How To Lose Weight Fast At Home – 59 Expert Proven Methods

How To Lose Weight Fast At Home – 59 Expert Proven Methods

One of the main reasons we love flipping through popular celebrity magazines is to check out those fabulously toned and sculpted figures. Almost all of us have envied those perfect bodies, telling ourselves that the only reason celebs manage to look so good is because they have the luxury of a personal trainer or a dietitian.

Well, that’s not true. With a little time, dedication, and commitment, you can also get the body of your dreams.

In this post we have come up with certain tips and techniques that can help you realize your fitness dreams. Delay no more and keep reading!

DIET TIPS

EXERCISE TIPS

LIFESTYLE HABITS AND OTHER TIPS

DIET TIPS

1. Have A Willing Mind

As they say, it all starts in the mind. Before you take steps to lose weight, you must first decide to do so.

Assess yourself and decide how many pounds you need to lose. This assessment must be based on your overall health, height, age, and bone structure.

Be realistic. Don’t expect to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. It just doesn’t happen that way.

What to remember – First and foremost, make a strong commitment to lose weight.

2. Set Realistic Goals

Deciding how much weight you want to reduce is more important than you may realize. Do not have a vague idea of looking thin or set an unrealistic goal of losing 10 kgs in a month. Such expectations are detrimental in the long term, bringing you back to square one. Set small, short-term goals (losing 5-10% of body weight) that you will stick to as time goes by.

A particularly effective way to start off on this journey is to aim for a particular dress size for good motivation. Next, maintain a food dairy. Start recording what you eat and drink as this gives you an idea of what the problem areas are. With more understanding, you would correct the diet and feel better about those choices.

Samantha Dietitian
    Samantha (Dietitian)   - Create a realistic, doable plan of action. Assess your motivation to know whether you are really ready to do what it takes to make healthy changes you can keep for a lifetime. Focus on healthy changes like skipping sugar, sweetened beverages, walking 10-60 minutes a day, or having half your plate filled with vegetables like broccoli, spinach, zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, or salads.

3. Focus On Your Diet

Diet is an integral part of your weight loss regime, and focusing on it is a given. Most people think they can eat what they want and exercise to burn off the extra calories – and that’s exactly why they eventually quit altogether.

Did you know that your diet is the largest contributor to your fitness? 80 percent of your fitness is dependent on the diet you have. Exercise forms the remaining 20 percent.

So focus on your diet – it will help you become fit, and maintain your fitness levels once you lose all that weight.

What to remember – Focus on what you are eating. Be mindful.

James Fell
     - Understand that exercise doesn’t entitle you to eat junk food as a reward. Instead, exercise strengthens your will around food, so use that. Eating purely for pleasure is a leading cause of being overweight. Carbs and gluten aren’t evil. Just stay away from processed food and, instead, focus on foods that are more in their natural form.

Nate Miyaki
       - Your diet and food habits play a major role in your fat loss and health goals than any other fitness factor. Processed and fast foods that contain high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, and vegetable oils can cause insulin resistance, poor blood sugar control, stubborn body fat, whole body inflammation, water retention, bloating, and gastrointestinal distress.

4. Note Down What You Are Eating

I don’t know if this sounds funny, but what I surely know is that it works wonders. When you make a note of what you are putting in your mouth, you will be able to assess your fitness requirements better.

For a week (before changing your usual diet), eat as you usually do and make a note of all that you eat. You can write down everything in your diary or a journal. By the end of the week, you will be aware of what you are consuming, and what you need to replace in order to become your fittest self.

What to remember – Keep track of what you are eating. It helps in understanding exactly what you are putting into your mouth.

5. Know What You Must Eat (And What You Must Avoid)

Okay. So you now know your eating habits and the kind of stuff that goes into your stomach on a regular basis. Post this, it is time to take some real action.

Go through the list and check what all you can avoid to reach your weight loss goals. The idea is to understand what you can continue eating and what you must discontinue.

Take a look at following guidelines:

• Get rid of fried and fatty foods.

• While making a stir fry dish, replace normal paneer with tofu paneer.

• Be true to yourself while you are jotting down what you are eating. Don’t make slight adjustments so that you can convince yourself that you are eating less – things turn bad that way. Even if the list gets exhaustive, it is okay. Put down everything you eat (along with the quantity) – it will be worth the effort.

• Understand how the food was made. Be specific about it. Was it grilled, boiled, steamed, stir-fried, or just fried? And if fried, how much of oil was used?

• Most importantly, stick to your food journal, no matter what. You must note down everything you eat, even if it involves going out with your friends and they end up laughing at you. It’s your life. Be serious.

What to remember – Understand the characteristics of foods around you. Learn to differentiate the good from the bad.

