7 Healthy Habits That Will Jumpstart Your Weight Loss

Article posted in: Lifestyle Nutrition
jumpstart your weight loss

While living healthy and losing weight take time to turn into a solid routine, there are some simple daily adjustments you can make to speed up the process! You’ll be more successful with your weight loss and management if you adjust your lifestyle to include some simple everyday habits to help you cut calories, boost your metabolism and improve your body’s fat burning capabilities. Even if it’s as simple as drinking more water, these simple healthy habits will jumpstart your weight loss and help you build a healthy foundation to keep the weight off for good! Find out which smart eating and lifestyle habits you can practice daily to reach your weight loss goals faster!

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Try these 7 healthy habits to jumpstart your weight loss results:

1. Eat a protein-packed breakfast.

protein breakfast

In the past, skipping breakfast has been linked to obesity and is generally considered a diet no-no, as it sets a bad tone for the day when it comes to your moods, digestion and metabolism, according to the Dairy Council of California. Make sure to start your day with protein and fiber from foods such as eggs, Greek yogurt, fruits and vegetables to help you feel fuller for longer and avoid early hunger cravings. Many of us don’t get the protein, fiber and nutrients we need until dinner, but this is a waste since our bodies need the protein largely during the daytime to maintain our muscles as we exert energy. Give your body a better chance at functioning highly and burning calories all day long and start your mornings with a hearty, healthy breakfast.

2. Stick to a full sleep schedule.

sleeping

Poor sleep has been associated with an alarming amount of unhealthy side effects that lead to obesity. When you don’t get enough sleep, it messes with your brain chemistry and hormones, which can alter your moods, metabolism and even make food taste better–leading to binge eating. A study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that participants with restricted sleep times of four hours had increased food and calorie intakes the following day. After eight hours of sleep, participants experienced increased physical activity and energy. Getting to bed early and waking up early to fit in a full night’s sleep is essential to make eating right and getting active an easier routine to stick to.

3. Drink lots of infused water.

infused water

Drinking water is essential to life, but living a healthy life means drinking a lot of water (think at least eight glasses a day)! If you’re working out and trying to lose weight, you especially need to drink water to replenish your body and help every cell function properly. While it may get boring to drink plain water every day, you can infuse your H2O to make it tastier, while increasing your weight loss capabilities. Drinking water already provides the body with a flood of benefits—appetite control, improved digestion, boosted immune defense, blood sugar control and weight management—but, according to Prairie View A&M University, infusing your water will only enhance the positive effects on your weight loss. Try infusing your water with berries for a sweeter flavor and a huge influx of antioxidants. You can also infuse your water with green tea, mint or lime to increase your body’s fat burning abilities. Use lemon or cucumber in your water to aid digestion, decrease bloating and benefit appetite control.

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4. Stock healthy on-the-go snacks.

nuts

Snacking smarter is crucial for people who want to eat healthy but have busy lifestyles. It’s recommended to eat three small meals and two to three small snacks a day. But since not everyone has time to plan and prep this many meals, it’s crucial to avoid reaching for vending machine snacks or fast foods. Keeping nutritional, transportable snacks stocked in your purse or pantry is a great way to ensure you always have something nutritious to eat in a pinch! Nuts, turkey jerky and protein shakes are great options. Prepare yourself with a healthy way to fight hunger pains to stay on track with your weight loss.

5. Beware of sides, sauces and condiments.

condiments

When it comes to weight management, lowering your calorie intake is always a smart way to jumpstart your weight loss to see smaller numbers on the scale. Cutting calories isn’t always easy, but if you take some time to stop and think, you can do without a lot of the extras you eat throughout the day. Start with your morning coffee, and swap milk and sugar for cinnamon (1 tbsp. has only 19 calories) and low-calorie almond milk. When going for lunch, skip the condiment overload and swap them for a vinaigrette, mustard or simply stay within the allotted portion size of a South-Beach-approved condiment. Avoid adding a ton of carb-heavy sides and and stick to veggies, fruits, or whole wheat or whole grain. Learn to make simple cuts in your daily diet that will actually save unnecessary calories without taking away from your meals or favorite picks.

6. Eat slowly and savor your meals with mindfulness.

mindful eating

Practice mindful eating to create awareness with every bite you take, so you can better hold yourself accountable for what you eat. Since it takes our brain about 20 minutes to even recognize that we’re full, eating slowly and thoughtfully will give your brain a chance to catch up and signal the appropriate time to stop eating. As found by a study in the Journal of Obesity, mindful eating was a successful way for people to treat stress eating and overeating to lose significant amounts of belly fat. It’s a good idea to sit down, turn off distractions and take the time to savor each bite and focus on flavor, texture and taste—to practice mindfulness during meals to help jumpstart your weight loss!

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7. Log your meals and track your success!

a man looking at his phone and listening to music while on a walk post-workout

While we’re trying to lose weight, we need to hold ourselves accountable for what we eat, which can sometimes be hard if we eat mindlessly or without thinking. It’s a smart idea to keep a detailed food journal of your dietary intake, as well as your weight loss progress and physical activity. A study, published in the journal Obesity, found that participants who self-monitored their weight loss through a web-based meal logging and tracking system had significant weight loss results. By self-monitoring dietary habits, participants also took less time to reach their original weight loss goals.