The Best Lifestyle Changes For Weight Loss Shared By 80 Fitness And Nutrition Experts

The best lifestyle changes for weight loss are the ones that you can hold on to all the time, not only when you are trying to lose weight.

Most people have an idea about what they do to lose weight but they are still struggling to achieve their goals due to unhealthy diets which oftentimes feels like they are starving themselves and inconsistent or incorrect workout plans.

To avoid all these issues you must adopt healthy habits that you can integrate into your daily routine.

We reached out to 80 fitness and nutrition experts and asked them to share their insights regarding this topic.

The question we asked them was:

What are the best lifestyle changes for weight loss?

We asked:

Keep reading to see what the experts had to say.

Ted Kallmyer – Healthy Eater

The single, best lifestyle change that you can make to lose weight is to get in the habit of tracking your food intake.

Most people eat without thinking about what and how much they are putting into their mouths each day.

If they get hungry, they eat and keep eating even when they feel full. All this mindless eating leads to weight gain and often out of balanced nutrition.

By getting in the habit of tracking your food, you begin to become aware of exactly how much you are eating and how those foods are contributing to your overall balanced nutrition.

When many of my clients begin to track, they are amazed at how much they have been eating without even realizing it. Especially calories in liquid form.

This awareness is one of the first steps in taking control of your diet, establishing a safe calorie deficit, and losing weight in a way that’s sustainable.

Luckily, our modern technology has made food tracking so simple. There are many great smartphone apps that you can use to start making food tracking at habit.

Most of the time it’s a matter of just scanning the barcode of the food you’re about to eat and the app will automatically retrieve its nutrition and enter it into your food log.

Once you get in the habit of tracking you can then set some nutrition goals to follow each day so that your body will start to tap into its fat reserves for the extra energy it requires.

No, you will not have to track food the rest of your life, but just long enough to make you a better intuitive eater.

Food tracking will train your brain to be a better judge of food portions and how much you should be eating for your body type.

Overall, being aware of what you are eating is so powerful and will start making you think about the food you are putting into your body. Food tracking is a method that will increase this awareness fast!

Summer Yule

Summer-Yule

Honestly, the best lifestyle changes for weight loss tend to be the simplest.

Try to get more physical activity into your day and figure out the pattern of nutritious foods that help you feel full longer while maintaining a calorie deficit.

For many of us with a goal of fat loss, meals should be based around lean protein and non-starchy veggies.

You don’t necessarily have to give up starches and high-carb fruit to meet a weight loss goal, though some do well with low-carb diets.

It’s important to remember that you won’t necessarily get the same results simply copying the strategy someone else is using to lose weight.

The best changes for you might not be what is best for someone else.

To find a personal training program and certification options, get started by selecting your state.

Robert Herbst – Weight Lifter

Robert-Herbst

Changing your lifestyle to lose weight and become healthier need not be a burdensome and horrible experience. Rather, there are simple things you can do and you will actually feel better as you do it.

Especially, during the pandemic and with the prevalence of Zoom meetings, many people sit the whole workday.

Sitting more than eight hours a day has been found to be as much a morbidity factor as smoking and changes the metabolism so that it is easy to put on the pounds.

The cure for sitting too much is to add standing and moving into your day. Stand during phone calls–in fact, I refuse to do meetings over Zoom and instead talk on speakerphone so that I can pace around.

If you are tied to your computer, get a standing desk or a slow treadmill one If you must sit, set the alarm on your phone or computer and stand and stretch for five minutes every hour.

You should also drink more water. This will make you feel full so you will not munch on junk and empty calories.

It will also prevent you from being dehydrated from spending the day in heated or air-conditioned buildings which have low relative humidity.

Speaking of drinking, watch things at your favorite premium coffee shops. Some of their drinks have as many calories as eating 10 Oreo cookies. Instead of a venti frappuccino, try an exotic tea with lemon instead.

Finally, get some sleep. You should get seven and a half hours of sleep a night. Sleep helps your body to recuperate from exercise and prevents obesity. It may even protect the brain and prevent you from suffering dementia down the line.

Tommy Vekhayn

Tommy-Vekhayn

The best lifestyle changes for weight loss, in my opinion, is to actually get involved with extracurricular activities like sports, clubs, or even just hanging out with friends.

This may sound strange but – hear me out. When you sign up for a local kickball group (which is actually surprisingly common) you’re going to be getting a great workout 2-3 hours a few days a week.

And during that time, not only are you burning a ton of calories, you aren’t eating.

The most COMMON problem across all of my clients that are trying to lose weight is that they all eat just because they are bored. I used to do it too.

It’s super easy to put on something on Netflix or YouTube and just eat because you have nothing else to do- and that’s normal. That’s how our body works!

Your body wants you to eat when you are resting and watching TV, it’s a part of our parasympathetic nervous system.

This is because when you aren’t actively exercising, it’s a great time for your body to use energy to repair muscles and repair general damage that happens every day in your body.

It’s a crucial part of our survival, we humans used to not have such a surplus of food- so our body wants any food it can possibly get to increase our chances of living.

So, now we need to take this part out of the equation- boredom.

When you add an activity into that window, there is less time for you to just be boredom eating, and furthermore- it will have you burning more calories for later.

After I get done with my bodybuilding, work, and MMA class, I can eat roughly 3,000 calories and still LOSE WEIGHT! That’s right, I need to eat SO MUCH MORE than normal people do just to LOSE WEIGHT!

I know many of my clients would absolutely love for something like that, to not have to eat less than usual and still lose weight. The truth is, you can do it too- just sign up for some fun recreational sports league and start watching the pounds fly off.

Lastly, it’s not just the weight loss that makes this so awesome. You’ll be making new friendships, you’ll be having a ton of fun, and you’ll be way happier.

So, sometimes the best way to lose weight is just actually by having fun and screwing around for a few hours playing some sports with some friends a few days a week. Sounds great- doesn’t it?

Melissa Eboli – Via Melissa

Melissa-Eboli

There are tons of simple lifestyle changes you can make for weight loss that can have long-lasting results if you stick to them.

For starters, becoming more physically active is the first step. Opt to walk whenever possible and aim to get at least 30 minutes of continuous movement on a daily basis.

However, physical activity can only get you so far as healthy eating is just as crucial if not more important. Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor.

Opt to eat foods that are baked or grilled versus fried, don’t skip meals but rather eat 4-5 smaller meals throughout the day, and keep hydrated!

I also recommend trying an anti-inflammatory diet i.e. forgo gluten and dairy as this will not only result in weightlessness but also aid in ridding other chronic issues such as poor digestion, joint pain, foggy brain, and asthma.

Alex Davis – Ryan and Alex

Alex-Davis

There’s no one silver bullet for permanent and sustainable weight loss, but certain lifestyle changes done together can support a healthier lifestyle. At the most fundamental, a good night’s rest is imperative for weight loss.

Studies show that getting less than six hours of sleep increases production of ghrelin, the “hunger hormone,” while reducing leptin production, the hormone that controls your appetite.

After a poor night’s sleep, you’ll be less likely to curb the cravings and more likely to grab a donut, undoing the hard work you’re putting in for weight loss.

Depending on what works best for you, getting in an extra hour of sleep may be more productive than your early-morning workout.

Another great lifestyle change for weight loss is simply getting more movement and steps throughout your day.

Outside of the huge bevy of benefits of moving more often (lower risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease as well as increased longevity), there are serious weight-loss implications.

A study published in the journal, The Obesity Society, found that adult dieters who maintain weight loss of 30 lbs. or more continue to track 12,000 daily steps. Overweight adults tracked around 6,500 steps per day.

The evidence is clear, walk as much as you can!

Liliana Gala – EDX Fitness

Liliana-Gala

You’ll get the most success if you make small changes. Beginners typically make the mistake of trying to make big lifestyle changes, and this actually sets them up for failure.

That’s because it’s too difficult to change everything at once and eventually you’ll get tired of using willpower every day.

Instead, you want to create new habits by making small changes that are easy to stick with every day.

When trying to lose body fat, people typically just start working out and change their diet.

There are other lifestyle factors that play a bigger role than just those two things, and they are your stress levels, water intake, sleep schedule, and time outdoors.

Pick one of those and focus on it just a little bit each day. I’ve seen clients lose 5lbs in a week simply by staying hydrated.

Or seeing their muscles poke through just by getting 1 more hour of sleep a night for a month.

When you’re ready for more exercise, remember that it doesn’t have to be hard. It just has to be consistent.

Finding a morning routine will set the tone for the day. I like to break a sweat in the morning with a short 1-2 mile jog or walk. Anyone can do it, anywhere.

If the morning doesn’t work, then go at your lunch break or after work. Break it up into a few shorter walks throughout the day if you need to.

You probably won’t be reaching for that breakfast bagel or slice of pizza if you do this! Eventually, just this one small change can domino into bigger changes like daily exercise and a diet overhaul.

Donna Rose – Nona’s Nutrition Notes

Donna-Rose

The best lifestyle change for weight loss is committing to daily exercise.

It doesn’t require an expensive gym membership or exercise class. Just a 30-minute brisk walk each day can rev up your metabolism and help get your weight loss started.

Pair that with a simple dietary change such as one meatless meal per week, and see positive results. When that change becomes a habit, add another.

Other lifestyle changes that help with successful weight loss efforts include eating more plants and being mindful of what you eat.

Laina Gossman – Soul Insole

Laina-Gossman

I have watched many people over the years have success with losing weight. A key point that has come across is the concept of input and expenditure.

The goal is to expend more energy and burn more calories than what is being consumed. Going for a walk in the morning and evening can be enough to make a big difference.

If the joints are sore and walking is painful, an alternative that can burn a lot of calories is swimming. Swimming is one of the most gentle, high-calorie-burning activities out there.

Another small thing that can make a difference is to make sure you are eating your calories instead of drinking them. Many flavored drinks are packed with sugar or sugar alternatives.