Tony Horton
       - Stick to the 5 basic whole food groups: lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats. Cut out sugar and artificial sweeteners from your diet. Eliminate any beverage that’s loaded with sugar and/or chemicals. This includes diet soda and any processed food that contains artificial sweeteners.

Daniel John
     - Think of an imaginary line. On the far left is junk food. On the far right are lean protein, veggies, and clear water. Simply try to push to the right at every meal. Supplements are meant to supplement. Try for better meals, quality sleep, and some movement before adding anything else.

Jen Comas
  Jen Comas Keck   - Eat vegetables with every meal for satiety and to increase nutrient intake. Eat whole, unprocessed foods most of the time, and treats only sometimes. Eat protein with every meal.  

Michael Boyle
     - Decrease your grain intake. Remember, corn is a grain, not a vegetable. Eat protein at every meal. Shop the outside of the supermarket. Stay out of the aisles.

6. Change The Way You Eat

There are certain ways you can eat that will help you achieve your weight loss dreams faster. Simple tricks, if you ask me. Here you go:

• Drink plenty of water. This keeps you full and prevents you from binging.

• Stock up on fruits and vegetables. Stock up on foods rich in fiber and other nutrients. Basically, stock up on everything that is healthy for you. And when you feel like having a snack in the evening, these are what you must turn to (instead of that evil bag of chips).

• When you eat is as important as what you eat. Don’t have dinner at 1 am in the night and expect to be healthy. Make it a point (and a practice) to finish off your evening meal at least two hours before you sleep.

• Eat small meals at regular intervals than having two or three large meals a day. This will help keep your cravings at bay.

• Eat on smaller plates. Well, here lies the trick – placing a little amount of food on a large plate makes you feel you are starving yourself. But the same amount on a smaller plate makes you feel satisfied. It’s pure psychology, my friend. But it works great.

• Try a stir fry dish or a salad without the unwanted sauces or dressings.

• If you have a sweet tooth and can’t live without desserts after dinner, try having cut fruits with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

What to remember – Change your eating habits and behavior as they also have an influence on your health.

Brett Hoebel
       - It is recommended to eat 5-6 smaller meals in a day. Many people usually skip their breakfast. They tend to eat two large meals instead, which spikes insulin production. This, in turn, increases fat storage. Combine protein, fat, and complex carbs proportionally to keep running your metabolism level and lowering insulin levels.

Rob Sulaver
     - Eat a lot of veggies. Try to eat more than 5 servings per day for a strong, resilient, and lean physique. Vegetables contain bioactive phytochemicals that help you to be strong and active.

Travis Stoetzel
     - Eat protein with EVERY meal, no matter what. Simple rule for carbs - eat them right after a workout for the most benefit. If in doubt, you can’t go wrong with eating REAL FOOD.

7. Know What Foods Contain The Essential Nutrients

When you are trying to lose weight, what you eat is as important as how much you eat.

Following are the different categories of foods you can include in your diet:

– Foods that boost your metabolism

Including protein-rich foods in your diet will increase the metabolic rate. This will help your body burn more fat than you consume. Slower metabolism results in the slower burning of fat, thereby dampening your weight loss dreams.

Foods that boost your metabolism include:

a. Soybeans: They are extremely rich in protein that helps improve your metabolism.

b. Hot peppers: This includes red and green chillies and jalapenos. Jalapenos contain capsaicin that accelerates your heartbeat and improves metabolism.

c. Spices: Spices like cinnamon increase your metabolic rate and promote weight loss. You can regularly add a teaspoon of cinnamon powder to the curry of your choice.

d. Fish: Seafood like salmon, mackerel, and tuna contain Omega-3 fatty acids that help burn excess calories.

– Foods that are rich in fiber

Fiber-rich foods form a good part of a weight loss diet. The fiber keeps your stomach full for a longer time, and hence, you will not end up binging and packing pounds. It also improves your digestive system and regulates blood sugar levels.

Here’s how you can include fiber in your diet:

a. You can have a medium-sized bowl of pulses, with lean meat or fish. Even brown rice is good.

b. Oats with some diced fruits make a nutrition-rich and fat-free breakfast.

c. Strawberries, raspberries, and bananas are also good sources of fiber.

d. As an evening snack, have a bowl of fruits or sprouts.

e. You can have a bowl of green veggie soup, containing spinach, broccoli, or peas, for your dinner, in addition to other items.

– Foods rich in antioxidants

Well, who hasn’t heard about antioxidants? They are the superheroes when it comes to defending the body against diseases. All types of berries, raisins, broccoli, spinach, cherries, oranges, and red bell peppers are rich in antioxidants.

What to remember – Having sufficient knowledge about the nutritional values of different foods helps you plan your diet better.

Kim Schaper
         - Greens are your friend: Make sure to fill up on all those fiber-rich leafy greens like spinach, kale, and broccoli to build bulk to your diet without weight gain. Stay hydrated with water and make sure to move each day.

