“Weight loss – 9 tips for a lasting lifestyle change” is a collaborative post.
Why is it that weight loss is so difficult, yet for many people, gaining weight can happen in what seems like the blink of an eye? It’s easy to slip up on keeping yourself fit and healthy, especially if you live a busy and hectic life. Unfortunately, those quick meals you’re grabbing are packed with calories and offer little to no nutrition, so even if you are working up a sweat during the day, you may still be gaining weight.
If you’ve decided that enough is enough and that it’s time to make a change, then well done! You’ve taken that first difficult step into changing your lifestyle for the better. Let’s take a look at some tried and tested tips when it comes to losing weight and changing your lifestyle for the better.
Keep a food diary
It’s easy to forget what you’ve actually eaten in a day, and this can quickly lead to overeating and therefore weight gain. Keep a food diary for a few weeks – and include any and all snacks you have! You’ll be surprised at how many calories that innocent chocolate bar at work added onto your total calories for the day.
Once you’ve done this, you can set a calorie limit for each day and begin to plan meals ahead of time. This might mean preparing your food for the week all in one day, but it will help you stick to your goals. You could even choose to have shakes as a meal replacement, like those from the exante diet. Drinking shakes can add in nutrition you might not be getting elsewhere, and will leave you feeling full and therefore less likely to snack.
Remember that this change in your diet needs to be permanent, otherwise you’ll end up regaining the weight. So, you need to find a healthy balance and not cut out everything that you love. You can absolutely still enjoy your favourite foods, but you’ll need to factor it into your daily calorie limit.
Get professional help
A great way of keeping your body healthy and accelerating your weight loss is by going to the gym. However, if you’re a novice when it comes to the gym, you might be wondering which machines to use for the results you’re after. Once you’ve signed up to the gym, you should consider asking for a personal trainer to help you learn the ropes and set you on the right path.
Make sure you get enough water
Water is not only good for your health, but it can also aid in your weight loss too. This is because it helps flush out any toxins from your body and keeps it hydrated. When the body is hydrated, it’s able to function better, meaning you’ll be able to work off extra calories and your body won’t store it as fat. Swapping out fizzy drinks, coffee and other unhealthy drinks for water will make a world of difference to your weight loss, your fitness levels, your sleep, and even your skin. Get those 2 litres in every day!
Cut down on alcohol
While it’s perfectly okay to enjoy alcohol in moderation, it is really high in calories. Not only that, it decreases your inhibitions which can lead to excessive drinking, overeating, and a loss of nutrients in your body. Try to keep the amount of alcohol you drink to a minimum for your weight loss and your overall health.
Turn everyday activities into exercise
Finding the time to exercise can be difficult, especially if you’ve got a busy job, young children, and household chores to do. So, why not turn everyday activities into exercise? There are plenty of desk exercises you can do at work, and chores around your house can be turned into a mini workout by speed cleaning or adding weights to your arms and legs. Anything that gets your heart pumping will help burn calories and keep you fit and healthy!
Focus on your problematic areas
If one of the reasons you want to lose weight is to feel confident again, there’s nothing wrong with that! Everyone has something about their body that they want to change, whether it’s bingo wings, wobbly tummies or chubby legs. Concentrating on your problematic areas when attending the gym will help you see results faster, and therefore feel better in your own skin much quicker.
Get enough sleep
Your body needs time to rest and repair, and sleep plays a major role in that. Not getting enough sleep will leave you feeling sluggish and unmotivated to go to the gym or eat the right foods. Easier said than done, right? If you struggle to get enough sleep, try setting yourself a bedtime routine which will help tell your body and brain that it’s time to wind down. This could be by going for a bath or heading upstairs to read a book in bed. It might take a little time, but it’s definitely worth it to get those all important 8 hours of sleep.
Attend a weight loss class
Weight loss classes are an excellent way to lose weight if you struggle to stay on track. The classes you attend will keep you motivated and celebrate your wins throughout your journey!
If you have a friend that’s trying to lose weight too, why not attend those classes together? You’ll find it useful having someone to lean on between classes and it could create a lifelong friendship that’s built on health and happiness.
Take before and after pictures
A great way to monitor your progress, especially when you don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere, is to take before, during, and after photos. That way, when you’re feeling a little low or you feel like giving up, you can compare the image of when you first started to now. You’ll realise how far you have actually come in such a short time! Use these photos to help keep your motivation levels high to continue your weight loss journey!