Without making you feel full like a meal would do, these flavored drinks add a lot of calories that will then need to be burned off.

Rachel Scott – Rachel Yoga

Rachel-Scott

Changing eating habits is often first and foremost about our minds. We often eat as a way to manage our emotional state rather than our physical state.

Being stressed, anxious, or depressed can be triggers for eating as a way to either distract ourselves from – or change – our feelings.

For a week, keep a journal where you begin to take notice of the triggers that prompt eating. Are you truly hungry? Are you eating because it’s “time” to eat? Or are you eating to try to change an emotional experience?

Give yourself the space to explore your current habits with curiosity rather than judgment or criticism.

The next week, add a five-minute meditation practice to your day where you give yourself time to simply sit, feel, and watch your mind.

Notice all the stories that come up. When you want to eat something, pause for a mini-meditation (maybe just for five breaths) to notice if you’re really hungry.

If you’re not hungry, see if you can change your internal state by doing some physical activity, like having a 5-minute dance party, doing a sun salutation, or holding a plank for one minute.

Over time, you will begin to have more options and dominion over your own internal state.

Work with yourself with kindness; it’s completely normal to occasionally address challenging feelings with food, we just don’t want them to be our only option.

Michelle Thielen – Yoga Faith

Michelle-Thielen

The best lifestyle changes for weight loss are to move more and consume less. Begin to think of food as fuel. Only consume the fuel that your body is going to use. If you’re not going to burn the fuel, don’t consume it.

Have a sweet tooth? Replace unhealthy treats with healthier options such as tea or a mint (my go-to is Black Chai Tea).

Hydration is key. Fill up a gallon jug in the morning to measure how much water you are drinking. Aim to drink a gallon of water per day. Oftentimes your hunger is only dehydration.

Make getting out in nature nonnegotiable. Unplugging from all gadgets and breathing in fresh air is good for your soul. Notice your surroundings each time (no earbuds or air pods), enjoy the sounds of nature and the colors all around.

Declutter physically, mentally, and relationally. Declutter your car, home, and other spaces so that your mind, body, and spirit can also lighten up. Do you have any toxic relationships? You’ll want to remove those as well.

Schedule a treat day or meal. Have a treat on Sunday afternoon to practice moderation and not depriving yourself of your favorites.

Meditation. Allow time to connect spiritually and check in with your internal landscape daily, even if for 5 minutes each morning.

Pam Sherman – The Perfect Balance

Pam-Sherman

When a person is trying to lose weight, their daily habits make all the difference as to if they will be successful or not.

The clients I’ve seen achieve the greatest results change daily habits one at a time. In my experience, when people try to change too many habits at once, they just can’t do it.

Here are my top daily habits to find success on your weight loss journey~

Get enough sleep.

This is so important. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t want to make time to exercise and your brain craves sugar. It’s unlikely you will take the time to prepare a healthy meal and get daily movement! Prioritizing your sleep is really important.

Planning out your meals.

Let’s face it, in our society junk food is available 24/7 via Doordash and drive-thru lanes. Seeing a change in your weight requires diligence in the kitchen.

Meal prepping on the weekend if your week is super busy. As well as focusing all meals with protein and fiber! This is the magical combination to keep you full!

Take walking breaks throughout the day.

Many are working from home now and sit for too many hours. Our bodies are meant to move. Get up every hour or 90 minutes if possible and walk for 10-15 minutes. This could add up to an hour of walking a day.

Jinan Banna

Jinan-Banna

One of the biggest lifestyle changes a person can make for weight loss is to shift one’s mindset so as not to view foods as “good” and “bad.”

One should focus on changing the diet to focus on whole foods rich in fiber and should eat from all the food groups. That means making sure to eat not only fruits and vegetables but also grains and protein-rich foods.

The idea is to consume a diet that is lower in energy to create an energy imbalance for weight loss.

This approach is cognitively easier, as one doesn’t have to obsessively think about avoiding particular foods, but instead focuses on emphasizing whole foods while being open to consuming all foods.

It’s ok to sometimes have processed foods such as a candy bar, but the emphasis should be on whole foods.

It’s also important to keep it simple when it comes to weight loss–make small changes that you can sustain for a lasting result.

Changes that are too drastic might not help you to change your lifestyle in a way that works for you.

Start by looking at your current habits and foods you like and focus on making sure you can still eat what makes you happy and also keeps you healthy.

Amy Roskelley – Health Beet

Amy-Roskelley

The single most effective lifestyle change I’ve seen among the people, including myself, that has had success with losing weight, is to cut out snacking.

We live in a world of excess and abundance, and when the lines are blurred between meals, it’s possible to graze all day, never get full, and never be properly nourished.

Going back to our grandparents’ days of three square meals, and no snacking can be a lifestyle change that makes losing weight not only manageable but also permanent!

Shawna Clapper – Stress Less Be Healthy

Shawna-Clapper.

The best lifestyle change for weight loss is to eat more veggies!

Don’t eat less food. Don’t cut carbs or fat, and don’t go on keto or any other fad diet; simply have each meal be half veggies.

Why more veggies? Because they are a powerhouse for nutrients, naturally low calorie, high in water content and fiber.

You can still eat the pizza or other foods you love, just with loads of veggies on the side. This way you won’t feel like you’re depriving yourself, which is one of the biggest problems of ‘going on diet’ to try to lose weight.

When you deprive yourself of the foods you love, you end up binging on that food and gaining all the weight back plus more!

So, do yourself a favor, whether you’re trying to lose weight or not; add more veggies to your plate!

Morgan Balavage – Splendid Yoga

Morgan-Balavage
  • Stop trying to lose weight

That’s not sustainable. You can only lose a certain amount of weight before you, you know, die. Focus on what your body can do.

  • Hungry or Sad?

Learn how to identify your body’s actual hunger cues (mouth salivation), as opposed to your nervous system’s emotional cues for comfort (anxiety, heart palpitations, etc).

  • Take a probiotic and get a colonic

You have too much poop stuck in your digestive system. Get it out!! Take a probiotic (I love Coconut Cult) and hire a trusted colonic provider (ask for a referral-trust me, more of your friends are getting pooped than you realize) to help clean out your pipes.

Note: do NOT use laxatives to achieve the same effect. It actually makes the problem worse because your digestive system forgets how to function by itself.

Lyndsey Clabby – myMindBodyBaby

Lyndsey-Clabby

There are different reasons that people set a goal to lose weight. At myMindBodyBaby, we talk about ideal body composition in terms of improving fertility.

Research has shown that obesity and high levels of body fat can increase the chances of having difficulties conceiving.

This study showed that women who lost at least 10% of their body weight at the time of the study had higher rates of pregnancy and live birth compared to the obese participants who maintained their body weight throughout the study.

The best lifestyle changes to help manage body composition? Nutrition and diet. What and how much you eat is critical to helping maintain an ideal body fat level.

Loading up on lean proteins, veggies and including complex carbohydrates is a great way to fuel your body. Aiming for a protein serving the size of the palm of your hand and a veggie serving twice that is a great rule of thumb to follow.

When you combine proper nutrition with exercise, health and improved fertility status will follow. The guidelines recommend 150 minutes a week, over at least 3 days a week, of regular, moderate exercise.

Moderate means at a level you can speak in short bursts at, but not have a full conversation. If you’re starting at zero, even adding in a little movement each day is beneficial.

Consistency is key to forming a habit – don’t get dismayed if you can’t fit in a full 30 minute workout. Squeezing in a 10 minute power walk or body weight routine can do wonders – mentally, and physically.

Little lifestyle changes can really add up. Not sure where to start? If you’re looking for a fertility fitness expert specifically, give me a shout!

Darcy Ogdon-Nolan – The Bircher Bar

Darcy-Ogdon-Nolan

Losing weight can seem like an impossible task sometimes – but it can honestly be achieved by nearly anyone who is willing to commit to a few important lifestyle changes.

While there are many things to contribute to both gaining and losing weight, the best lifestyle change that I think you can make for weight loss is tracking your calories.

Gaining weight doesn’t happen overnight – it’s something that occurs over a long period of time due to taking in more calories in that you are burning up.

The opposite can be said for weight loss, it is something that happens when you are burning more energy than you are consuming – and the only way to do this in a healthy and sustainable way is to know how much you are consuming!

The best way to do this is on a smartphone app (there are many great free ones) that allows you to log how many calories you’re eating and quickly calculate what you need to reduce it by starting slowly losing weight.

You may be surprised with how many calories you’re actually taking in each day as many foods and drinks have high-calorie fats and sugars packed in that you wouldn’t ever think about!

Dr. Tom Biggart – EBM Fitness Solutions

Tom-Biggart

When it comes to weight loss, many people are advised to eat less and move more. And while this advice isn’t wrong, it is too simplistic and short-sighted.

Moving in any way is beneficial but does not really burn as many calories as we think it does.

Nutrition is the main driver of weight loss for most people. But just eating less is an ever-elusive idea. This is why the diet/nutrition industry is a billion-dollar industry.

So what can you do to help drop some lbs, but more importantly, keep them off?

First, understand that all diets work by restricting your calories and relying on your willpower to stay on that diet. This is true for ALL diets. This is why they all fail.

Instead of focusing on what you are eating, spend more time on HOW and WHY you are eating.

Eating slower.

Stop eating before you are completely stuffed.

Ask yourself why you are eating. Is it because of hunger or something else? If you are hungry, eat.

If you are bored or you always eat when watching Netflix, pay attention to those behaviors and work to modify them.

These ideas are not super sexy and flashy but they work to create long-term, sustainable weight loss.

Hope Zvara

Hope-Zvara

The key is lifestyle changes. This means upgrades to your life that you plan to do for the long haul.

Before you decide what to change, consider what you are willing to change and stick with? Build momentum with that and then add on another thing.

As for what to do to encourage weight loss, make sure you are drinking plenty of water, roughly half your body weight in ounces. Your body can’t flush toxins or stay regular when you are living on the verge of dehydration.

