Efforts to lose weight can seem like a perennial battle for many people. If that sounds familiar, it’s time to ditch fad diets, double down on your efforts and use these tips to finally reach your goal weight.
Table of Contents
1. Get To the “Why” of Your Eating Habits
Poor dietary habits often stem from an unhealthy relationship between people and food. If you find yourself snacking out of boredom or binging for comfort after a bad day, this could be your situation. Do not dismiss this as normal. Emotional eating is a form of disordered eating and should be addressed.
Several high-quality weight loss programs walk you through the behavioral aspects of what and when you eat. Consider downloading one and using it to understand your food habits better. This could be the insight you need to finally achieve your goal weight.
2. Talk To Your Healthcare Provider
In many cases, even the best efforts do not produce the weight loss results you want. However, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor before you start piling on the guilt. There could be a medical reason you can’t lose weight or keep it off.
Hormone imbalances are a common example of why you might struggle. Diabetes or other conditions could also interfere with how your body processes food and stores fat. As a result, your doctor may recommend a special diet or, in some cases, suggest weight reduction surgery.
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3. Sip on Water Throughout the Day
Drinking water throughout the day is a simple way to support weight loss goals. Water helps improve satiety by taking up space in your stomach. It also supports healthy digestion and a host of other biological processes. Find a refillable bottle or two and carry one wherever you go. When you feel the urge to snack, try drinking a bit to see if you are actually thirsty.
Experts are still debating how much water you should drink each day, but they know that the actual number depends on personal factors. For example, your age, biological sex, activity levels and the weather all influence how much fluids you need to take in. your diet may also influence how much of that needs to come from water.
4. Find Fun Physical Activities
If the idea of spending an hour at the gym fills you with enough dread that you are reaching for the cookies, then you will have a hard time reaching your weight goals. So instead of dragging yourself through a workout you hate, find fun activities that bring you joy.
Loving your workout routine has several benefits. First, you are more likely to throw yourself into the work, yielding better results. Additionally, there’s a much higher chance that you will stick with the activity when you enjoy it. Considering that many people abandon their new exercise routines within a few weeks of starting them, this will put you well ahead of the curve.
5. Enlist the Help of Friends
Letting a friend in on your plans and enlisting their help can move you closer to your goals. According to Everyday Health, there are several science-supported reasons to partner up with a workout buddy. For example, they are motivating and can help hold you accountable to your commitments, like that Monday morning run you would otherwise skip.
When choosing who to partner up with, consider their personality and likes. For example, your best friend, the couch potato, may not be a great choice, but a coworker who has been actively exercising for a year could be. This should also be someone you can trust to share your ups and downs with, which rules out strangers you bump into at the gym.
6. Find Ways To Manage Stress
Stress may be a normal part of life, but too much of it can derail your plans and take you in the opposite direction of your goals. In addition to wreaking havoc with emotions, chronic stress can also lead to physical symptoms like inflammation and digestive issues, making losing weight much harder.
Instead of avoiding all stress (it won’t happen), look for healthy non-food ways to deal with it. For example, walking, socializing, or having a relaxing cup of tea might help. Many people also find creative pursuits to be effective at lowering stress levels.
Healthy, permanent weight loss is possible. However, if tips like drinking more water and exercising don’t work, you may need to talk with your healthcare provider about medical options that can help.