Craig Ramsay
     - Boost your metabolism easily by including cinnamon, grapefruit, spicy foods, and green tea. Choose foods that allow you to eat more with fewer calories. Eating fewer calories does not mean you have to eat lower volumes of food.

8. Don’t Skip Meals

This probably is the number one mistake people who want to lose weight make. And also the number one reason people ultimately get discouraged and get back to their unhealthy habits.

Skipping meals ‘might’ help you shed a few pounds, but that’s just temporary. Write this down and stick it somewhere you can see.

When you start skipping meals, your body enters the starvation mode. For some time, you might think you can continue following the diet, but you can’t. You will eventually lose control, and end up hogging on anything that meets your eye, instead of keeping your portions under control.

Also, skipping meals deprives you of the required nutrition, which is the perfect recipe for sickness.

What to remember – Never skip meals. Focus on eating nutritious food instead of starving yourself.

9. Don’t Overdo It

Balance is required in whatever you do. So is the case with your food. Yes, it is important that you stay away from junk and embrace healthful foods. But this doesn’t mean you totally forget your favorite cake or chocolate cookies (or whatever you love).

As long as you are watchful of your eating behavior, you can occasionally indulge in guilt foods – probably once a month. Too much restriction, just like starving yourself, can eventually lead to temptation and your healthy diet would literally be chucked out of the window.

And I would like to repeat this – not more than once a month. Don’t make your indulgences a daily thing.

What to remember – Don’t torture yourself in the name of eating healthy. Maintain a healthy balance.

Jennifer Nicole Lee
     - Don’t over train! It leads to exhaustion. Train 30 mins a day 4-5 times per week. Drink water as it helps you to flush out your system. Make sure to get your beauty rest to recharge your body.

10. Eat At Home As And When Possible

Nothing new in this. Home food is always the healthiest. When we cook for our own people, we tend to take extra care. We ensure that we use only healthful ingredients, and if needed, can customize our diet according to our needs.

All this doesn’t happen in a restaurant. So if you are out and are returning home, make it a point to get to your own kitchen and cook and eat. Trust me, it will be worth it.

What to remember – Food cooked outside is not as healthy as that prepared at home. Always prefer to eat at home.

11. Take Fluids As Well

Fluids are as important as solids when it comes to maintaining optimum health. As already discussed, drink plenty of water. The best bet would be plain water with some natural flavoring. You can also treat yourself to a smoothie, provided you keep in mind not to add excess sugar or dairy products to it.

P.S: Stay away from packaged fruit juices, cold drinks, or alcohol. Yes, they are fluids too, but of the wrong kind.

What to remember – Fluids are as important as solid food. Take them in plenty.

Drink lots of water because thirst is often mistaken for hunger and will flush out toxins. Be prepared with healthy snacks and meals. Eat whole foods and avoid processed items.

Mandy Ingber
     - Green Tea! It improves memory, stabilizes blood sugar levels, and increases metabolism. You can have two cups a day. It is a healthy replacement for other beverages. Eliminate all sodas, sugary beverages, and fruit juice.

12. Make Your Diet Public

Human beings would do almost anything to save their face in public. And, in a way, that can help you in achieving your goals.

So, make your diet public. Tell all the important people in your life what you are doing. Some might mock at you, others might laugh at you, a few might encourage you. But, ultimately, everybody will provoke you in some way that motivates you to keep going.

What to remember – Announcing your weight loss goals to your peers makes you more resolute to achieve them.

13. Emotional Eating Is A Sin

I am against having emotions, not against using them. – Harvey Specter, Suits. And I am against emotional eating. Plain and simple.

When you are happy, you eat. When you are sad, you eat. When you are angry, or depressed, or pained, or whatever, you eat – thinking that food can make you feel better.

And months down the line, you will end up in the hospital bed, wondering what’s happening.

Understand that emotions and food don’t go hand in hand. Identify the issues that lead to food craving and solve them. You can even talk to your doctor and take help.

What to remember – Don’t take the help of food when you are on an emotional roller coaster. You wouldn’t have control over your emotions, and hence, you wouldn’t have control over what you eat.

14. Don’t Get Confused Between Thirst And Hunger

here would be times when we think we are hungry, but, in reality, we are just thirsty. Be aware of what you feel. If you feel like eating something between meals, try drinking something instead – probably a glass of water, or fresh fruit mix. If you still aren’t satisfied, go ahead and have a light snack.

What to remember – Sometimes, the hunger you feel is nothing but thirst in disguise. Consume water, and if you still feel hungry, you can eat something.

Marc Perry
     - Often, there is confusion between thirst and hunger, so drink plenty of water - somewhere around 2/3 of body weight in ounces – can help stave off the confusion, and also may create a greater feeling of satiety throughout the day.

