What are Some Healthy Ways to Lose Weight?

I’ve lost my share of weight over the years so you would think I would be an expert on it, but really I have gained most of it all back, many times over…except for the times I made a lifestyle change and tried to stick to the list below. Crash diets and health fads aren’t healthy ways to lose weight. Instead, they have a yo-yo effect on your body that can cause it to drop weight and then gain it back. The healthiest ways to lose weight include lifestyle changes that are maintainable for the short and long-term. These include:

Cut Back on Carbs:

Don’t go crazy. Cutting back on carbs doesn’t mean you can never have a slice of pizza again, but we often consume more carbs than necessary. Your body quickly converts carbs to energy which means we feel hungry faster. Instead of filling up on the bread basket, set a reasonable limit and find a healthier alternative instead.

Lift Weights:

It’s a simple fact—lean muscles burn more calories than fat does. This is a tough one for me since I don’t really like to lift weights. It hurts! But, incorporating a little weight training into your routine can make your body a lean, mean, calorie burning machine. Don’t be intimidated by the weights. You don’t need to be bench pressing 350lbs to see results. Even 2lb weights, used consistently, can start to bring about change. Start there and who knows, maybe one day we’ll see you on the bodybuilding circuit.

Eat Protein:

The lean protein found in chicken breasts helps your body build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat does. Not only that, but protein helps you feel full longer and is more complex to digest, so your body will use more energy turning it into usable fuel.

Sleep:

Not getting enough sleep can slow down the metabolic process, which means your body is both converting food to energy and using that energy at a slower rate. This can lead to increased fat storage. ON top of that, a lack of sleep can cause poor judgements including overeating.

Drink Water:

The body is over 60% water, so not only is this thirst quencher essential for life, but it can be a secret weapon in weight loss too. Drinking plenty of water helps keep your stomach full throughout the day, so you’re less likely to feel hunger pains. And if your weak spot is soda or sugary drinks, simply replacing those (or even some of those) with water or unsweet tea like I’ve switched to over the years, can have big results.

Track Your Food Intake:

We often make it to the end of the day and have no concept of how many calories we’ve consumed. Keeping a food journal helps with weight loss, especially in the early stages of the journey, because it creates an awareness of how much you are consuming. It can also highlight simple areas where you can cut calories. Maybe you don’t need the extra whipped cream on your latté, or maybe you’re fine to stop at one cookie instead of three. That is a tough one for me. Whatever the discoveries may be, tracking your food intake can be very enlightening.

Reduce Sugar Intake:

Sugar is nothing but empty calories. That’s why you can polish off a whole bag of cookies in one sitting and still be hungry for more. We often over consume when it comes to sugar, but it’s not just the calories that are a problem. Sugar causes inflammation and other issues that hinder weight loss. Just as we mentioned with carbohydrates, you don’t have to go crazy with this one. The key is to do something that is maintainable, like cutting out sugary snacks five days a week.

Eat Fiber:

Fiber helps you feel full, and a full belly has less room for excess calories. Like lean protein, fiber also takes longer to digest, which makes your body use more energy and keeps you from eating as much.

Limit Stress:

A stressful situation can initially cause the body to release hormones that decrease appetite. However, consistently being in a stressful environment has the opposite effect—it actually increases your appetite. Ever heard of stress eating? Yeah, it’s a real thing. Incorporating daily breathing, time to relax, or other stress management techniques can help combat this and keep your body more stable.

“There you have it. It is so much easier to say or put in words, but much harder to do or put into action. I do wish you a very happy and healthy year. Follow some of the things on this list and you will accomplish just that,” says Randy Mullikin, President of The Mullikin Agency.