The second is to improve your fiber consumption. Aiming for 30 grams of fiber a day can help good gut bacteria, improve your metabolism, improve insulin response, and help with weight loss.

But take it slow when adding more fiber and drink that water. You may otherwise notice short-term bloat or constipation as your body adjusts.

Here’s a quick tip, remember the three B’s: beans, broccoli, berries to get you started eating for weight loss.

Dr. Lisa Young

Lisa-Young

Eat whole foods and keep ultra-processed foods away. Fruits, veggies, fish, beans, and nuts are some great food choices.

Stock up on healthy food.

If you have healthy food/snacks around, that’s what you will eat. Keep the fridge stocked with apples, oranges baby carrots, and other simple grab-and-go healthy foods. These are affordable as well.

Pay attention to your food portions.

You don’t have to weigh and measure every morsel of food but you want to be aware of how much you are eating.

For example, when pouring cereal, many people pour 3 cups into a bowl instead of the recommended 1 cup. And, eat mindfully and pay attention to hunger levels.

Tune into your inner wisdom. Are you hungry? And try to tune into your internal feelings of hunger too, and eat when hungry. If you have the urge to eat, ask yourself if you are hungry or bored?

Out of sight, out of mind. Keep the cookies and cakes stashed away so that they are less tempting.

Plan your exercise routine.

Don’t leave your fitness routine to chance. When will you exercise? What will you do? Put it on the calendar. I believe you should do what you enjoy while also being sure to get outside in nature too.

Create structure.

One of the most difficult parts of eating healthy long-term and losing weight is the lack of structure.

So I urge people to create a structure— plan when what and how much you are going to eat, and try to stick to it as best as possible.

If you’re having trouble with your diet, it’s a great idea to check in with a dietitian. Dietitians will give you individualized advice and work with you on creating a plan to make sustainable lifestyle changes.

Kelsey Riley – Planted in the Kitchen

Kelsey-Riley

I believe that one of the best lifestyle changes for weight loss is to adopt a Whole Foods, Plant-Based diet.

When eating a Whole Foods, Plant-Based diet (abbreviated WFPB) you are nourishing your body with non-processed foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

This type of diet excludes meat products, dairy products, and the majority of processed foods.

A WFPB diet can help you lose weight and can help you maintain a healthy weight once you reach your goals.

This is because you are eating a diet high in fiber, increasing your vitamins and minerals, and cutting out unhealthy foods.

Luke Jones – Hero Movement

Luke-Jones

Weight loss often gets simplified (perhaps oversimplified) down to burning more calories than you consume. But we know that there are many other factors besides energy balance that can impact our ability to alter our body composition.

For me, the lifestyle changes that have had the most profound impact on my body composition (and general wellbeing) over the years come down to stress management.

When we’re feeling the effects of physical and/or mental stress, cortisol levels can become chronically elevated.

We become stuck in a stressed out, fight or flight state, and in response the body clings onto its energy sources for dear life, making it harder to part ways with excess body fat.

I feel like stress management techniques should always be unique to the individual, but here are a few things I’ve found beneficial:

  • Prioritizing good sleep by making time to wind down before bed, keeping the room cool and dark, and avoiding heavy evening meals.
  • Having a regular meditation and breathwork practice to help calm the nervous system and reduce state anxiety.
  • Endeavoring to not eat meals in a rush, instead taking the time to chew food thoroughly. As well as helping with digestion, this can also reduce the likelihood of overeating.
  • Having some form of regular, varied movement practice that brings enjoyment and allows you to burn off steam.
  • Downregulating with regular soft tissue work and myofascial release.

Elizabeth Girouard – Pure Simple Wellness

Elizabeth-Girouard

As an Emotional Eating Expert and Health Coach, I often hear my clients say: “Once I lose the weight, I can go back to my old habits!” But that couldn’t be further from the truth. So much of weight loss comes down to your mindset. The best way to make lifestyle changes to support long-term, sustainable results is through incremental baby steps on a consistent basis.

Here are my favorite simple lifestyle changes for sustainable weight loss:

  1. Add in veggies: Start each meal with colorful vegetables. Crowd in healthier vegetables and eat them first to nourish your body and make you more satiated. This helps to crowd out less healthful foods since you often overeat less healthy foods because your body is looking for nutrients.
  2. Hydrate your body: Often you think you are hungry, when in fact you are just thirsty. If you drink filtered water throughout the day, particularly one full glass 30 minutes before each meal, it can help reduce the amount you eat and curb your cravings. If your urine is light yellow or colorless, you are well hydrated. If it’s dark yellow or amber, you need to increase your daily water intake.
  3. Reduce your eating window: Your body needs time to rest and digest and a longer fasting period can help improve your metabolism. In addition, when you eat all day long, you often lose sight of your hunger queues. In simple terms, if you only eat within 8-12 hours each day, you have less time to consume excess calories. This is particularly important in the evening when we have the tendency to eat chips or ice cream on the couch as we watch Netflix!
  4. Start your day right: Include protein and fiber in your breakfast, such as a vegetable omelet. Starting your morning with a bagel or cereal can lead you to eat more sugary foods throughout the day. Instead, eat protein and fiber to help you feel more satiated for longer. The fiber helps reduce sugar spikes and protein helps to maintain and build muscles.
  5. Eat slowly: Food is meant to be savored and enjoyed. When you eat too quickly, you have the tendency to overeat since it takes 20 minutes for your brain to realize you are full. Eating slowly also helps you be more mindful of what you are eating and helps you tune into your hunger and satiation queues.
  6. Move your body: Studies have shown that as little as 30 minutes of movement each day can help you lose weight. Exercise can help lower your stress levels which reduces cortisol the fat storage hormone, so you store less fat. Along with movement, strength training is useful since muscle burns more calories than fat. Add in strength training three times a week to increase your muscle tone to boost your metabolism.
  7. Reduce sugars and processed foods: Unfortunately, sugary foods and processed foods are addictive. They are created in a lab with the sole intention of getting you to buy and eat more. Excess sugar or simple carbs, like chips, cookies and cakes, can lead to blood sugar spikes. These spikes cause insulin to surge, which leads to more fat storage. If you follow the steps above to add more vegetables, protein and fiber into your diet, this step will be much easier to manage.
  8. Use smaller plates: This is a simple way to reduce the amount of food you consume with each meal. If you are used to filling up your plate with food, try a smaller plate to trick your brain. Often, we think we need to fill up our plates, when in reality we don’t need that much food to satisfy our nutritional needs. This is particularly important when indulging in sweets and processed foods. Remember, the first few bites are always the best!
  9. Focus on sleep: Sleep deprivation can impact your food choices. When you are sleep deprived, you tend to eat foods higher in simple carbohydrates, fats and calories. Lack of sleep can also impact your hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin. When you are sleep deprived, your ghrelin is higher which stimulates appetite and your leptin is lower, leading to a higher calorie consumption. Establish a night-time routine to support restful sleep to keep your hunger hormones balanced.
  10. Surround yourself with like-minded people: I’m sure you’ve heard the quote from motivational speaker Jim Rohn, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” According to the Framingham Heart Study, you are 45% more likely to gain weight if your good friend gains weight or becomes obese. So, if you surround yourself with people who drink beer and eat pizza every day, you are more likely to participate in the same behavior. Instead, spend time with people who embody the behaviors you want to model – ideally people who are ahead of where you want to be.

Each of these lifestyle changes are simple enough individually. Together, their impact will be substantial. Slowly incorporate these habits into your daily routine to see a difference. Start with one and add another once the change has become a habit.

Consistency is key to making these lifestyle changes sustainable. Set your mind to starting one of these lifestyle changes tomorrow and watch your transformation begin!

Paula Sturm – Radically Nourished

Paula-Sturm

According to the CDC, between 2013-2016 nearly half of American’s have attempted to lose weight in the past 12 months. Among those, more women than men made the effort to shed extra pounds.

Unfortunately, most people have been unsuccessful.

“What are some secrets to lasting weight loss, then,” you may ask?

First off, you want to change your mindset from “going on a diet to lose weight” to “making positive lifestyle changes you can maintain for the rest of your life”. Diets and the diet mentality enforce restrictions and quick fixes that can’t be maintained and never fail to backfire.

Additionally, the focus on health and longevity is more empowering and takes the focus off the number on the scale.

Having just one goal of seeing numbers go down on the scale often leads to frustration and throwing in the towel when those numbers don’t move, which happens often in the journey.

When weight loss stalls it doesn’t mean positive changes aren’t happening, they just aren’t showing up as numbers on a scale.

Next, let’s discuss intermittent fasting. This is a hot topic and many people have tried it and given it up because it’s often hard to fit into a lifestyle.

Here’s why, when people first try intermittent fasting they immediately restrict their eating window (the times of the day they eat) too much to where it doesn’t fit in with their family or social schedule or leaves them too hungry during the day.

The easiest way to incorporate intermittent fasting into your life is to cut the fasting window down a bit to just a 12 hour overnight fast.

This is usually well-tolerated and easy to implement and still gives you all the benefits intermittent fasting has to offer. More isn’t always better.

Here’s another strategy you can implement to help facilitate your weight loss goals. Refrain from eating after dinner.

Your goal should be to finish eating anything (dinner and snacks) around 3 hours before your planned bedtime.

This allows your body to digest your food before it goes into cleaning and regeneration while you sleep. Doing this will also improve how well you sleep.

Speaking of sleep! Sleep is critical for anyone who has a goal of dropping numbers on the scale. Aim for bedtime before midnight and refrain from bright lights entering your eyes after 11 pm.

Prioritizing your sleep will impact your hunger cues and cravings leaving you more satisfied and craving less sugar the next day.

Finally, addressing any chemical, physical, and emotional stress. Stress and the hormonal shifts it creates can thwart the best weight loss diet efforts every time. Notice I mentioned three different areas where stress can come from.

We commonly think about the emotional stress we carry during the day and we generally know its detrimental side effects, only one of which is difficulty losing weight.