15. Adjust Your Regime According To Your Body And Mind

There is no single diet in the world that would fit all. We all have different levels of fitness, and our weight loss goals could be different from that of another. Hence, customize your diet regime according to your needs and requirements. Don’t blindly go for a diet plan just because it worked for someone else.

What to remember – Everyone has their own unique body mechanisms. Find out what suits you and go ahead with it.

Nick Tumminello
     - Diets should be individualized, taking into account lifestyle habits, medical history, and food preferences. Keep in mind that the most important factor that will determine fat loss and improved health outcomes on any diet is adherence. So, choose the diet plan that you can stick with.

16. Eat What You Love

Just hold on before you jump to conclusions. What I mean is of the available healthy foods, eat the ones you love. What is your favorite of fruits? And what about vegetables? Pick your favorites and munch on them.

What to remember – Pick the foods you love from the healthy lot, and eat more of them. This way, you can enjoy your new and healthful diet.

In case you are eating outside, the chances are high that your servings will be huge. If you happen to eat with your friends or family, you can always share your servings with them. You can also follow this while eating dessert on the go.

Of course, sharing is caring, right?

What to remember – Share your servings with people around. This helps you reduce your intake and stay healthy.

18. Do Not Skip Breakfast

Hunger makes a person eat more the next time he or she sits down for a meal. Dietitians warn against staying for more than 8 hours without a meal. That makes breakfast the most important meal to begin nourishing your body. Typically, night eaters tend to skip breakfast, which is an unhealthy habit to begin with. Have a proper breakfast to maintain energy levels, avoid cravings and consequent overindulgence.

Flavia Del Monte
     - Eat fats for breakfast. Healthy fats control hormones and will make you feel satiated longer than carbohydrates. Say goodbye to the afternoon crash when you eat a breakfast high in protein and fats.

19. Spread Those Portions

Dietitians suggest that the best way to shed pounds is to eat small portions of food. When you eat smaller portions that are spread out over the day, the calories are also spread evenly. This ensures you have the same amount of calories as a normal meal, but avoid the extra calories from unnecessary junk food.

  Victoria (Dietitian)   - Cut back, not out. As soon as you start to feel deprived, what happens? You overeat ‘forbidden foods’. The best bet is to portion control your meals and snacks. Use smaller bowls and plates, measure out starchy foods like pasta, rice, couscous, and quinoa.

20. Add Fiber And Water

All effective methods to lose weight are the healthy ways. Staying hydrated and adding plenty of water to your diet ensures you stay full as well as healthy. Besides, every gram of fiber you eat helps you lose nearly 10 calories from your body.

Additionally, according to research, drinking water before meals was found to reduce weight, probably because it makes a person feel fuller. So ensure you get more fruits and fruit juices.

Joy Bauer
       - Veggies are loaded with fiber and water, so it expands in your belly and starts to fill you up fast, making it easier to cut back on portions for the rest of your meal. Vegetables are naturally low-calorie and packed with vital nutrition that helps keep you running at the top of your game.

Eric Cressey

– Drink more water: Fatigue and hunger often result from dehydration, so when in doubt, drink more water! Eliminate calorie-containing beverages: In other words, you want to eat all your calories. For beverages, stick to water, coffee (minimal to no additives), and tea.

Zach Even Esh
    Zach Even – Esh   - Start your day with 2 glasses of water and remove soft drinks from your diet. Eat 1 salad every day. Remove bread & dairy from your diet 90% of the time, and eventually, completely.

21. Eat On A Routin

Having food at a consistent pace is a healthy choice of lifestyle. One needs to allow the body to maintain its internal clock by eating and sleeping at the same time each day. Having meals at the same time ensures stable blood sugar levels. Hence, the next time you feel hungry, it means you are actually hungry and are not experiencing a craving.

Ary Nunez
       - Do not eat after 7 pm. Avoid snacking in the night. Combine foods for better digestion and Drink water with lemon first thing in the morning after you wake up.

22. Cook It Yourself

Dietitians suggest you cook your food at home. Cooking it yourself from scratch enables you to check what goes into the dish. One can make informed decisions about which foods to choose from without cutting back on essential groups such as pasta or meat. Prefer steaming or baking the food to frying it.

23. Color The Diet

Dietitians have advised us to color our diet palates. We need to add a variety of vegetables to our diet chart, mixing them as much as possible. Red is a particularly healthy vegetable color to look out for. Coloring your diet is an innovative advice for weight loss as it will make sure you have lesser sugary foods and beverages, reducing an overload of empty calories.

Ashley Borden
       - Keep 80% of your foods whole and colorful! When you look at your plate, you should see lots and lots of color. Be sure to include protein (vegetarian or animal-based) in at least 3 of your meals to repair muscle and have lean muscle mass.

