Wondering how to lose weight? You’re in the same boat as almost half of the American population. Over 49.1% of American adults reported that they tried to lose weight in the past year.
However, in the wake of the body positivity movement, many people are aware that starvation, severe restriction, diet pills, and skinny teas don’t work. Instead, these are all fast fixes that don’t help you keep off the weight long-term.
If you’re wondering how to lose weight safely, we’ve got lots of diet tips and tricks for you.
Control Emotional Eating
If you’re focused on losing weight, this can be your biggest enemy. This issue has become more severe during the pandemic, with many people stuck at home.
People started eating more for many reasons—boredom, stress, or to consume the fruit of their labors if they picked up a baking or cooking hobby.
As a culture, we’re all familiar with the trope of someone sobbing into a half-gallon of ice cream after a devastating breakup. And while emotional eating once in a while doesn’t hurt, it can prompt a disorder if it continues to be your main form of self-soothing.
If you eat mindlessly when bored, pay attention to when you eat. For instance, don’t bring the entire bag of trail mix to the couch when you’re watching your favorite TV show.
It’s also important to find healthier ways to destress. Eating is a quick hit of dopamine and can feel very rewarding. So instead, try light exercise, a hot bath, meditation, or taking a short walk around the block.
Cook At Home
In the wake of the pandemic, many people turned to ordering takeout. As a method of supporting small businesses, it’s a great way to help support your neighborhood.
But as a method of staying healthy, it doesn’t work so well. Many restaurants use additives in food, and you don’t know, for instance, how much sugar and salt is going into a dish.
If you cook your own meals, you know exactly what goes into it. Another issue with restaurant meals is portion size. Often, portions are double or triple what is recommended at one meal.
Of course, you can box it up and take it home. But when your plate is full, it can be tempting to finish it all. Part of portion control is mental—putting only what you intend to eat on your plate in the first place.
Another benefit of cooking at home is options. If you’re eating at home, it feels like a normal occasion. You can make healthy choices without feeling like you’re missing out.
When eating at a restaurant, it can feel like a special occasion. When faced with that pressure, ordering a salad can seem boring. This is especially true if all of your friends are ordering delicious cheeseburgers.
Stay Hydrated
This serves two functions. If you aren’t hydrated, you can start feeling and looking bloated. When you’re bloated and step on the scale, it can look like you actually gained weight!
Even if it will disappear tomorrow, it will feel demoralizing to see a five-pound jump on the scale.
Water is important for your body to function properly, too. And thirst can also be confused with hunger. If you find yourself moseying to the refrigerator on a long afternoon, consider drinking a glass of water first.
It’s highly likely that you’ll discover you were never actually hungry after all!
The recommendation for a healthy adult is 64 ounces a day. If you’re physically active and trying to lose weight, you should up this recommendation. Some experts suggest drinking up to a gallon a day!
Think About Your Hobbies
When you think about exercise, you may think of putting in time on the treadmill or lifting weights. Those are important!
A blend of cardio and strength training is the recommended way to lose weight and keep it off in the future. Think of your exercise time as self-care: time for you to get lost in your thoughts, take a little peace and quiet, and take care of yourself and no one else.
What happens after the weightlifting ends, though? Consider how you spend your free time.
Many forms of entertainment these days, such as video games, are sedentary activities. While this is often a great way to relax, it also contributes to the hours that you spend sitting.
If you’re working from home at a desk job, you may be sitting a lot anyway. Consider hobbies like biking, swimming, martial arts, or something that gets you moving.
If it’s fun, it won’t even feel like exercise, even though you can burn a lot of calories while doing it.
Get A Medical Consultation
Genetics and hormones can play a huge role in your weight loss journey. Even if you’re eating lots of fruits and veggies and exercising, you might feel frustrated at a lack of progress.
Getting a medical opinion is important, as a doctor can help pinpoint food allergies, vitamin deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and more. Once you’ve experienced rejuvenation weight loss, you’ll never go back.
How To Lose Weight
One of the top tips for losing weight is moderation. Cutting your favorite foods out and committing to never eat a cookie again won’t work.
Sometimes, being told you can’t have something is a good way to start craving it. The cravings may intensify until you start bingeing. Then, you feel demoralized and feel like you can never recover.
If this happens, don’t throw in the towel on your entire wellness journey. Instead, remember that tomorrow is a new day. You can always start fresh, and balance out your plate with ‘healthy’ and ‘fun’ foods.
Your body is smart and knows how to lose weight. One day of poor eating won’t throw off your entire weight loss journey.
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