“I really need to lose weight”. How often have we said that to ourselves, but not done anything about it?
Weight loss can be tough if you don’t know how to get started. However, once you know how to lose weight, you’ll be over the moon once you can fit into your old clothes, you start receiving compliments, and you have more energy for making the most out of life.
If you’re ready to get started, read on to learn nine great ways explaining how to get started losing weight.
1. How to Get Started Losing Weight? Give Up Sugar
Are you getting serious about weight loss? If so, the first thing you should do is give up sugar.
Although it’s something most of us love, sugar can lead to a range of health problems, including weight gain and heart disease.
We know common culprits for sugar include soft drinks and desserts, but it is also frequently hidden in foods that we wouldn’t expect.
Always read the food labels to avoid accidentally consuming sugar without knowing.
Common foods that have sugar added include salad dressings, condiments, cereal, and flavored coffees.
2. Cut Carbs
Cutting carbs and eating a protein and fiber-based diet can help cut the pounds fast. Our body loves using carbs and starches for fuel, but when we stop eating them, the body is forced to use stored fat as an energy source.
By eliminating or cutting down on carbs, it’s much easier to lose weight fast. Try to replace white bread or dinner rolls with whole wheat breads, or cut out bread completely.
You can also give up fruit juice or soda for water and tea.
3. Add Resistance Training to Your Workouts
Are you walking or exercising daily as part of your weight loss regime, but not seeing any results?
If so, you might want to try adding strength training to your workouts. Lifting weights, using resistance bands, or using kettlebells can help build up muscle mass.
Over time, you’ll gain muscle and burn fat. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn. Gaining muscle doesn’t mean looking like a bodybuilder, rather it will help you lose weight and gain toned, defined muscles.
Weight workouts can also help increase your metabolism, help with heart health, and can improve your mood and energy levels.
4. Count Calories
There’s no real trick to weight losș̦—if you eat fewer calories than your body uses each day, then you’ll start to lose weight.
You need to burn 3,500 calories to lose one pound of fat. However, in a week, you only need to reduce your diet by about 500 calories to lose a pound per week.
This can easily be done by cutting out sugary drinks and replacing an unhealthy snack with fresh fruit or veggies.
There are many free apps that you can use for tracking calories as well, a handy way to make sure you’re not overeating.
5. Give Up Alcohol
It might not be what you want to hear, but giving up alcohol is one of the best ways to lose weight.
Beer, spirits, and even wine are loaded with empty calories and sugar. They don’t provide us with any health benefits. In fact, we often end up eating even more, as alcohol lowers our inhibitions and often leads to late-night snacks or fast food.
If you’re serious about weight loss, switch to mocktails or just water, at least for a few weeks.
6. Try Intermittent Fasting
Wondering what to eat in a day to lose weight? While it takes longer than a day to lose weight, if you want a flatter stomach and less bloating, try out intermittent fasting.
You can do this by fasting for a set number of hours, then only eating outside of that time. By giving your body a break from food and digestion, your body will burn more fat, since it’s not getting calories coming in, which can lead to weight loss.
Always have a healthy diet plan, to avoid overeating once the fasting period is over.
7. Add Supplements to Your Diet
For many people, supplements can help with weight loss.
Weight loss supplements work to either increase your metabolism or decrease your appetite, resulting in lower numbers on the scale.
Learn more about weight loss supplements to decide if they would help.
8. Get Moving
Many of us live a sedentary lifestyle, thanks to office jobs and busy schedules. However, if you can get started with a regular exercise routine, you can burn more calories and improve your overall health.
If you’re able to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, you’ll be on track for weight loss.
It’s also one of the cheap ways to lose weight, as there are many workouts we can do for free, such as walking, online workout videos, or swimming.
9. Eat Mindfully
So often, we are eating on the run, as we hurry from place to place. Do you frequently eat breakfast in the car, quickly eat lunch at your desk between meetings, or watch TV while eating dinner?
When we are distracted, it’s easy to eat more calories than we intend to. For something different, try eating mindfully.
Take the time to be fully emotionally present when you’re eating, putting down your phone or computer. Pay attention to what you’re eating, enjoy the tastes, and savor the experience.
By slowing down, we often make healthier choices and appreciate our meals much more.
Start Your Journey to Lose Weight Today
Now that you know how to get started losing weight, there’s nothing holding you back!
Weight loss can bring happiness, confidence, and increased energy, so get started today and start enjoying a more healthy life.
However, always talk to your doctor with any concerns to make sure you lose weight in a way that’s best for your overall health.
Was this article helpful? If so, please browse some of our other content across our site.