24. A Little Dessert

Cravings are hard to stop in a short span of time. It takes a conscious eater, who is aware of each food going into their mouth, to control the cravings completely. One needs to cultivate an attitude to recognize the triggers. Before that, dessert lovers should try and make a list of those items that they absolutely cannot do without. While avoiding all the others, dietitians say it is safe to indulge in a dessert once or twice a week. Here too, portion size is the key.

25. Stick To The Plan

Never waver from your goal. One foolproof way to ensure this is to get the support of a friend. Do not make drastic diet changes. Keep exercise to your comfortable level, quit alcohol or drink it in moderation, and importantly, stay away from sugary food.

EXERCISE TIPS

Regular exercise has an indispensable role to play in weight loss. Most of us often consider exercise to be a chore – something that is more often performed with forcefulness. But if you take it as an activity to be enjoyed, or find a physical activity that you enjoy doing, things will get simpler.

Simple options like cycling, walking, or even dancing can help greatly.

What to remember – Exercise daily. The results might not show immediately, but they will benefit you over time.

Mark Dilworth
     - Concentrate on compound (multi-joint) strength exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges, bench press, planks, and rows because they work and build more muscle groups. Walk 30 minutes every day, even on the days you workout. Staying active as much as possible is very underrated. It helps relieve stress, improves blood flow and improves breathing.

27. Start Small

Yes, I understand that you are now all pumped up to become the next Jane Fonda. But hey, it doesn’t happen overnight. And it definitely doesn’t happen if you pounce upon the big machines in the gym right from the start.

Starting with intense exercises right away can wear you down soon, and you will eventually become demotivated – something that you wouldn’t want.

Always remember this – dream big, but start small. You can also include certain habits in your routine, such as:

• Take the steps instead of the elevator.
• Walk around the room when you are on a long phone call.
• Park your vehicle a few blocks away from your office so that you can walk back.

You can also include the following exercises in your routine to start off with:

Before you begin your exercise routine, warm up by doing jumping jacks. This exercise increases your heartbeat rate and gives you enough stamina to perform the remaining exercises.

• Stand with your feet at ease and hands by the sides.
• In one motion, jump and spread your feet apart and lift your hands straight over your head.
• Jump again, and come back to the initial position.

You can relive your childhood days with this exercise. It tones your legs and works on flab, in addition to working on other parts of the body.

This could be one of the best forms of freehand exercises. It works on your thighs, abs, the lower back, and the calves.

• Stand straight with your chest and shoulders up.
• Keep looking straight.
• Slowly squat, ensuring your knees are in line with your feet.
• Hold for a second, and return to the initial position.

What to remember – Dream big, but start small. Going overboard at the beginning itself can drain your energy and discourage you altogether.

28. Introduce Cardio

The benefits of cardio for weight loss are limitless. Cardio exercises involve a lot of moving around, which results in the burning of a lot of calories. This will only help you in losing weight and becoming fit. You can even perform cardio exercises at home.

What to remember – Cardio exercises can help you burn many calories in a short period. They also build endurance and health, in addition to helping you lose weight.

Natalie Richardson
       - Your heart needs the cardio, and your muscles and bones need weights. The more muscle you put on, the more calories you burn, even while resting. In return, you lose weight and slim/tone rather than bulk. Eat something every 3 hours to keep your metabolism working and moving.

29. Take Help Of Workout Videos

These are trending, and they actually work. If you are someone who wants to lose weight, these could be really useful.

You can choose videos from a wide range of exercises, including salsa, ballroom dancing, strength training, martial arts, Pilates, hula hooping, and yoga.

What to remember – Follow the experts. If you aren’t sure about performing a particular exercise, take the help of a workout video.

30. Set A Gym At Home

This doesn’t have to be a full-fledged gym. You can start off with some basic training equipment like push-up bars, pull-up bars, etc.

What to remember – Basic exercise equipment at home can help you get started and stay consistent.

Helen M Ryan
    Helen M. Ryan   - Set a timer for 55 minutes and work (or do housework, studying, sewing, television watching, internet surfing, etc.) for that length of time. When the timer goes off, get up and exercise a specific muscle group or do cardio for a few minutes. Working out for a few minutes at a time, throughout the day, can get you in great shape with minimal time investment.

31. Try A New Sport

Playing a sport is a great way of staying fit. You can enjoy the game and simultaneously improve your overall health. You might have some favorite sport that you couldn’t play due to various reasons. Well, now is the right time to start.

Make time and start playing. If you don’t allocate time to invest in your health, you better think of what that might lead to.

Remember, nothing is more important than your health.

What to remember – Sports build both the body and mind. Take time and indulge in a sporting activity. Physical activity doesn’t always have to be performed inside a gym.

32. Create Your Own Workout Routine

One advantage of creating your own workout routine is that you know your current body condition, and can tailor the routine to fit your needs.

