Meet your weight loss goals with our 5 habits to ensure sustainable results. Get the right mix of exercise, nutrition, and activities to live a healthier life!
Building healthier habits are not easy but also not impossible. It requires consistent efforts. If you keep doing the same thing every day, in about a month, it will become a habit.
Drink plenty of water
Staying hydrated is the most important part of any weight-loss plan, as it helps keep you feeling full and energized throughout the day. Drinking plenty of water also helps your body maintain proper electrolyte balance and flushes out toxins. Aim to drink about two liters of water each day for optimal results.
Get Enough Sleep
Making sure you get adequate rest is just as important as dieting and exercising when it comes to losing weight in a healthy way. Many people mistakenly believe that staying awake longer means burning more calories. Unfortunately, this isn’t true– if anything cutting back on sleep, increases hunger levels and causes us to eat more, leading to weight gain. Make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep every night for maximum benefits.
Make Small Incremental Changes
Making small, incremental changes to your daily habits can have a big impact in the long run. Start by setting achievable goals, like incorporating 20 minutes of exercise each day or meditating for 10 minutes every morning. Over time, you can increase the intensity of your goals and add bigger challenges so that you continue growing. You can climb a big ladder one step at a time (pun intended).
Incorporate activity into the daily routine
Adding physical activity into your daily routine can help burn extra calories and torch fat even faster than just making dietary changes alone. Aim to get at least thirty minutes of moderately intense exercise four to five days per week for best results. Try activities like brisk walking or jogging, cycling, swimming, housework, playing with kids, walking your dog, or strength training to stay in shape and reduce extra pounds permanently.
Avoid skipping meals
When you skip meals, you build up your hunger, and that makes it difficult to make healthier choices. When you are super hungry, you will grab the first thing in sight without even thinking. Eating a balanced diet full of nutritious foods from all food groups can help promote sustainable weight loss results. Choose nutrient-dense foods such as lean meats, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy products to keep your energy levels up while keeping calorie consumption low.
Change isn’t easy –– but with a dedication to forming healthy habits, you can create lasting change in your lifestyle that will take you closer to achieving your ideal weight goals. For example, planning meals ahead of time so you don’t reach for processed snacks; cutting down on portion sizes; eating more fiber-rich foods; packing your own lunch for work; avoiding sugary drinks; tracking your progress with an app; drinking herbal tea instead of coffee; activating a fitness tracker— these are all solid steps towards creating healthier habits that will give you reliable results over time.
If you need additional help and guidance in breaking bad habits and building good habits, you can make an appointment with a physician health coach. They can work with your biology and prescribe medications (at least for the short term) to control hunger while you learn healthy habits. Dr. Adarsh Gupta at Valley Forge Weight Management Center has decades of experience in counseling patients to achieve their goals of losing weight. Most of his patients have maintained weight loss.
