10 Tips to Help You Lose Weight

If you want to lose weight, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start. There is a lot of conflicting information out there regarding what’s good for you and what isn’t, and most of the advice changes regularly to make things even more confusing. The truth is, losing weight is a simple balance of eating well and being more active, but even that can be tricky with a busy lifestyle and juggling different responsibilities. 

If you’re looking for some simple and achievable ways to try and lose that extra weight, Wellbeing 365 offer 10 tips that could help you to make little changes that ultimately could make a big difference.

Eat regular meals

While it might be tempting to try and eat less through the day, it’s important that you’re able to eat regular meals at regular times. This can help your body to burn calories at a more efficient rate as your metabolism is in a steady state. What’s more, by eating proper meals during the day you can reduce your temptation to snack on junk food or other snacks that aren’t very healthy.

Don’t skip breakfast

Equally it could be really tempting to skip breakfast in the hope of consuming less calories, but this could have a detrimental effect on your ability to lose weight in the long run. This is because you’re at a higher risk of missing out on important nutrients and then overeating later in the day because you’re too hungry. Try to choose breakfast that will help you feel fuller, like porridge or eggs.

Try to eat 5 a day

Eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables might seem impossible some days, but it’s important to try your best! Fruit and vegetables are low in calories and fat, but have other important nutrients and vitamins which can keep you healthy while supporting healthy weight loss. A portion is one piece of fruit, like an apple, banana, pear or orange, or 3 heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables.

Swap to wholegrain foods

Wholegrain foods typically have a higher nutrient value and are high in fibre when compared to refined or white foods. This includes things like wholegrain bread, pasta and rice. By swapping to these foods, you could help yourself to feel fuller for longer thanks to the high fibre content.

Drink lots of water

There are many occasions where you probably mistake thirst for hunger and eat, when actually your body just needs a glass of water. Be more mindful of how much water you’re drinking each day. It’s recommended that you drink 6 to 8 cups of water a day, but you can also include semi-skinned milk and fruit juice.

Exercise regularly

Moving your body is one of the most effective ways to not only lose weight, but to keep the weight off. Exercising a few times a week could really make a difference, but it’s important to find a type of exercise that you enjoy. This means you have more chance of keeping it up! It could be dancing, tennis, walking or swimming; whatever gets you moving.

Use a smaller plate

Using a smaller plate than usual is a small but clever trick to help you eat smaller portions. If you do this with every meal, you will eventually become more used to eating less. Many reasons why people put on weight is being unaware of how much they overeat, and it can be easier than you think to pile your plate with more than necessary.

Understand food labels 

It can be helpful to start paying attention to the labels on the food you buy. Foods now have to display all the nutritional information so that you can make better choices. Use the information given to work out how foods will fit into your daily calorie allowance and don’t be afraid to stand in the supermarket and compare your options!

Don’t ban certain foods

Restricting your diet will typically make you crave those foods more, so try not to ban yourself from eating particular foods. It’s true that everything is fine in moderation, so don’t be afraid to treat yourself every once in a while, as long as you don’t go too far over your daily calorie allowance.

Cut down on alcohol

Alcohol can be full of calories and sugar, so be mindful of this if you drink frequently through the week. Even if you eat healthily and exercise, too much alcohol could easily contribute to putting weight on. Try to cut down on your alcohol or choose better drink options like light beer or slimline tonic and gin.