A good workout routine can be something like this:

• Initially, you can warm up for 5 minutes by jogging in the same place.
• Stretch your body. But remember not to overdo it.
• You can then jump rope vigorously for 5 minutes.
• Take a break and climb the stairs. Do this for 5 minutes.
• Post this, do 20 push-ups and 20 crunches.
• Do 30 squats and 30 lunges.
• Then, run up and down the stairs for 10 minutes.
• Finish off with jumping rope for 10 minutes.

This is an example. You can prepare your own workout routine as per your requirements.

What to remember – Understand the needs of your body and create a workout routine that suits you. This helps you stick to it.

33. Stay Motivated

his could be the hardest part. Starting something is easy, but continuing it and staying motivated to do so is hard.

Keep reminding yourself of the benefits you would get if you continue with your regimen. Read inspiring weight loss stories. Watch videos of people working out and getting fit. Tell yourself how your life would change for the better once you lose the weight and transform yourself into your fittest self.

What to remember – Motivation is the key. When you motivate yourself, it becomes easy to do the things that are required to be done. You will also start loving yourself more.

Walking has numerous benefits, and it is one of the easiest ways you can keep extra pounds at bay. Also, you don’t have to set a specific time for walking. You can walk around anytime you want. Here are a few ideas:

• You can take the stairs instead of the lift.
• If it is a short distance you are traveling, you can walk instead of taking your vehicle.
• In case you are a homemaker, you can walk down to the supermarket to get your groceries.
• You can invest in audio books and keep listening to them as you walk. Listening to music could also help.

What to remember – Walking is a simple way to stay healthy and fit. You probably can start off your routine with walking.

35. Remain Active

Apart from your regular exercising, you can also take up some physical activity that can both be a stress reliever and a health builder.

Having an active lifestyle is one of the best ways to ensure that you don’t gain excess weight. You can go for tennis coaching, or learn dancing or skiing (or anything that suits your schedule).

What to remember – Promise yourself to remain active whenever possible. It pays off.

36. Enjoy Exercising

How does something become easy? By doing it. And how does something become easier? By enjoying it as you do it.

Thinking about the gym shouldn’t make you cringe or hate your life. You must instead feel inspired and energized. That happens only when you start enjoying working out.

One clever way of enjoying your workouts is by having a variation. Try out new fitness regimens each week to ensure you don’t get bored.

What to remember – Incorporate a variety of exercises into your routine. This helps you enjoy your workouts and stay focused.

    Jenn   - Start viewing your exercise program as the best anti-aging medicine rather than a cumbersome act that is time-consuming. Start viewing your lifestyle habits, such as sleep and stress management, as a vital part of your optimal best so that you can view the world in a positive light.

LIFESTYLE HABITS AND OTHER TIPS

If you have a close friend who is in the same boat as you, pull them in for making healthy lifestyle choices. Once you get going, even if you are feeling down, your friend may motivate you and help you stay on track.

What to remember – Having a friend with the same goals keeps you motivated and accountable.

38. Milestones

Change the way you look at milestones. Instead of thinking how much more weight you must lose, think of how much weight you have already lost. Focusing on what you need to do might bring you down. Rather, focus on what you have achieved, and this can motivate you to do even more.

What to remember – Think of how far you have come, and you wouldn’t be discouraged by the distance you have to go. Change the way you think about milestones.

39. Reward Yourself

Very important.

Gift yourself something (ensure it’s a non-food reward) every time you reach a milestone. It could be a pair of shoes (if you have hit a big milestone), or a manicure (if it’s a small milestone).

Doing this motivates you to perform better, and the process of getting fit doesn’t appear dreadful to you.

What to remember – Rewarding yourself from time to time for achieving your goals motivates you to achieve even more.

40. Remember The Long Term Benefits

Think long term.

The workout you are performing today will not give you results tomorrow. It may not even give noticeable results in a week. It will take time. But over time, your body will become real fit and healthy.

Losing weight helps you in the following ways:

• It lowers blood pressure levels.
• It reduces LDL (bad cholesterol).
• It lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.

What to remember – What you do today may not benefit you tomorrow, but it eventually will. Believe in yourself and just be consistent.

Wondering how this can ever work? It’s psychology, my friend. Numerous studies have shown that blue color can have a magical effect on your appetite. Blue color is considered to be an appetite suppressant. You can change your eating plates, the dining table cloth, or even the bulb in your dining room to blue.

Blue is often associated with poison, and hence, your system wouldn’t appreciate the color. The result? You wouldn’t feel very hungry.

What to remember – Blue color helps suppress your appetite. Incorporating it into your culinary routine can help you stay away from unnecessary eating.

42. Throw Away Oversized Dresses

As you reach your weight loss milestones, ditch your oversized dresses and get clothes that measure an inch or two lesser. This can motivate you to stay on track, and you will work hard to reach your ideal fitness levels.

