Many of us want to lose more weight, whether it’s getting down to an old pants size or just getting rid of a few problem pounds that won’t go away. But diets and a gym membership take time and cost money, and you may be short in one or both of those areas.
Fortunately, you can lose weight by using a pretty easy way: just change small parts of your life to be healthier. There are actually a lot of small changes you can make right now to help you drop some pounds, so check out the following 15 tips to help you lose weight fast.
1. Start Off Your Day With Eggs
Eggs received a negative reputation for a long time, but newer research is challenging that viewpoint. Eating eggs in the morning can actually help you lose weight, as reported by A Healthier Michigan.
This is because eggs are low in calories and fat but high in protein, which helps you stay full for a longer period of time. You’ll eat less throughout the day once you’ve eaten eggs in the morning.
Make simple egg dishes in the morning, such as a two-egg omelet, to help you drop pounds and add some variety to your diet. Try to skip grain-based things like toast, which add calories and carbs.
2. Turn The TV Off
When you’re eating dinner, you may actually eat more if the TV is on. Basically, since you’re more focused on the TV than your food, you start to eat mechanically and may end up overeating. This is true of distracted eating in general, so make sure you’re putting your phone down and your work away before you eat, too.
It can be hard, at first, if you’re become used to eating in front of your TV with other family members. Try little games, such as having each person tell a funny story about their day, if you find yourselves struggling with the silence.
3. Use Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has a surprising amount of benefits. It can help fight off bacteria, yeast and even fungus. According to the Dr. Oz Show, coconut oil can also improve thyroid function, which boosts your metabolism.
A study by the American Oil Chemists’ Society found that women who consumed around two tablespoons of the oil per day for 12 days actually ended up with less fat in the stomach area.
But you don’t have to start drinking coconut oil to get these benefits. Simply add it to some of your existing meals, like oatmeal, or use it in place of other baking oils in things like your banana or zucchini breads.
4. Cut Down The Alcohol
Alcohol is pretty much packed with calories and can really ruin your diet. If you want to have a drink, try to keep it to one or two days a week and go for light beers, wine or vodka, as they all have less calories per serving than other types of alcohol.
5. Find Food Replacements
It’s tempting to just get rid of all the bad foods in your diet, but in reality, you may be setting yourself up for failure. If you run out of things to eat, you’re less likely to stick to your healthier diet.
Try to find substitutes for the foods you are removing from your diet. For example, your favorite takeout food could be replaced with a chicken salad, and your staple bag of chips could become a serving of nuts. These foods still taste good; they just have less carbs than the things you were eating previously.
6. Go For Fruit
Fruits take little prep, have no fat and contain a lot of water. The carbs and fiber in fruit are good for your body’s energy and can help you feel full, so try to have at least once piece of fruit each day as a snack.
7. Try Water Before You Eat
Water is good for you in terms of hydration, which is necessary to prevent bloat, but you can also use it to trick your body into feeling full. Try drinking about 17 ounces of water 30 minutes before you’re planning to eat. This will help you eat less during your meal.
8. Cook Ahead Of Time
Once you find some healthy recipes you really like, make bigger amounts and freeze these extra meals for later. On days where you’re just exhausted or busy and can’t cook, you can avoid the temptation of ordering out by having healthy meals already made that just need to be heated.
9. Add Aerobics
Cardio is a good way to burn calories and improve your cardiovascular health. Add in some aerobic exercise at least five days a week. This could be as simple as jogging in place while watching your favorite show, as you don’t have to make it complicated to reap the benefits.
10. Brush Your Teeth After Dinner
About 30 minutes after you’ve eaten your last meal for the day, floss and brush your teeth. Even if you’re not going to sleep right way, doing this can deter you from late-night snacking.
11. Eat Healthy But Don’t Diet
Diets tend to be too restrictive and inflexible, resulting in people gaining weight again in the future. It’s just too difficult to stay on a strict diet over the long term.
Acknowledge you are not starting a diet but changing your lifestyle, making your goal to simply be fitter, happier and healthier overall.
12. Avoid Pre-Made Meals
Cook as much as you can from scratch, freezing meals for use in the future. Meals that are pre-made in the store tend to have preservatives and other additives you don’t need. When you’re making your meals yourself, you know that what is going into them is nutritious and healthy.
13. Be Aware of Food Addiction
Research has shown that people can be addicted to food just like drugs, per WebMD. If you have food cravings constantly and can’t seem to get your eating under any control, seek professional help. With assistance, you will finally be able to lose weight and gain the control back that you want to have.
14. Use Smaller Plates
According to the Food & Brand Lab at Cornell University, putting food on larger plates may make you eat more because, to your brain, your portion appears to be smaller than it actually is.
Try using smaller plates to help your brain get a better understanding of your portion size, which can help you eat less and take in less calories.
15. Try Vegetables As Filler
Try to fill your plate with more veggies instead of being focused on cutting down the meat, bread and pastas. Aim for half of each of your meals to consist of vegetables. This way, you’re actually reducing things like meat and pasta to make room for the veggies, but it takes less effort.