Find time to meditate or do other relaxation techniques like deep breathing and getting outside to combat those negative consequences stress can create.

Stress can also come from internal processes such as inflammation, infections, elevated blood sugar, etc. Working with a health care practitioner to help you address these areas can be a missing piece to losing stubborn weight.

Additionally, the often-overlooked chemical stress that comes from toxic exposure.

We are surprisingly bombarded by toxins, from cleaning supplies, personal care products, herbicides, pesticides, exhaust fumes, plastics, unfiltered water, and heavy metal exposure just to name a few.

Doing what you can to reduce toxic exposure and support your body’s own detoxification system can be an excellent strategy for reducing weight.

You can do this by removing plastic water bottles, choose glass to store food, filter your drinking and shower water with an excellent filter, choose organic foods as often as possible, choose “clean” versions of cleaning and beauty supplies, and eating a diet rich in colorful veggies, fruit, fiber, and lean proteins.

If you slowly enlist strategies from the above topics into your lifestyle you will naturally be supporting your body to optimal health and a healthy body chooses to be at a healthy weight.

If you’re having trouble with your diet, it’s a great idea to check in with a dietitian. Dietitians will give you individualized advice and work with you on creating a plan to make sustainable lifestyle changes.

Dr. Yelena Deshko – Timeless Health Clinic

YELENA-DESHKO

Weight loss and weight management are some of the top reasons patients visit our clinic. With the ongoing COVID19 pandemic many people have not been less active, resulting in unhealthy weight gain.

My top suggestions for promoting fat loss are a combination of intermittent fasting and walking.

Intermittent fasting has really gained traction in the last few years and research has shown some impressive health benefits in addition to weight loss.

A recent study concluded that intermittent fasting helped participants lose more fat than traditional caloric restriction.

In addition to promoting weight loss, intermittent fasting shows promise in improving cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Intermittent fasting protocols vary widely and range from “time-restricted feeding”, which involves keeping your daily food intake to a 6-8 hour window to longer 24hour alternate day fasts.

Another great way to promote weight loss is to increase the amount of walking you do on a regular basis. Walking is a low-impact exercise that is accessible to almost everyone and requires no special equipment.

Consistency is one of the most critical factors in achieving sustained weight loss and many beginners find intensive weight training regimes too difficult to adhere to.

Research has shown the even 30 minutes of walking on most days per week, is helpful in promoting weight loss when combined with dietary changes.

Sarah Cull – In Full Flavour

Sarah-Cull

Weight loss is not always easy, but there are simple lifestyle changes to get you started and keep on the right track.

When it comes to diet, up your fruit and vegetable intake. Fruit and veg are low in calories and fat and contain really important vitamins and minerals to boost your energy. Fruit and veg also contain fiber.

This is really important as foods full of fiber help you to feel full, which in turn stops you from wanting to snack or reach for an unhealthy treat.

Fiber is also found in wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta, and beans, peas, and lentils.

If you’re partial to crisps, chocolate, sweets, or other junk food, the best thing to do is not buy them. If they’re in the house, self-control is really hard.

The same is true of alcohol. Alcohol contains a lot of empty calories and drinking too much can cause weight gain. If you want to cut down on alcohol, the best plan is to simply not buy it.

Being active is also really important. As well as improving your health generally, exercise can help burn off the excess calories that a diet alone won’t help you lose.

The best way to succeed at sticking to an exercise regime is to find something you enjoy and that works around your schedule, otherwise, it can quickly become too onerous.

Zoe Schroeder Nutrition

Zoe-Schroeder-1

There are a TON of individual factors that must be considered when trying to lose weight.

My top three recommendations from which pretty much everyone can benefit from is to:

  • drink more water
  • eat more nonstarchy vegetables
  • meet your daily protein requirement.

The amount of proteins that you need varies from person to person which is why working with a registered dietitian is extremely helpful in reaching your weight loss goals in a sustainable and healthy way.

Katy Malkin – Leaner Vegan

Katy-Malkin

The best lifestyle changes for weight loss are tweaks that fit in with your everyday life so that you can keep them going in the long term.

It’s so important to focus on habit changes rather than calorie counting, fad diets, or heavily restricting yourself. If you choose these methods, what happens when you stop doing them?

You’ve likely learned nothing about your own body, nutrition, and the weight will simply creep back on.

A few of the biggest changes my clients implement that make a difference are:

  1. Meal balancing: for a filling meal that isn’t packed with calories, roughly aim for 50% veggies, 25% carbs and 25% protein on the plate.
  2. Reduce eating out: grabbing takeout or going to a cafe a couple of times per week can really rack up the calories. Even if you believe you’re choosing healthier options, the likelihood is the meal has more carbs than you need, fewer veggies, and more calories than you’d consume at home. Most meals are cooked in oil or have an oil based dressing. Oil is the highest calorie density food there is!
  3. Addressing the root cause: if you’re consuming more calories than your body needs, there’s probably an underlying reason why. Ask yourself: why am I eating when I’m not truly hungry? For many people it’s due to an unmet emotional need, such as stress, tiredness, or boredom. What can you do to treat this emotion, instead of eating?

Remember: weight loss is all about progress, not getting every day perfect. If you can eat well 90% of the time, and keep that consistency, you’re well on your way to reach that goal.

Alex Johnson – Medmunch

Alex-Johnson

One of the best and easiest ways of achieving weight loss is to add extra fiber to your diet.

Many foods are high in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Foods high in fiber help promote the release of satiety hormones and are higher on the satiety index, meaning they tend to fill you up more.

This can help control your portion sizes, meaning you tend to eat fewer calories and as a result, this can help you lose weight naturally.

Caleb Gray – Click Physiotherapy

Caleb-Gray

In my experience, the best lifestyle changes you can make for weight loss are the simplest ones.

Too many people get bogged down trying fad diets or having short bursts at the gym without lasting change.

My advice is to start with something simple, where you can be consistent. There are two hacks that I recommend starting with:

Firstly, add some sort of physical exercise to your daily routine. Don’t make it too hard, a simple 15 minute fast walk can do the trick. Just make sure you are consistent!

The second hack is to replace some carbohydrates with vegetables. Eat less bread, potato and pasta – and make up the loss with veggies. We don’t eat enough of the good stuff.

These two tips will help you lose weight. And you will be able to stick to these for the long term, as they aren’t hard to implement.

I hope this helps on your weight loss journey!

Ashley Wood – Demystifying Your Health

Ashley-Wood-1

To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. The first step is to figure out how many calories you’re consuming. Do this by tracking your intake.

Then, you know you’re eating habits and can identify areas where you can make changes. Next, examine what you’re eating. Is it healthy? If not, you can make changes here too.

Try to include lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats in your diet.

The second major component to losing weight is physical activity. The key is to increase your level of activity gradually so you don’t get injured.

The other essential thing is finding an activity you like because you’ll be more likely to do it. The goal is to get your body moving more than you currently are.

The easiest way to lose weight is to make small changes that are painless to stick with. Once one becomes routine, move on to another. A healthy lifestyle is reachable with a few simple changes!

Dr. Jacky Montoya – Vitaya MD

Jacky-Montoya

The best lifestyle changes for weight loss must become Habitual. In order to create good habits, you must implement the new actions every day for at least 21 days.

Three of the most important lifestyle changes include:

  1. Drinking more water not soda or juice, these empty calories will only add to your total caloric intake without providing nutritional value, unless you are drinking a kale or celery juice, just drink more water.
  2. Exercising for at least 30 minutes/3 x week to where you can’t hold a conversation will increase your energy levels, improve your cardiac health and help give your metabolism the boost it needs to start burning fat.
  3. Getting enough sleep, at least 7-8 hours of restful sleep will lead to less need for caffeine, sugars and simple carbs that will only slow your metabolism down and cause large spikes in your glycemic index.

These are just a kick start to weight loss, I recommend implementing one new habit weekly or every other week so that you can get to the 21-day mark and really make it part of a lifestyle change.

The biggest challenge and reason that many don’t stick with it is that we try to do everything at once, also known as fad dieting.

When you make these lifestyle changes habitual they will become true healthy lifestyle changes that you can maintain and continue and not only will you lose weight you will be a healthier version of yourself.

Dr. Candice Seti – The Weight Loss Therapist

Candice-Seti

1) Treat Your Kitchen Like a Restaurant

Restaurants close.  And with good reason! 

There is a time at which our bodies don’t really need to eat anymore. 

And sometimes it is simply the access to our kitchen that is driving us to eat. 

This is really common amongst individuals who engage in night eating—-grazing through their kitchen when they are not hungry (and oftentimes just bored!). 

Now imagine you treated your kitchen like a restaurant and it closed at 9:00 pm.  That would mean, after 9 pm, you can no longer go in there and can no longer access food. 

So, you might have to find another, healthier way to deal with your nighttime boredom!

2) Keep Your Focus on Veggies

We all know how healthy vegetables are.  And yet most of them don’t have nearly enough of them throughout the day.  Why is that? 

Usually, it’s because we are having meals that don’t traditionally “go with” vegetables. Think about oatmeal or a smoothie. These are foods that aren’t traditionally associated with vegetables. 

But what if you had your oatmeal with a side salad or threw some spinach into your smoothie. 

Not only would you be making that meal healthier, but you would be filling your stomach up with more nutrients and fiber to keep you fuller longer. 

So take any meal your having and simply ask yourself, “How can I add some veggies to this?” You might be surprised at how creative you can be!

3) Rethink your Plate Size

We all tend to eat all of our meals off of dinner size plates- plates that are 12 inches in diameter. 

But what most of us don’t realize is that eating off this size plate usually has us consuming more food, and more calories, than we need. 

A really simple change you can make is to eat off of a 10-inch salad plate instead. By doing this, you can actually reduce your caloric intake by up to 20% at every meal!

4) Chew Slower

Mindfulness is a key to healthier eating and slowing down our chewing is a key to achieving mindfulness. 