What to remember – By throwing away your oversized dresses, you are telling yourself to get fit sooner. This is another psychological trick to help yourself become fit.

If you want to know whether you are reaching your goals or not, you must keep track of your progress. You must measure your weight and count your calories on a daily basis. Initially, the numbers might be a little depressing. But what’s important is, if you know where you are now, you will know where to go. If you find a sudden surge in calorie intake or an increase in your weight over a week, you know you need to make certain course corrections to stay on track.

What to remember – Keep track of your weight and calories. This will help you know where you are, and where you must go.

44. Get Rid Of Temptations

Temptations are demons in the guise of angels. They make you think ‘it is okay’ to wallow in your favorite food for today. And, before you realize, a week would have already passed.

When you feel tempted to dive into a delicacy, stop yourself. Tell yourself how important your health is to you. Anything and everything potentially disruptive to your weight loss goals must be chucked out of your home.

Be committed to your goals. And you will see the results.

What to remember – Control your temptations. Understand how important your health is to you, and focus on doing things that are necessary.

45. Stock Up Your Refrigerator

Cram your refrigerator with vegetables, fruits, and everything else on this planet that is healthy. When we are very hungry, most often, we feel too lazy to reach for the vegetables, chop them, and eat. We hence end up munching chips or hogging on cakes.

Stocking up your refrigerator with healthy stuff forces you to make healthy choices and stick to them.

What to remember – Fill your refrigerator with fruits and vegetables so that whenever you feel hungry, you would only be obligated to eat the good stuff.

46. Chew A Sugarless Gum As You Cook

Sounds too simple to work? Well, it is simple. But it works too.

Nibbling on something as you cook is one of the commonest habits. And it also is one of the commonest ways you can put on weight slowly, but surely.

Chewing a sugarless gum keeps you away from all the unhealthy stuff you might otherwise put into your mouth. And yes, it can be a good exercise for your gums as well.

But remember, it must be a sugarless gum.

What to remember – Chewing a sugarless gum while cooking keeps you from unnecessary nibbling. This prevents the accumulation of unwanted calories.

47. Promote Convenience

You can leave healthy snacks around your home, office, and even in your car. That way, wherever you go, if hunger strikes, all that goes into your mouth would be healthy eats.

Also, carry a water bottle with you, and keep a water bottle at your desk at the office.

You can even have a measuring set (1 cup, ½ a cup, ¼ cup, etc.) in your kitchen. This will help you measure the exact quantity of food you would be cooking.

What to remember – Use certain convenient methods to inculcate healthy foods habits into your life. This can include placing healthy snacks all around your house so that wherever you sit, you can always have some healthy stuff right beside you.

48. Purchase Wisely

If your local gym has all you need, you don’t have to go for that trendy and expensive membership. Huge equipment purchases aren’t needed. Most often, we make big purchases thinking we will use them all, but eventually they are used for hanging clothes (or worse, left to rust).

What to remember – Only go for things that you need. Unnecessary spending would lead to a mess.

49. De-stress Your Day

Stress makes you eat more than you actually require, and the worst part is you don’t even realize it. This compounds and ultimately results in unhealthy weight gain.

Stay away from stress. There are certain ways you can achieve this. You can try deep breathing, going out for a walk, laughing out loud with your friends, etc.

What to remember – Stress is one factor that can lead to overeating, eventually resulting in weight gain. Try to avoid stress for a healthy life.

Manage your stress by handling stressful situations more calmly in order to release more fat. Sleep 7+ hours a night. There is a strong link between lack of sleep and obesity as well as releasing fat. Choose water as your primary beverage along with fresh brewed green tea.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

I don’t know who said those words, but they said them right. Prepare a game plan for your weight loss. Set goals, and break them into sub-goals so that you can stay on course as you progress.

Also, create a schedule so that you can manage your day well. Ensure you don’t let anything come in the way of accomplishing your goals.

What to remember – Create a proper plan that helps you understand what all you must do in order to go where you want to go.

Geoff Girvitz
    >Geoff Girvitz   - Consistency is king. If you are highly consistent with your regular meals, you will be able to effectively evaluate the impact of small dietary tweaks.

Bobby Strom
       - Plan your meals in advance so you never fail. This includes your food items, portion size, and caloric intake. Eliminate all processed, fast, and junk foods. Eat lots of green vegetables (steamed is best). Kale, spinach, Swiss chard, to name a few.

Debi Silber
       - If you fail to plan, then plan to fail – this is so true when it comes to weight loss. Having the foods you need easily accessible and handy prevents you from being at the mercy of whatever’s available when hunger strikes.

Dyan Tsiumis
       - If you are working late and are unable to make it at 7 or 8 pm, that’s fine, but pick a certain time to be done. This will force you to be prepared and plan ahead and prevent late night snacking where we can consume so many calories.

