Maintaining your ideal weight can sometimes seem like a vicious cycle. You shed some pounds during the summer and then put it all back on over the holidays.
Well, guess what? Summer’s almost here again.
If you’re constantly trying to lose weight, you may need to switch up your approach. Everyone’s different, so what works for one person may be completely ineffective for you.
Aside from helping you look great, keeping your weight under control helps you avoid potential health problems. It’s important to always keep an eye out for new techniques you haven’t tried before.
To help you out, we’re going over ten weight loss secrets that will help you look and feel great.
1. Micro Workouts
Getting the right amount of exercise is hard sometimes, given our busy lifestyles. But it’s essential to keep moving if you’re going to burn calories.
If you simply can’t make it to the gym for a full workout, try fitting in small bursts of exercise throughout the day. This could be a 15-minute vigorous walk during your lunch break or a quick jog around the neighborhood before starting your day.
Short, multiple workouts may feel ineffective, but they can actually provide the same benefits as a full workout.
2. Find Healthy Meal Alternatives
One of the hardest parts of losing weight is giving up your favorite foods. Unfortunately, some of your favorite meals may be the primary thing getting in the way of you achieving a flat stomach.
Instead of denying yourself what you love, find low-calorie alternatives when preparing your meals. Using low-fat cheeses, egg whites, and leaner meats work great for cutting back on fats while still getting a tasty meal.
Look up healthier recipes and make the appropriate modifications to your all-time favorite dishes.
3. Don’t Neglect the Weights
It’s a common misconception that you should only concentrate on cardio exercises when trying to shed a few pounds. In fact, adding some weight lifting to your routine is one of the more effective weight loss secrets.
When you build muscle, you increase your metabolism. This helps you burn calories even after you’ve left the gym.
You’ll also kill two birds with one stone, as lifting weights helps tone your body. And don’t worry, you’re not going to bulk up by adding some light weights to your routine.
4. Keep a Food Diary
One of the weight loss secrets many women now benefit from is writing down everything they eat. And we mean everything.
Keeping a detailed food diary helps your track each and every calorie that goes into your body. That way you know where cutbacks should happen.
It also helps you stay consistent when trying to eat healthier. Tracking your calories makes it easier to build a strict dietary routine.
If you’re not into the idea of keeping a diary, there are apps that can help you keep track of calories.
5. A Low Carb Diet
This is probably one of the weight loss secrets you’ve heard a million times. There’s a reason for that. It works.
Carbs turn to sugar and sugar turns to fat, so it’s essential that you cut out pasta, bread, and snacks to avoid this.
It’s also important you know the difference between good and bad carbs. Some carbs are high in vitamins and contain minerals the body needs. Others are pretty much just sugar.
You should also educate yourself on carbohydrate blockers to help reduce the absorption of carbs.
6. Up Your Water Intake
Getting enough H2O is important for a number of reasons. Water helps everything from glowing skin to higher energy levels.
Drinking water throughout the day also helps you lose weight. Staying hydrated cuts down on water retention and also fills up your stomach so you don’t feel hungry. Try drinking a full glass of water before a meal so you won’t feel inclined to eat as much.
You need to get at least 64 ounces of water every day. If you hate drinking water and need some incentive, try adding a slice of lemon or zero-calorie flavoring additives.
7. Mix up Your Workout Routine
We talked earlier about adding weight lifting to your workout routine. Another of the popular weight loss secrets is to vary the type of exercises you do.
It’s good to keep your body guessing. When you change up your workouts, you use different muscles. This also helps keep it entertaining for you.
Look into exercises you’ve never done and give them a try. Mixing a day of Yoga into your routine will help with flexibility and also give you a new challenge to overcome.
8. Portion Control
Maintaining the same diet but cutting down on the portions is a great technique. You’ll soon adapt to the smaller meals and they’ll seem normal to you.
Using smaller plates is a great way to ensure you’re eating less. You can also find smaller pre-packaged portions of certain foods and the grocery store. If you take your lunch to work, use smaller Tupperware.
This is a great way of cutting calories and conditioning your body to eat less.
9. Increase Proteins
Protein is your friend when trying to lose weight. It’s a very important nutrient and also helps boost your metabolism.
Proteins also tend to make you feel satisfied for longer. This means fewer cravings in between meals.
The great thing about this approach is it’s extremely easy. In addition, high-protein foods tend to taste great.
Things like eggs, fish, nuts, and beef are all great sources of protein. Just remember to watch out for foods high in fat.
10. Maintain a Healthy Sleep Schedule
This may be one of the more surprising weight loss secrets, but it’s extremely important. Having a consistent and healthy sleep schedule is crucial for maintaining energy and keeping your metabolism going.
It’s important to remember that this alone won’t cause weight loss. You also have to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
In conjunction with these things, sleeping well will recharge your body and help keep you focused on your weight loss goals.
Which Weight Loss Secrets Works for You?
If you’ve been trying to shed five to ten pounds and it’s just not happening, it’s time to try a new approach. If one of the tips discussed above is news to you, give it a try. You may find a new go-to tactic for looking and feeling better.
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