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10 Pro Ways to Lose Weight – Fight Seasonal Weight-Gain and Win
As the days grow colder and your schedule busier, it can become harder to manage your weight. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can keep off that winter chunk. And you might be surprised at how easy some of these options are.
Here are some pro ways to fight weight gain and win:
- Stay hydrated
- Exercise regularly
- Beware of liquid calories
- Set realistic goals and celebrate milestones
- Ensure you get enough sleep
- Track your weight, fitness, and nutrition
- Plan your meals
- Use the buddy system
- Believe in yourself
- Work smarter
1. Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is one of the few things that all doctors agree is good for us. But you might not realize that drinking plenty of water can help fight winter fat, too.
For one, water is a healthy appetite suppressant.
It has no calories and is good for you. So, you can drink it to help make your stomach feel fuller if you’re hungry while dieting.
Furthermore, water flushes toxins out of your body and increases metabolism. And the faster your metabolism is, the less fat your body will store.
If that all wasn’t enough, adequate hydration also makes exercise easier and more efficient! So, when it comes to losing weight, start your journey with a glass of water.
2. Exercise Regularly
Staying physically active is an excellent way to keep your weight under control. Especially since one of the primary causes of seasonal weight gain is that people generally become more sedentary in winter.
An hour of moderate exercise, such as lightly jogging, is excellent for weight loss. And it won’t hurt if you schedule a break day.
If you’re new to exercising, you should also start small. You don’t want to hurt yourself lifting too much weight or get light-headed from excessive cardio.
By keeping your physical activity moderate, you’ll be able to stay consistent.
Furthermore, don’t just do cardio! While muscle adds weight, it also helps with fat loss. This is because muscle tissue can burn calories twice as fast as fat does. Even when you’re at rest.
3. Beware of Liquid Calories
One of the best steps you can take to improve your diet is watching what you drink.
These days, companies pack all sorts of extra calories into our beverages. Usually in the form of tasty sugars.
However, drinks such as soda aren’t particularly filling. So, while you’re getting lots of calories, you’ll still end up feeling hungry.
Alcoholic beverages can also make it easier to pack on weight. Beers especially are full of carbs since starch is a primary ingredient for many varieties. Plus, if you’re at the pub enjoying a pint, you’re more likely to snack on something as well.
As a result, try to limit how many sugary drinks and beers you consume. And when you can, substitute them with water.
4. Set Realistic Goals and Celebrate Milestones
Make sure you don’t set yourself up for failure with unrealistic expectations.
Losing weight is difficult for most people, especially when it’s tempting to stay indoors during the colder months. So, start with small and easily attainable goals and work your way up gradually.
Setting goals is a great way to keep yourself motivated. By having an endpoint in mind, you can tailor your workout to meet it.
And don’t forget to celebrate when you do well! Relishing your accomplishments makes losing weight feel more rewarding. It also makes you more likely to maintain that healthy lifestyle.
5. Get Enough Sleep
It might sound counterintuitive, but getting enough sleep is crucial for weight loss.
According to a scientific literature review, sleep deprivation can lead to decreases in metabolic rate. Meaning that your body will burn less energy and store more fat if you don’t get adequate rest.
Furthermore, missing out on a good night’s slumber causes your body to produce the stress hormone cortisol. And unfortunately, cortisol encourages your body to store fat.
Sleep deprivation can also affect your appetite by making you feel hungrier.
6. Track Your Weight, Fitness, and Nutrition
Believe it or not, research shows that just tracking your physical activity helps with weight loss.
There are multiple ways you can log your fitness and nutrition, ranging from pen and paper to fitness apps.
Keeping a close eye on what you eat and do helps you recognise unhealthy habits. It’s also how you can measure your progress and see how well you’re doing. And while you don’t want it to become a chore, consistency is key.
As you fill out your journal or app, you can review what routines and diets worked best for you. That way, you can spend less time experimenting and more time losing weight.
7. Plan Your Meals
Planning your meals throughout the next few days (or further) gives you more control over your diet. You should also consider keeping your pantry stocked with diet-friendly food.
If you already have a healthy meal available, you’re much less likely to swing by a drive-thru.
While many preppers plan their meals even months in advance, some prefer more spontaneity. If the latter applies to you, try at least planning out meals 24 hours in advance at first. Such as deciding tomorrow’s dinner while you eat today’s.
Even though it’s not as fun as some of the other options on the list, planning is crucial for weight loss. By better controlling what’s available, you can remove a lot of unhealthy temptations.
8. Use the Buddy System
If you’re ever struggling with weight loss, try enlisting the help of a close friend.
Having a buddy who’s also trying to lose weight can make the weight loss process far more enjoyable. You can motivate one another with competitions or encourage each other on hard days.
Plus, you’re much less likely to bail on your exercise plans if someone else is waiting for you.
If you can’t match your schedule with any of your friends, check out exercise classes at your local gym. Many offer dance, yoga, and weight-lifting sessions with groups.
9. Believe in Yourself
Most importantly: stay positive and believe in yourself!
Weight loss, especially in the winter, isn’t easy. Some days will feel harder than others, but it will get easier with time.
Don’t be afraid to take a cheat day once in a while if you need a reset. And you can always recalibrate your goals as needed.
Motivation and weight loss go hand-in-hand. If you want to lose weight, you have to believe that you can do it.
10. Work smarter
These days, it’s not just diet and exercise that can fend off the dreaded weight gain of winter, ageing, or daily life. With affordable treatments like CoolSculpting on the menu, you can round off your weight-loss journey and equip yourself with everything necessary to succeed.
Of course, you can get far – all the way to your weight goals, even – without a specialist treatment like this. But to do so is to ignore the simple fact that there are complementary tools out there that go a long way towards making weight loss a lot easier.
As the adage goes – work smarter, not harder.
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