Losing weight isn’t always about going harder – sometimes it’s about starting smarter. If the scale won’t budge, small, sustainable shifts can make a bigger impact than extreme overhauls. These five simple strategies are designed to help you lose weight without having to overhaul your entire diet.
1. Track Your Meals
If you’re struggling to drop kilos, you’re likely eating more calories than you think. One study found that when it comes to wolfing down takeaways, most of us vastly underestimate the kilojoule payload in every bite. Fortunately, the fix is simple: start tracking what you’re eating.
READ MORE: Can Drinking Lemon Water Help with Weight Loss?
Try an app like Lose It to help make your tracking efforts easier. Not only does the app give you access to a frequently updated database of food items (local grocery store offerings included), it’ll also give you macro goals and calorie targets based on your weight-loss goals. What’s more, research suggests that merely the act of tracking your meals could start to help shift the scales even without making any conscious dietary changes.
2. Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule
If you’re not getting enough shuteye, you could be driving your body towards calorie-loaded cravings. A study conducted by the University of Chicago found that people who only slept for four hours or less at night were far more likely to reach for unhealthy snacks versus those who got the recommended hours under the covers.
Plus, sleep deprivation is commonly associated with a higher BMI. The fix? Set a bedtime and aim to sleep for at least 7 hours every night.
3. Load Up on Fibre
Eating fibre is the secret to feeling full even when you’re surviving on a calorie deficit. Swapping out calorie-dense carbs (like pasta, bread, etc.) for a side salad or grilled veggies will help you feel satiated after every meal.
READ MORE: Does Eating More Protein Help with Weight Loss?
And fibre isn’t just filling. Eating more fibre improves digestive health by preventing constipation, fostering a healthy gut microbiome and helping control blood sugar and cholesterol levels, which reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Dig in!
4. Get Hydrated!
If you don’t habitually drink water throughout the day, your brain might mistake thirst signals for hunger pangs. A study found that people who made sure to stay adequately hydrated throughout the day tended to have a lower BMI on average than their aqua-deprived counterparts. You can try using an app like WaterLlama that’ll not only help you stay above the floodline by tracking your consumption but will also feed you reminders when it’s time to start sipping.
READ MORE: 8 Effective Strategies for Weight Loss Without Motivation
5. Never Skip Breakfast
It’s the most important meal of the day for a reason; making sure you tuck into a healthy breakfast every morning will decrease the chances of you overeating throughout your waking hours. The American Heart Association found that foregoing breakfast could increase your risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease and high blood pressure. And, yes, it could also lead to weight gain.