By slowing down our eating speed, and purposely taking longer to chew, swallow, and pick up our next forkful of food, we can move towards weight loss. Sounds too easy, right? 

Well, that’s because slowing down our eating speed allows our brain and our body to connect in a way that allows us to recognize and honor our fullness.

So, eating slower allows us to feel satiety and stop eating. Plus, it reduces our risk of other health issues like high blood pressure and metabolic disease. 

Figure out how long a typical meal takes you and set a timer for twice that amount of time.  Make your goal to be to have the timer run out before you finish your food!

5) Water is The Key

Water is so critical to healthy weight management and keeping your metabolism humming along! 

Water is obviously the clearest way to address issues of dehydration, but you may not realize that dehydration is signaling us to eat when we are not actually hungry. 

So, by addressing our hydration needs, we are taking away a drive to eat! 

Also starting your meals with water can be a great way to increase your hydration while also filling up your stomach.  This means it will actually take less food to make yourself feel full- double bonus!

Mark Trolice – My Fertility Care

Mark-Trolice

After finishing medical school, residency, and a fellowship, I was anxious to begin “real work.” While never being officially overweight, BMI > 25, I stayed right on the border with a BMI of 25.

Enduring 10 years of infertility with my wife, I intermittently exercised without consistency. Once my daughter was born, I faced mortality and my “wake-up” call to optimize my health and provide for my new family.

Fast forward 20 years to today, I am near 60 years old and exercise with vigorous-intensity on a daily basis while strictly adhering to the Mediterranean Diet (see below).

Truth be told, I hate to exercise. If I exercised on days that I was motivated, it would be twice per year! So, how can I continue to commit to health? It is complicated and simple all at once – I do not give myself the option.

You may say that is easy but think about how many other things we would all rather be doing than sweating for at least 30 minutes…in the dark!

Beginning work early, I exercise in the early morning, while it is dark, so I can be assured of free time. On the days my workday starts earlier, I wake up earlier to exercise, i.e., whatever it takes.

We all do three things daily without option: eat, sleep, and work- unless one has hit the lottery.

Exercise and health need to be number 4. If we allow health to be an option, it will usually travel down our list of things to do and become an unlikely occurrence.

However, if health is a “hard stop” in your day by refusing to give in to other tasks, then you will always maintain your commitment.

Another truth is we typically have time to do everything we TRULY want and if we really do not want to perform a task/responsibility/activity, we allow the excuse of time constraints to be the obstacle.

So, be good to your body and your body will be good to you. There is no vacation from health. If you have an elevated BMI and are in your 20s and early 30s, your age may be only temporarily sparing you from disease.

However, time will eventually place you at risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and joint problems from excess weight.

The key is proper nutrition and exercise:

Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is low in red meat, sugar, and saturated fat as well as being high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods.

The benefits of the Mediterranean Diet:

  • Longevity
  • Improved cognition and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
  • Reduce risk of chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, dental disease, and elevated “bad” cholesterol levels
  • Help your weight loss and maintenance
  • Improve rheumatoid arthritis, eye health, breathing
  • Help you breathe better
  • Improve fertility

Benefits of exercise:

  • Better sleep, including improvements in insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea
  • Better quality of life and sense of overall well-being

Bottom line – an active lifestyle, weight control and a healthy diet is your key to health and longevity.

Dr. Christopher Stepien – Barefoot Rehab

Christopher-Stepien

HYDRATION: Drink 8 ounces of water immediately upon waking. Then, prioritize drinking lots of water throughout the day. Many people mistake hunger for thirst.

DIET: When I owned a CrossFit gym, I found that the “paleo” template works best for people. Lots of veggies, high-quality animal proteins, and some nuts/seeds and berries.

Eliminating grains, dairy, beans, sugar, and alcohol goes a long way to de-inflame the body. Often people will lose a few pounds of water weight within the first week of going Paleo.

CONSISTENCY: Everyone knows they need to exercise. Instead, I’ll mention how important consistency is. If you’re someone who likes to drag your feet, start with small changes and make sure you DO NOT MISS.

Willpower is a muscle and gets strengthened when you do what you say you’re gonna do.

VISUALIZE: Lastly and maybe most importantly, if you can’t see yourself as someone who has already lost weight, focus on seeing yourself as healthy and fit as you want to be first.

The subconscious is always listening and you’ll make much easier progress if you can visualize your end destination first.

Dr. Waqas Mehmood – Healthwire

Waqas-Mehmood

As the first rule of thumb in losing weight, do not skip your meals. Cutting down on calories is not equivalent to restricting your body of essential nutrition. Instead, take small regular meals to keep your metabolism active.

For successful weight loss, foods high in fiber, fresh fruits, and vegetables are the key components.

Even if you have a stagnant lifestyle, cutting down on high-fat foods and switching towards simple clean eating can help you tremendously.

Here are some specific tested weight loss tips that aid in fast fat loss:

  • Have a glass of water within the first 10-15 minutes of waking up. Next take a handful of peeled almonds or raisins or 1 banana, within 30 minutes of waking up.
  • Imagine how much you want to eat on your plate. Now reduce the helping to half.
  • Take a healthy snack within 3 pm-5 pm. The idea is to eat something at least 2 hours before your dinner, to avoid overeating at dinner time.

Allison Jackson Fitness

Allison-Jackson

The recommendations I typically give to anyone looking to lose weight is:

  1. Start tracking your food in MyFitnessPal to get a good handle on your current nutrition. Make sure you’re eating enough protein each day (1g per pound of your goal weight).
  2. Track your steps with a Fitbit, Apple Watch or other device and target 10k steps daily (if you’re starting at 5k, gradually increase by 10-15% each week)
  3. Incorporate some form of mindfulness or meditation into your daily routine. It’s important to manage your stress levels, especially if you’re prone to emotional eating.
  4. Start weight training. We lose muscle as we age so using bodyweight or weights is key to retaining and building muscle. It helps with mobility, prevents injury and will help you look lean.
  5. Stay hydrated. Drink enough water to ensure you’re not dehydrated. Just 8-10 glasses per day is all you need, and seltzers and flavored water counts towards that target!

Krissi Williford – Xcite Fitness

Krissi-Williford

Eat to regulate blood sugar

This is a key ingredient to weight loss. Low blood sugar is a stressor and something that prevents weight loss. A chronic state of stress makes it hard for your body to release stored weight and body fat.

One of the ways to reduce the stress on your body is to eat to regulate blood sugar. Do this by eating every 4-6 hours and making your meals balanced. A balanced meal has carbs, protein, and fat in it.

Get consistent sleep

Sleep is something that reduces cravings… by reducing your body’s need for sugar to stay awake and have energy. When you’re sleep-deprived your body will crave sugar because you need energy.

Sugar is the fastest way to give your body energy, which is why you crave it. Work on going to sleep and getting up at the same time each day. Consistent sleep offers lots of health benefits, including fewer cravings.

Live by the 80/20 rule

This means that 80% of the time you stick to your plan but 20% of the time you enjoy yourself and live life. Using this rule will allow you to still get results but not feel like you’re restricted all the time.

You can create room for social events, holidays, and date nights without having guilt about it.

You can’t be perfect all the time and this rule allows you to enjoy life while you’re on your weight loss journey.

Carrie Lam – Dr. Lam Coaching

Carrie-Lam

You may find it difficult to accept, but chronic stress is a leading cause of heart conditions, headaches, low energy and weariness, autoimmune conditions, inflammation in your body and joints, weight gain, depression, food allergies, high blood pressure, a lack of sexual desire, bone loss, suppression of your immune conditions, memory loss in the long-run, joint pain, and many digestive disorders.

Having high-stress hormones makes it difficult to lose weight, as your bloodstream is swarming with cortisol, and your digestive system is constantly suppressed.

Being obsessed with calories, and even drastically restricting the number of calories you intake daily, could in fact cause you to gain weight instead.

These foods, such as the 35-calorie toast, may truly contain fewer calories than other alternatives.

However, they come along with supplementary harmful chemicals to reduce the calories, while keeping the food item soft, tasty, and appealing to the eye.

Many of them come along with bleached flour, dough conditioners, artificial sweeteners, margarine, caramel coloring, genetically modified oils, and a ton of preservatives you might not be able to pronounce.

So, you may be consuming fewer calories with your peanut butter sandwich, but you’re undoubtedly consuming a lot more chemicals.

You may find it tremendously startling to be told to eat more fat as you move forward on your journey to gradual weight loss.

Nonetheless, research after research has proven that fats, the good and healthy ones, can, in fact, aid you in losing weight astonishingly.

Healthy fats on the other hand, such as extra virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil, several other healthy and natural oils, nuts, seeds, organic grass-fed butter, avocados, and other whole foods, will be remarkable additions to your gradual weight loss plan.

These nutritious oils not only reduce your stress hormones levels, grant you satiety, boost your mood and energy completely, decrease your risk of heart conditions, strengthen your gut lining, improve your memory and cognitive health, aid in better digestion, and boost your immunity, but they will also cause you to drop some weight without having to feel hungry.

Heather Hanks – USA Rx

Heather-Hanks

Practicing portion control is an excellent way to lose weight without necessarily giving up the foods you love.

I tell my clients that they don’t need to stop eating pasta as long as they reduce their portion sizes and eat a large salad with fresh veggies first.

The same goes for desserts, bread, and other foods that may cause weight gain if eaten too much.

Try eating half of your favorite sandwich at lunch and enjoy vegetable soup or a large salad with it.

This is a great way to make small changes that can help you for the rest of your life without seeming too restrictive or overwhelming.

Jamie Hickey – Truism Fitness

Jamie-Hickey

Physical activity – this doesn’t necessarily mean buying expensive gym membership and expensive equipment either, you can get a good workout at home as well as enjoying the benefits of fresh air and sunshine.