None of us can win all by ourselves. We need the support and help of people around us, irrespective of what we do.

A reliable friend or a loving family member can always support you and encourage you in times of trouble. They also can ensure you don’t succumb to temptations. Even they can give you that push to keep you going.

You can also join an online weight loss community where you can find like-minded people and go ahead with your goals.

What to remember – Support from family and friends can be a great boost. Take the support from your people as they can also help you in achieving your health goals.

52. Keep Yourself Occupied

Do you know what’s the number one reason people tend to pack on pounds? Boredom. We are bored and have nothing to do, and hence we hog on something just to kill time.

How can you prevent this? By keeping yourself occupied. Take up a new hobby. Do some chores. You can redecorate your home or learn a new language. Do anything, but keep yourself occupied.

What to remember – Keep yourself busy so that you don’t get bored and end up binging on junk.

53. Don’t Lose Hope If You Don’t See Immediate Results

There ain’t any overnight success, my friend.

Success takes time, so don’t expect to see results fast. A lifestyle change takes about four weeks to become visible. So, instead of focusing on the results, focus on the process. Get better at what you do with each passing day.

Focus on the process and you will eventually see the results.

What to remember – Be patient. Don’t expect overnight results as anything that comes quickly doesn’t stay for long. Believe in your efforts because they will pay off one day.

Greg Justice
       - Change your self-talk about your body to the positive. Don’t give up even when it feels forced or artificial. Refrain from “fat talk” with friends and relatives, which reinforces body dissatisfactions. Recognize and work with your genetic inheritance and see what you have, not as a limitation, but as your personal best.

Food has become one of the main sources of entertainment in the recent times. This is why you see more and more people getting obese with each passing year. Whether it is socializing, a get-together, or a party, most things emphasize on food.

You can instead opt for activities like bicycle riding, walks, drives, etc., where food is just a part of the activity and not the activity itself.

What to remember – Don’t make food the primary source of your entertainment. Let it be just a part of it.

55. Take Progress Photos

You have got to ‘see’ yourself making progress. Keeping track of your weight is fine, but unless you see yourself getting slim, you wouldn’t be motivated. Also, when you see yourself in a photo, you will get the exact idea of where you are, and how far you need to go. Because photos never lie.

What to remember – Your progress photos can give clarity on how you are going ahead with your goals. Collect them and use them as the motivating force to drive you ahead.

TV could be your number one foe while exercising. This is because you might spend more time surfing the channels than exercising.

Now, that would be real bad.

What to remember – Don’t watch TV while you are exercising. Focus on your body and the workout, instead of switching channels.

57. Always Get Your Sleep

We all know how much sleep is needed for optimal health. You must focus on your sleep patterns as much as you focus on your workout routines.

What to remember – Don’t lose out on your sleep for any reason. Initially, you might think it wouldn’t affect you much. But as time goes on, you will start seeing the bad effects.

    Heidi   - Aim to get 8 hours of sleep per night. Your body will function more efficiently, you won’t crave sugar for energy, and you will have more energy to dedicate to working out.

Ramona Braganza
       - Getting 6-8 hours of sleep nightly has been proven to help the body lose weight and is required for proper mental health. A few theories as to why than less than 6 hours is detrimental to our health has to once again do with the hormones that regulate our appetite.

    Luke   - Sleep plays a massive part not only in how we feel but also how we look. Lack of quality sleep and sleep deprivation can lead to stress and the production of cortisol, which is a hormone that increases weight gain and can cause weight retention.

  Daniel (Dietitian)   - If you are doing everything else right and NOT sleeping well, then this trumps all the good things you are doing. Studies show associations between poor sleep and increased prevalence in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. You need to dial in your sleep to increase your odds for successful fat loss!

58. Never Get Back To Your Lazy Habits

Never ever go back to continuing with your lazy habits. All the struggle you underwent, and all the sacrifices you made – all of those have a reason. Don’t flush them down the drain by getting back to your older way of living.

Promise yourself to remain active always. Be proud of the fact that you took the decision to go through the struggle and come out fit and healthy.

What to remember – Get rid of your old habits once and for all.

Yes, discipline is important. But that doesn’t mean you beat yourself down or agonize over minor slip-ups. Initially, you might falter. You might get tempted as well. But understand that you are also a human, and these things are common.

Whenever you go off the track, forgive yourself and come back on the track as soon as possible. Don’t lose momentum. And don’t lose your cool if you make a mistake.

What to remember – You would have made certain mistakes and have had a few slip-ups. It’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up over them. After all, you are human and errors are a part of the process. Forgive yourself.

Nothing is impossible for the human mind. And that includes losing weight and staying fit as well. Follow the tips we have mentioned and lose weight successfully.

Original article and pictures take cdn2.stylecraze.com site