17 Habits That Will Help You Lose Weight

Do you want to lose weight and keep it off? Rather than making radical dietary changes or starting an intense exercise regime, try incrementally adding healthy lifestyle habits. Once a new habit is established, you can begin working on a new one. You’ll find it is much easier to stick with small, consistent changes that can make a big impact on your health and well-being.

Don’t eat after 9 pm

Late night snackers are more likely to binge eat and make unhealthy choices. If you are truly hungry, have a small healthy snack. Otherwise, enjoy a cup of tea or go brush your teeth to calm cravings.

Sit down while eating

Whether it’s a meal or a snack don’t stand over the sink or in front of the fridge and eat. Be sure to use a plate your food instead of eating out of a container. You subconsciously dismiss meals that you eat on the fly and will feel hungry again later on.

Eat at home more often

Make sure slightly more than half of your meals are home cooked. Restaurants and prepared foods are much higher in calories, fat, and sodium than home cooked meals. Cooking at home gives you control over the nutrients and calories.

Eat breakfast

Start the day off with a meal that has protein, healthy fat, and fiber to help keep you energized and jump start your metabolism. Starting the morning off with a good choice sets you up to make more good choices throughout the day.

Do high intensity interval workouts

Regardless of your fitness level, adding speed bursts can help you get fitter faster and burn more calories. If you are doing strength training, adding in pushups, squats, burpees, and kettlebell swings can also up the intensity and your heart rate.

Weigh yourself

Hold yourself accountable with regular weigh-ins, whether daily or weekly. You’ll get to see your progress and make any adjustments necessary to your eating plan. Stepping on the Precision Tracker Digital Bathroom Scale will display the weight difference since your last weigh in to help strengthen your motivation. The scale weighs up to 440 lbs and can track the weight of 2 users.

Walk after meals

Take a 10 – 15 minute walk after you eat. In one study, Type 2 diabetes patients who walked after each of their three meals experienced greater weight loss than participants who exercised once a day for the same amount of time.

Stay hydrated

Thirst can mask itself as hunger pangs. Staying hydrated throughout the day can prevent excessive snacking. If you’re not a fan of plain water, add in fruit slices, cucumber, or herbs for added flavor.

Clean out your cupboards

Get rid of the junk foods so you are tempted to nibble. At the very least, keep them in a drawer or closet where you won’t see them and start picking every time you walk into the kitchen.

Snack smart

Keep healthy snacks on hand and measure out the portions. Instead of grabbing a handful of nuts, use your Pro Digital Food Scale to measure out servings into baggies or single serving containers. The Pro Food Scale has an easy to read display and can measure in ounces, pounds, grams or kilograms in increments of 1 gram or .05 ounces.

Load up on the veggies

Make half your plate non-starchy vegetables and fruit to help keep you from overeating meat and starchy foods. You’ll also increase your fiber intake which will help keep you full for longer. Start to slowly increase your intake and build up over time to avoid stomach discomfort.

Meal prep

Coming up with a weekly plan for meals can help prevent you from grabbing takeout or making unhealthy choices. When you have healthy food that’s ready to heat up, it takes the guess work out of what to eat.

Start with a salad

An easy way to increase your vegetable intake is to start with a leafy green and mixed vegetable salad. It will take the edge of your hunger, and a study by Cornell University shows it helps keep blood glucose levels steady.

Watch what you drink

Sweet tea, sugary lattes, and alcoholic drinks can add a lot of extra calories. Enjoy your favorite beverages in moderation and be sure to check out ideas for making your indulgences healthier.

Get enough sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep helps keep the hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin in check. Poor sleep can lead to an imbalance in hormones and an increased appetite. Being tired can also lead to poor choices and eating fatty and sugary foods.

Treat snacks like mini meals

Instead of reaching for treat foods when you need a snack, eat a mini meal. Grab a few whole grain crackers and cheese, a few slices of turkey wrapped around bell pepper slices, or a banana with a tablespoon of peanut butter.

Watch your portion sizes

Overeating healthy foods can lead to weight gain. Ensure you’re getting the proper amount of calories and nutrients with our Digital Nutrition Scale. In addition to measuring portions, the Nutrition Scale also calculate calories, carbs, fiber, sodium, fats, vitamin K and six other nutrients from thousands of packaged and whole foods.

Don’t binge on weekends

Skipping workouts and making every meal a free-for-all can undo all of your hard work. Instead, allow for the occasional indulgence and stay active with your family and friends.

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You may also enjoy reading 23 Tips for Being a Healthier You.

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