With 10,000 steps a day or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise, we can burn around 500 calories – that’s worth it! Losing 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) requires 3,500 less calories to be eaten than excluding exercise

Improved eating habits – not always easy but doable with practice and time:

  • Eat three meals a day with breakfast better than lunch;
  • Avoid regularly consuming snacks between meals;
  • Do not skip breakfast;
  • Limit the consumption of sugar;
  • Avoid regularly consuming alcohol;
  • Focus on foods rich in protein and whole grains.

Carol Michaels Fitness

Carol-Michaels

You might not be exercising as much or as intensely as you need to for weight loss. If you want to take off weight, you may have to start changing your routine.

Examples: add an incline for those using the treadmill, alternate walking or running speeds, or try a spin or dance class. Cardio is important for calorie burning, but you need more than just cardio workouts.

An effective exercise plan includes cardio, strength training, and flexibility. Your body composition needs to change through strength training to decrease the effects sarcopenia.

Strength training will increase muscle mass, bone density and decrease body fat.

Keep moving! A sedentary lifestyle leads to weight gain. There are a number of studies that say too much sitting can be bad for our health and our waistlines—even if you exercise during the day.

Improve your sleep hygiene. Lack of sleep triggers a number of hormones that influence cravings and a tendency for weight gain.

In addition, insufficient sleep will leave you tired and unfocused for your workouts. Sleep is a much needed part of a fitness plan since a lot of recovery and repair happens while you rest each night

Eating meals outside of the home may make it difficult to take the pounds off. Restaurants tend to serve us way too much food for one sitting and cooked in high-calorie sauces.

Leisurely dining at restaurants can be very time-consuming.

It might be wise to have quick meals at home in order to have more time to exercise and to have control over what you are eating.

Wendy Hodge – Wendy’s Way To Health

Wendy-Hodge

The best way to make changes that will last is to do it slowly.

Unfortunately, this is is never what what people want to hear, though. It may have taken a long time for someone to get to the point of being unhappy enough to want to make changes, but once they get there, they want results now!

I find that my community members who have the best success learn early on to be patient, and are willing to slow down and not be tempted to rush the process.

They’re also the ones who reach out and ask questions. They realize that being part of a supportive community is essential for long-term success.

Eating slowly is the best place to start, and it’s a skill that can be very challenging.

Being able to eat slowly, and stop when you’re 80% full is way more helpful than following a specific diet plan, or restricting so-called “bad” foods.

And it’s something that anyone can do. Just don’t give up, it’s bound to feel difficult at first. If you can keep going, you will start seeing results.

Nikki Walter

Nikki-Walter

Change is hard. It’s even harder when what used to work no longer works.

I think the best place to start would be consistency. Once you have determined your goal, celebrate the small victories. Whether it be exercising five days per week, or cutting back on sugar, caffeine, starchy carbs or alcohol.

Progress only comes with the discipline and accountability. Make that goal a priority no matter what. Sometimes schedules can change, if that happens, have a plan as to how you will adjust.

For example, it’s easy to stick to a schedule, but sometimes things happen. If time is less one day, prepare the night before.

If something comes up and you can’t exercise today, do an extra 10 tomorrow or go for a walk after dinner. If your traveling, commit to 15 minutes of something.

So, start small and work toward making that change a forever habit. Keep celebrating those small victories, and work towards the milestones you have earned!

Bianca Grover Fitness

Bianca-Grover

All too often, individuals looking to lose weight do not see the results they are looking for because they are approaching it the wrong way. Poor fitness information is readily available and polluting the health and wellness industry.

Looking to lose weight? It’s not a mystery. You need to focus on attainable consistency, regular exercise and eating a clean, balanced diet.

Normal and consistent weight loss is considered to be one to two pounds a week, depending on the person. This is why setting attainable goals that you can stick to is so important.

You obtain this weight loss through a healthy caloric deficit (200-500 calories). A caloric deficit means burning more calories than you are taking in.

This deficit comes from a combination of regular exercise and a balanced diet. Choosing one or the other will be less effective.

Exercise can also improve your metabolism, setting you up for further success.

It is not about some crazy diet or new workout routine. It is about using a science-backed approach to fitness.

Jessica Braider – The Scramble

Jessica-Braider

The best lifestyle change for weight loss is to start cooking.

When you prepare your own meals, they will almost certainly be healthier than the pre-prepared or take out versions of those same meals

You will also begin to feel more in control of your food choices and have more connection to what is going into your body.

This will make it easier to start to understand the messages your body is sending you about fullness and what ingredients make you feel good.

Preston Grayem – Jack City Fitness

Preston-Grayem

Weight-loss, or as the professionals prefer to call it, “A reduction in body fat,” seems to be on everyone’s list of to-dos. The question still stands, how?

Here’s a simple answer, eat less and eat better. It seems easier said than done, right? You might reconsider that statement after you’ve tried this method.

Here is a method I like to use that’s as old as time itself. It’s called “Time-Restricted” eating, and it’s an ancient practice that our ancestors mainly did by accident. Put, it’s reducing the hours in which you eat to a smaller window.

Here are some examples of schedules I and many others have had success with: Noon-7pm, 10 am-6 pm, and if you’re hardcore, 2 pm-6 pm.

You’ll reduce your chances of making bad food choices

You’ll manipulate your energy systems to work the way you want them to (Fat Burning).

Here’s the main piece to this method, don’t eat ANYTHING within 4 hours of your bedtime.

So, if you’re early to bed like some folks and you hit the sack at 9 pm, then hit the dinner table early too, at the latest 5 pm. Simple as that. It’s flexible to your schedule, so give it a try already!

Erik Pham – Health Canal

Erik-Pham

One of the best lifestyles for weight loss would be being conscious of what you eat and having a proper diet.

Exercise is very important as well but nutrition and diet is the biggest factor in deciding on whether you lose weight or not. Eating the right amount of food with the right types of food is very important.

Minimize Omega 6 consumption, add more anti-inflammatory foods to your diet, eat more foods with essential oils, and add a lot of fiber to your diet.

What I’m saying is a simplified and easy-to-understand version of diet and nutrition. They say you are what you eat.

I believe and have seen this personally from experience and from helping other people lose weight. So make sure to focus on what you eat first before anything else.

Jackie Keller – NutriFit

Jackie-Keller

My first recommendation to all of our clients is to look at a total picture of your health.

Many clients will track their diet and exercise but overlook sleep, hydration and stress, which are also important aspects of health and the weight loss picture.

These can have a big impact on reaching your goal. Planning for getting enough sleep, dealing with your stress and drinking enough water can help you make big strides for weight loss.

Our brains love habits and making a schedule can help you adopt good habits that will lead to weight loss success.

A second recommendation is to adopt a diet that you can maintain – cutting out highly processed foods, refined sugar and limiting red meat intake while focusing on more plant-based options are easy changes that will not only help you lose weight, but also maintain that weight loss.

The quick results of fad diets such as keto can be tempting, but most people generally are not able to maintain these diets over long periods of time, which tends to promote the yo-yo effect.

Adopting an eating regimen that you can maintain and by forming healthy habits by keeping a schedule or setting reminders until the behaviors are automatic will lead to long term success.

Holly Waterfall – Happy Food Healthy Life

Holly-Waterfall

There’s no real “secret” to weight loss. It’s much more about the little things you do on a daily basis that create a healthy lifestyle.

One of my favorite tips is to eat on smaller plates. Often, it’s not WHAT we’re eating, but it’s the portions we’re eating.

Rather than filling up a large dinner plate, serve your meal on a small dessert- or salad-sized plate, giving the illusion of eating more food.

My second biggest tip is just to move your body in any way you enjoy 20-30 minutes a day. You don’t have to have the perfect gear or fitness apparel.

Just do what feels good and gets your heart pumping. Turn on some music and have a dance party with yourself.

Go outside for a brisk walk around your neighborhood. Keep it simple and enjoy the endorphins that movement provides.

Dr. Ng Kai Lyn – Gynae Patient Info

Ng-Kai-Lyn

Here are some lifestyle tips and tricks to get started on your (sustained) weight loss!

1. Tune your mindset for success

Be clear about your goal and the reason behind your desire for weight loss.

Is it to get ready for pregnancy? To reduce your need for diabetic or cholesterol medications?

To fit into that dress you bought a year ago? Whatever it may be, believe in your goal and yourself.

Break it up into smaller goalposts and celebrate every milestone.

Trust in yourself that you can and will succeed in getting to the destination and enjoy the journey at the same time.

2. Fix your diet

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should not be skipped. In fact, eat regular meals to avoid the temptation to snack.

Load up on water – drink a glass of water before your meals to prevent yourself from overeating.

Use a smaller plate to help you with smaller portions – visual is everything.

Switch your carbohydrates to complex ones e.g., brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, wholewheat bread, eat high fiber foods and look for low glycemic index (low GI) foods that allow your blood sugar to rise and fall slowly (to keep you feeling fuller for longer).

Start reading your food labels and stay away from processed foods, particularly those that are high in monosaturated fats and sugars.

Cut down on alcohol.

Keep junk food out of your food pantries at home and at your workplace, but do allow yourself the occasional treat.

3. Get moving – nowstr

Fix a schedule for exercise and work it into your routine. Be consistent in keeping physically active and be realistic about it – if you have been sedentary, don’t expect to be able to run 10km at once.

Don’t sign up for a gym that is way off your route. Start slow and keep steady. Walking can be a good, convenient, and easy way to start.

Jogging, running, cycling, swimming, yoga, pilates are all good options of exercise. Pick an exercise that you like – you are more likely to stick with it if you like it.

4. Use technology to your advantage

Technology can help you meld diet and exercise together, as neither alone will work sustainably to keep the pounds off.

Choose culture-specific apps that can help you understand your dietary choices and caloric intake, and exercise apps that can help you understand your physical activity levels and aid in you achieving your daily goals e.g., walking 10K steps a day.

5. Seek professional advice

Weight loss is not a linear process, and weight that is lost drastically is likely to be piled right back on quickly.

