10 Small Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help You Lose Weight
Successful and lasting weight loss goes
hand in hand with adopting small, realistic changes in your life. You
don't need to overhaul your entire life in order to lose weight. In
fact, it's best that you don't, as drastically changing your lifestyle
and eating habits can backfire, and, sooner or later, most people who
choose this path end up falling back to old habits.
That's why we say start small and tweak
your life only slightly so that these new healthy habits have the
opportunity to sink in and become an organic part of your life. Here are
10 simple but meaningful little tweaks that will help you lose weight
stress-free. Pick and choose the ones you can act upon right away and
then gradually add more and more healthy habits to your daily life.
1. When ordering food, ask for dressings and sauces on the side
One of the reasons why restaurant food is
so delicious is that they really go ham on ingredients that we really
shouldn’t eat in excess, such as sugar, salt, and fat. After all, the
majority of restaurants only care about the taste of a specific food and
less about its potential effect on your health. Keep that in mind
whenever you order food.
One easy way to break the system and reduce
the number of empty calories a restaurant meal contains is to order
salad dressings and sauces on the side. For example, restaurants often
overdress salads, putting at least 4 tablespoons of vinaigrette in it,
which could set you back by 300-400 extra calories in just one meal.
It's much better to control the amount of sauce and dressing you
consume, whether you ordered a salad, pasta, or buffalo wings.
2. Track your hydration levels with a designated water bottle
It’s no secret that people often confuse
hunger with thirst. As a result, you can end up eating more than you
have to because you’ve been thirsty all along. According to Lisa
Moskovitz, a nutrition expert, "upping the water intake can have a huge
impact on how much you eat during the day."
That's precisely why a simple item like a water bottle can become a
surprising tool to help your weight loss journey. It acts as a physical
reminder to stay hydrated, and it can help you track your hydration
progress throughout the day. How much water you need every day depends
on your activity levels, age, and other factors, but the 8×8 rule -
drinking eight glasses of 8 ounces each - is a good starting point.
If you want to curb your food cravings, experts recommend drinking 2
cups of water before every meal or snack.
3. Watch out for the food’s texture
"One reason why things like ice cream or
mashed potatoes are easy to overdo is because the texture is such that
it's very easy to just keep eating spoonful after spoonful," according
to Andy Bellatti, a registered dietitian. Therefore, you have to portion
these foods carefully. For example, you should avoid eating ice cream
directly from the tub. Instead, place a small amount of ice cream into a
separate bowl first.
4. Go easy on the alcohol
Like pureed or smooth foods, drinks are a
common culprit behind excessive caloric consumption. We’re sure that you
already know that you shouldn’t drink sodas and even juices more often
than occasionally. At the same time, many people still don’t realize how
many calories there are in alcoholic beverages, so here’s a useful
comparison:
One standard 150 ml (5oz) glass of dry white wine has the same
number of calories as a slice of white bread.
A pint of beer has the same caloric content as a bag of popcorn.
An average pina colada contains the same amount of calories as a 115
g (4 oz) bag of French fries.
A pint of cider has just as many calories as a slice of cheese
pizza.
As you can see, just 1 drink can cost you hundreds of calories, nearly
as much as a proper meal, so drink with caution if your goal is to lose
weight.
5. High-fiber snacks are your best friend
Fiber is the stuff that fills up your
stomach without costing you any calories. As you can imagine, this is
very useful if your goal is to fill up your stomach in an attempt to
stop those annoying food cravings. Apart from that, fiber is also very
good for healthy digestion.
On the one hand, fiber helps promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria,
and on the other hand, it makes up the bulk of the stool, so it
prevents bloating and speeds up digestion. Therefore, we recommend
stocking up on fiber-rich snacks if you intend to lose weight. Some
examples of such snacks are nuts, berries, apples, and carrots.
6. Not all plant oils are as good as they say
If you want to lose weight, it's best to
get most of your fats from whole food sources, such as avocados, nuts,
seeds, and fish. This is preferable to overdoing it with cooking oils,
even if it's a healthy variety like olive oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed
oil.
As Bellatti told the Insider, "Adding half an avocado to a meal gives
you the healthy fats but also fiber whereas cooking with avocado oil,
while it's healthier from a fat perspective, doesn't really have
anything that fills you up." That doesn’t mean that you should avoid
cooking oils altogether, of course, but try to be mindful of the amount
you eat.
7. Opt for home-cooked meals over takeout
Nutritionists recommend that at least half
of the meals and snacks you eat are home-cooked. If possible, treat a
restaurant as an occasional backup option for days that you're really
busy instead of the main place where you get your food. Experts
calculated that this will dramatically reduce one's caloric intake and
how much salt and added sugar one eats.
Research from The Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine estimated that home cooks consume an average of 200
calories less than those who eat out more. The money you will save by
cooking at home is another pleasant bonus.
8. Pick leisure activities that don’t involve food
Be mindful of the ways you spend time with
your family. Does it always involve food? For many people, a friendly
gathering is synonymous with dinner, a picnic, or “going out for a cup
of coffee”, which is the universal code for “coffee and a piece of
cake.”
If you just recognized yourself in this description, it’s time for you
to diversify your leisure activities. Don’t worry, this is actually
quite fun, as instead of just sitting and gobbling down overpriced food,
you can choose to go for a walk, bike ride, or hike with your friends,
or visit a nearby museum, zoo, or amusement park with your family. Any
activity will do the trick - your imagination is the only limit.
9. Take the stairs whenever you can
Do you have to exercise vigorously every
day to see results? The answer is ‘no’, but if you only exercise
occasionally, it’s a good idea to get your body moving whenever you have
free time. Even if you’re a super busy person, you can choose to take
the stairs on your way to the office or break up the long periods of
sitting with a short walk around the house or office every few hours.
However short, these periods of activity will help you lose weight and
stay healthy in the long run.
10. Avoid distractions while eating
Do you always have dessert in front of the
TV? Or maybe, you’re too busy during the day and you decide to multitask
and have lunch and work? We’ve all done this mistake at one point in
our lives, but few of us suspect that this habit can actually lead to
mindless overeating.
This fact was proven scientifically: according to one study,
participants who listened to music while eating ended up eating a lot
more of the same food compared to people who were eating without any
distractions. So, if you’re used to scrolling through your phone or
reading books or magazines while eating, it’s best to ditch that habit.