 glasses a day,” and that’s a fairly good rule of thumb. The Institute of Medicine recommends 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women.
Break Up Your Workout
Don’t worry, this tips for weight loss isn’t another lecture on exercise. It’s just a few suggestions to help you fit in those daily workouts without having to set aside a specific time for the gym. Instead of dreading that half-hour workout every morning before work, spread it out throughout the day. Create your own “workout program” that intersperses bouts of activity into regular routine. For example:
Do crunches during commercial breaks
Take a walk around the office building on your lunch break instead of sitting at your desk
Do 5 minutes of stretches in the morning to wake yourself up instead of that dreaded morning jog
Do leg lifts at your desk at regular intervals (e.g. 20 lifts on the hour)
Feel Better About Yourself de-clutter your house
Get Rid of Clutter
Yes, de-cluttering your living space can actually help you lose weight. Living in a cluttered environment is mentally and emotionally stressful, and it’s easy to pack on the pounds when you’re constantly stressed. The more tired and overwhelmed you feel, the less motivated you’re going to be to make life changes like losing weight.
Tackle your house room by room and get rid of everything you no longer use. If you haven’t used or worn something in the last six months (with the exception of seasonal items), toss it out or give it away. Don’t be afraid to take a carload or two of excess “stuff” to a storage unit if you can’t bear to get rid of it permanently.
Once you have space to breathe, you’ll find your motivation skyrocketing, and you’ll be more ready to be active, eat healthier, and make significant improvements in your lifestyle.
Improve Your Posture
Part of America’s obesity problem is due to the increasing number of office jobs that require little or no physical activity. And when you’re sitting at a desk for 8 hours, 5 days a week, it’s easy to get lazy and let good posture slide. Whether or not you work in an office, however, you can benefit from a better posture for several reasons:
Better posture gives you an instant visual weight loss—you’ll look at least 5 lbs slimmer than if you’re slouched over
Standing or sitting up straight builds muscle, strengthens your core, and burns calories
Good posture will help you breathe better, which will send more oxygen to your brain, increase your energy, and give you more motivation to be active
Eat All Day
This might seem counterproductive to losing weight, but if you listen to your body when it tells you you’re hungry, you’ll be less likely to overindulge when you sit down for meals. You can keep your metabolism working all day by “grazing” on fresh fruits and vegetables. Weight Watchers don’t even count them as points.
Make sure that you’re actually hungry before you eat. Snacking every time you think you might be hungry will result in overeating, which definitely won’t help with weight loss. It’s possible that you’re just thirsty or bored—drink a glass of water and stay away from the kitchen if either of those is the case! If you really are hungry, eat something small and healthy to tide you over until the next meal. Keep fruit or vegetables on hand to satisfy your hunger—snacking on junk food won’t help you lose weight either.
You don’t necessarily need to count calories, but some studies show that it doesn’t matter how often you eat (three, five, six meals a day…you’ve heard it all) as long as you’re active enough to counterbalance your calorie intake.
It’s not just dieting and exercise that are going to help you lose weight. Changing your lifestyle will do as much as and more than the newest diet will, and you’ll be happier doing it.