Work with your doctors if you have any medical conditions that may contribute to weight gain e.g., low thyroid levels or steroid medications.

Seek your dietician’s and personal trainer’s advice if you have attempted diet and exercise modifications to limited success – professionals can offer you new insights as to why things may not be working out as you would have liked them to.

6. Have a companion

There’s nothing quite like someone who is waiting for you at the gym (or a dog staring at you) to get your butt off the couch!

Having companionship on your weight loss journey goes a long way in keeping you (and your partner) motivated in the long run.

So good luck, and remember – don’t be disheartened if you accidentally put on some weight after some initial success – you are in it for the long-haul for your physical and mental health!

Jeff Parke – Top Fitness Magazine

Jeff-Parke

It doesn’t matter how much weight you want to lose. Whether you want to lose five, fifty, or even two hundred pounds, success in weight loss is about the same when it comes to nutrition and exercise.

If you are trying to lose more than fifty pounds then it is important that you consult with your doctor about what modifications in your diet are possible.

When you’re trying to lose weight, there are a number of eating habits that might be helpful for making changes in your lifestyle.

For example, many people find it helpful to keep a food journal of what they eat every day so they can figure out what foods they should avoid or limit.

A great app for this is called My Fitness Pal, which lets you scan a barcode of a food item which provides you with all of the nutritional information so you can keep track throughout the day.

Another strategy that is helpful in losing weight and eating healthy is to eat mindfully.

Some ways to do this is by having a conversation while eating, not watching TV while you’re eating, or playing with your food (like moving it around with your fork instead of just shoving it in your mouth).

Also, try putting down the fork when you’re feeling full.

Finally, don’t eat in the last hour before bedtime since your body will have a harder time breaking down nutrients while you are sleeping.

For most people who are trying to lose weight, it is helpful to do an exercise routine that includes cardiovascular exercises and resistance training.

A great way for beginners to start resistance training is by starting in the comfort of their own home or in a gym by doing bodyweight exercises.

These can be done with dumbbells, bands, resistance tubing, bars, etc., but does not need to include heavyweights. Start with 3 sets of 10 reps for each exercise and aim for 2-3 times per week minimum.

Dr. Taylor Graber – ASAP IVs

Taylor-Graber

The best lifestyle changes you can make if you are interested in weight loss, are MOVEMENT, CONSISTENCY, and a NEGATIVE CALORIC DEFICIT.

Weight loss, especially initially, simply comes down to math. Caloric Intake minus Calories Burned = Caloric Balance. The more negative the caloric balance is, the better the chance of losing weight.

Caloric Intake is determined entirely by dietary control. Increasing the number of whole foods and decreasing the amount of processed, sugary foods, is frequently the better decision.

Most foods that you cook yourself will inherently be healthier than most processed foods and is a great place to start.

Pay attention to serving size and caloric density. The fewer calories you consume, the less exercise you would need to balance these out and derive a caloric deficit.

Calories burned is determined by MOVEMENT. Exercise is beneficial in all forms and should be incorporated whenever possible.

Taking the stairs instead of an elevator multiple times a day, hitting a goal of 10000 steps every day, running at a moderate pace on a treadmill for 30 minutes, low impact weight lifting, or playing basketball with your kids in the front yard are all great options.

They generate movement, and movement expends calories, helping you drive a NEGATIVE CALORIC DEFICIT.

With the above, the most important factor in success is CONSISTENCY of these two factors over time.

Maintaining a NEGATIVE CALORIC DEFICIT and being CONSISTENT about it, are extremely important, not only to drive initial weight loss, but to keep the weight off and maintain the weight loss over time.

Joe Johnson – 9 To 5 Nutrition

Joe-Johnson

Weight loss, is fundamentally about eating fewer calories than you use each day, over a long period of time.

Counting calories can of course work, but it’s not for everything, and this is where simple habit changes come in.

Fad diets, meal plans and extreme exercise programs won’t work in the long term because you won’t be able to maintain these things forever.

After all, no one wants to eat chicken and rice for every meal and do 6 HIIT sessions per week for the rest of their lives.

The habits you should implement depend on your lifestyle and preferences, but for most people, a few simple changes normally work. These can include: 

  • weighing yourself on a daily basis
  • making sure you always eat a filling breakfast
  • get a portion of protein and a portion of fruit and/or veg in at each meal
  • avoid drinking your calories (Starbucks coffee, full-sugar soda etc)
  • getting 7-9 hours sleep every night

These are all small, relatively easy changes to make, but implemented 90% of the time over long periods of time, they compound to make weight loss easy to achieve, but more importantly, easy to maintain.

Karisa Karmali – Self-Love and Fitness

Karisa-Karmali

The best lifestyle change for weight loss is to not nitpick the small details at first and focus on 80% nutrient dense foods, allow room for 20% fun foods, and maintain a calorie deficit (calories in vs. calories out) over a span of time in a sustainable manner that doesn’t completely ruin the fun part of food.

I find that there are also healthier versions of our favourite foods, like thin crust pizza, protein ice cream, and popcorn instead of chips, which help us avoid feeling deprived, and this avoids bigger episodes of binging down the line because of intense feelings of deprivation.

Increasing your metabolism by being more active, be it yoga, walking, anything you like, is also a way to create sustainable habits in an enjoyable manner.

Maxwell Kamlongera – Mx Fitness World

Maxwell-Kamlongera

The best lifestyle changes for weight loss are as simple as a change of diet and doing exercise.

The change of diet can come in all manners and forms, it doesn’t mean having to eat salads and “boring” foods.

Specifically, when looking to change your diet, look into learning about calories in vs calories out (CICO); that should establish the foundation of your diet change before you start doing anything with food.

You want to avoid the trap of having a miserable diet that you won’t adhere to and end up abandoning down the line, and this begins with CICO.

Regarding exercising, you can either tackle weight loss through cardio or resistance training; pick the one you like.

Cardio is good for your cardiovascular system and burns off fat while you exercise, whereas resistance training will build muscles, which will make you stronger and kick up your metabolism because it takes more energy to sustain muscle than it does fat.

Emily Countryman – Shift Set Go

Emily-Countryman

It only takes a few simple lifestyle changes to see weight loss results. Adding these three easy steps to your daily routine will charge up your weight loss efforts!

Drink more water. The goal is half your body weight in ounces of water. If that’s considerably more than you currently get, start with an extra 10 ounces each day and work your way to your goal.

Remember, water equals weight loss, and you need to hydrate your metabolism.

Crowd out the junk food. Rather than take an all-or-nothing approach and labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” eat to crowd out items that aren’t as healthy.

Prioritizing more vegetables and fruits will get you more nutrients, more fiber and make you less likely to indulge in junk.

Move more. Get more steps in each day. Remember, movement creates more movement.

Moving a little more each day builds on itself, and before you know it, you’ll increase how much activity you’re getting without even trying.

So, starting today, try to add 1,000 steps (about ten additional minutes of walking). When that’s easy, add 1,000 more.

Elizabeth Ward – Better Is the New Perfect

Elizabeth-Ward

My advice is to eat more for weight loss.

Trying to lose weight on a very low calorie eating plan is counterproductive because your body thinks it’s starving and will do what it can to protect its vital functions by lowering your metabolism, making it more difficult to shed pounds.

When dieting, you lose fat as well as lean tissue, primarily muscle. It’s important to protect your lean muscle mass because it burns more calories than fat.

It’s likely that a very low-calorie diet is also inadequate in protein, which promotes the loss of lean tissue.

Everyone’s calorie needs are different, but I suggest eating no less than 1800 calories a day for women and 2000 daily for men, and possibly more.

Supplement calorie restriction with increased movement to lose weight and keep it off.

Phung D. Tran – Be Active is Easy

Phung-D.-Tran

The best lifestyle changes for weight loss are the ones that you can 100% stick to.

Firstly, you need to trust yourself; you know what is right versus wrong. Instead of going for the big things (like no more fun snacks), start with small bits small today with things you can do.

If you are somebody who loves Oreos, you do not have to cut them off immediately. Go for only 1 or 2 cookies a day instead of the whole bag. You are still reducing your sugar intake without making it too much of a pain.

Keep this up for other habits that you want to improve, such as alcohol, chips, fast food, or anything else. As you are going through this process, keep track of your progress.

Our brains like to have a streak of doing something nice to ourselves every day. By visually display your progress on a planner (or even a piece of paper), you can have the immediate rewards your brain yearns for.

Yes, in the beginning, you will not see many changes by approaching weight loss this way.

But as you keep progressing, leveling up your healthy habit skills, you will be able to see consistent weight loss and you will also keep it off forever.

Di Ter Avest – Di is Organized

Di-Ter-Avest

Getting organized is the best lifestyle change a person can make to lose weight.

When you organize your routine, schedule, and home (kitchen more specifically), you will be able to fit in more exercise and dedicate time to plan and cook healthy meals, etc.

Start by doing a brain dump of the things you need to do to achieve your health goals.

Not eating after 8 pm and getting enough sleep are constant changes we see our community committing to when losing weight.

After you spend some time working on your plans and expectations, tweak your routines and schedule to fit your health goals into them.

When I think about health, food is the first thing that comes to mind.

If your goal is to eat healthier meals to help you with the weight loss, that means no more fast food or “cereal for dinner” nights. Instead, take a day to organize your kitchen, pantry, and fridge, and don’t forget to plan out your meals.

Getting this space organized will help you quickly make healthy food and eliminate the need to hit the drive-through for burgers and fries.

Margaret Sala – Sala Psychology

Margaret-Sala

The #1 thing that I recommend for those who are trying to improve their health and lose weight to do is self-monitoring.

Specifically, I recommend that people who are seeking to lose weight weigh themselves weekly and accurately track what they eat (e.g., using myfitnesspal).

It is also very important that the record of food is accurate – I often recommend for food to be measured/weighted.

Tracking accurately can increase awareness and accountability, learn the calories of foods consumed, help reduce or eliminate unnecessary or hidden calories, and help with choosing lower-calorie foods.

Most individuals who are able to track accurately and eat ~1200-1800 calories per day are able to lose 1-2 lbs per week.

Sara Zellner – Saz Healthy Living

Sara-Zellner

Here are my recommendations for the best lifestyle changes for weight loss:

Avoid ultra-processed foods.

Ultra-processed foods are made from fats, starches, or sugars extracted from natural foods and include foods like frozen or pre-made meals, fast food, deli meat, chips, packaged cookies, and crackers.

These foods can disrupt your hormones and the signals between your gut and your brain that tell you when you’re full, leading to weight gain and obesity.

So if you’re looking to lose weight, it’s best to limit your consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Eliminate chemical toxins from household and personal care products.

Endocrine disruptors–found in products like detergents, food packaging, cosmetics, and pesticides–can alter human hormones and predispose people to obesity and other health issues.

If you want to lose weight, purchase household and personal products with natural ingredients or make these products on your own using homemade recipes with natural ingredients.

Hannah Shine – Hourglass Waist

Hannah-Shine

Having a balanced diet with an exercise routine is the best lifestyle change that you can make to reduce your weight. You can not simply reduce weight by doing either one of these.

You have to understand that both these things go hand in hand.

I would advise you never to skip your breakfast because you could miss out on getting some essential nutrients and end up snacking more throughout the day. After all, you feel hungry.

Moreover, eating meals at regular times of the day helps increase the rate at which your calories burn. Alongside a good diet, follow an exercise regime to improve your metabolism to lose weight.

Lastly, find alternatives like eating fruits to avoid your sweet cravings. Fruits are high in fiber and low in calories which is essential for your weight loss journey.

Natalia Maldonado – Warrior Life Code

Natalia-Maldonado

This is the best lifestyle change you can make for weight loss:

Keep A Food Journal

It may seem like a childish idea but keeping track of what you eat is a much better way of controlling yourself than just overdosing on snacks.

Write down everything you eat during the day, and you will notice an improved lifestyle of caution and control when consuming food. You can also fall into the habit of portioning your food this way.

Journaling can serve as a constant reminder of your toxic eating habits.

For example, I started writing a food journal last year, and it has helped me realize that most of the time, I skipped essential meals.

Even when I was regularly eating, it was the same type of food which is not beneficial for the body. This habit has helped me lose a lot of weight and completely transformed my lifestyle.

Michael Scott – STC Fit

Michael-Scott

Effective weight loss is all about lifestyle change. Here are some key areas of focus for you.

1. Prioritize Sleep: Being rested improves our recovery, maintains performance, and reinforces good decision-making and willpower (like food choices).

2. Prioritize Nutrition: Eating meals rich in nutrients and lower in energy density like quality proteins, whole grains, starches, fruits, and vegetables (mainly) will set you up for weight loss success.

3. Get moving: Exercise and movement are key elements to health and weight management.

Aim for 7500 to 10000 steps per day (or 30-45 mins walking), along with a tailored resistance training program for best results.

4. Prioritize recovery: Rest days are as important as training days, so are your warm-ups, cooldowns, and preparation work for training. Be sure to emphasize recovery and look after your body.

5. Know your goals and your values: It’s important to know what your goals are and why they are important to you.

Unpacking what achieving our goals means and being able to track our progress, takes the commitment level to a place where we act in absence of motivation.

Take your focus to these five key areas and you will enjoy long-lasting weight loss success.

Jane Lamason

Jane-Lamason

The best lifestyle changes for weight loss are small ones. So small that, when you make them, they don’t disrupt the current pattern of your life.

You’ll hardly notice the difference until you give those designer jeans in the back of your wardrobe one last try before tossing them and they slide over your hips without effort.

Make good choices around the food you eat, meaningful movement and how you take care of your mind for the best impact.

Change out high carb and processed foods for more vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, healthy fats and good protein. Your meals and snacks should consist of mostly plant food.

Reduce added sugars in your diet, swap out soda for water, dried fruit for fresh fruit and flavoured yogurt for plain greek yogurt.

Make moving everyday your goal with purposeful activities like walking, biking, yoga and weights and more general choices like taking the stairs, biking to work or gardening.

Reduce stress and improve sleep with small meditations, breathing exercises and taking time out for yourself.

Make one change at a time and only when you are comfortable about including it in your life daily should you move on to the next.

Emily Mendez

Emily-Mendez

One of the best lifestyle changes that a person can make when it comes to weight loss is to develop a mental mindset that supports weight loss.

Weight loss is about much more than just diet and exercise. Although those things are critical, they don’t happen unless a person has a mental mindset that supports eating healthy and exercising.

The wrong mindset will surely lead to failure when it comes to losing weight.

One of the best mindset shifts for weight loss has to do with viewing it as a change in lifestyle rather than a “diet.”

A diet is short-term, something you do to lose weight. After you have reached your goal weight, you go back to your old habits of eating and movement.

So, if you tell yourself that you are going on a diet, the changes that you make will likely not last because you are not expecting them to.

Dr. Sylvia Gonsahn-Bollie – Embrace You Weight and Wellness

Sylvia-Gonsahn-Bollie

1. Stop obsessing over the scale and shift your mindset to focusing on non scale victories that create helpful lifestyle changes. The numbers on the scale will follow your lifestyle.

2. Quick fix diets quickly die off. Choose helpful eating patterns you can stick that include a variety of satisfying, enjoyable foods that promote weight loss & weight maintenance

3. If you’re struggling with consistently exercising. Stop forcing yourself to do exercises you hate. Start prioritizing movement you enjoy daily till you consistently move 150mins/ week.

4. Drink water 95% of the time, limit all other non water drinks (alcoholic or non alcoholic) to rare treats (<5%).

5. Fast for at least 10 hours a day to reset your metabolism and yes your fast can occur while you’re sleeping.

6. Go to sleep! Your body’s hormonal weight regulation system resets at night. Sleeping seven to nine hours a night helps reset the hormones that control fat storage and your appetite.

Melissa Mitri – Wellness Verge

Melissa-Mitri-1

Here are six lifestyle changes for weight loss:

1. Getting enough protein

Protein can help you shed pounds and keeps you satisfied between meals.

2. Drinking more water

Staying hydrated helps keep you full and can help you eat less. Studies have also shown drinking a glass of water before a meal may help you to eat less.

3. Eating more plants

Plant foods like fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories and packed with fiber to keep you full. One study showed those who increased their fruit and vegetable intake by just one serving a day lost more weight.

4. Prioritizing sleep

A lack of sleep puts our hunger hormones out of balance. This can lead to more intense cravings and overeating. To keep hunger hormones in check, aim for at least 7-8 hours of shut-eye per night.

5. Being more mindful

Becoming a more mindful eater can help you lose weight.

When you’re more focused on the eating experience, you’re able to realize when you’re getting full and are less likely to overeat.

A good way to start practicing mindful eating is by using the hunger scale.

6. Staying active

Getting in regular physical activity can help you lose weight and keep it off. Not only does it help you burn calories, but it can improve your mood, your food choices, and your quality of life.

Do whatever it is that you like that you will want to keep doing – whether that is Crossfit, a dance class, or walking.

Paul Warloski – Simple Endurance Coaching

Paul-Warloski

The internet makes this question way too complicated. Putting a plan together takes a bit of work and commitment. Start with a trainer, learn what to do, then set out on your own.

  1. Generally, eat better quality food and focus on protein, vegetables, and fruit.
  2. Go to the gym and lift heavy stuff. Work with a trainer to learn how to lift, then get out on your own.
  3. Do high-intensity intervals twice a week.
  4. Walk or ride a bike as much as you can.

Shahada Karim – Habibi Body Sport

Shahada-Karim

I believe that if you love the food, you will eat the food; there is no point in forcing you to eat something you dislike under the guise of being healthy.

This individual approach does not restrict portions, prescribe supplements or support diet culture in general.

Restrictive practices can absolutely set people up for failure; we believe in simply empowering people to listen to their bodies and eat the specific foods that help them look and feel their very best.

I’m always excited about new recipes! I want everyone to eat food that is filling, delicious, and free from harmful ingredients.

Khayla Golucke – Kaira Studios Pilates

Khayla-Golucke

Mixing up your movement is a key lifestyle change for weight loss.

Most modern adults have a very sedentary lifestyle, with 9-5 work situations or long commutes, but the body needs to move often and in all directions – think side bending, forward bending, arching back, and twisting – to be at its healthiest.

To lose weight, we need to break up the lack of movement in our days and mix up the types of movement we’re doing to be sure we’re moving in all directions.

If you sit all day, maybe cycling isn’t the best form of cardio for you to do that evening, because you’re still in a seated position!

Try a dance class or cardio Pilates instead. Your body will respond to the variety, and you’ll see weight loss results faster.

Kawan Karadaghi – Anytime Fitness

Kawan-Karadaghi

Almost everyone knows that to lose weight, we need to eat less and exercise more.
The best lifestyle changes for weight loss are:

We need to eat fewer calories than we burn.

Regular exercise: our body needs physical activity daily in order to remain in a deficit.

Simply put, monitor your calorie intake and calorie expenditure with a fitness tracker. Make sure you’re in a deficit daily (300-500 calories daily deficit) in order to lose weight. (3500 calories is a pound, 500 calories a day x 7 days a week=3500 calorie expenditure)

Incorporating strength training three days a week or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) twice a week burns more calories over time than steady state cardiovascular training due to Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) a process which burns more calories at rest due to the demand placed on the body.

Naomi Harnett – Everything Me

Naomi-Harnett

The majority of weight loss comes from changes to your eating habits – physical activity is great and can help to create a calorie deficit which is required to lose weight, but you can’t out exercise a bad diet!

To lose weight safely you should be creating a deficit of roughly 2000kj per day, which should equal a weight loss of 1kg per fortnight.

To help prevent hunger pangs and cravings whilst on a restricted diet, it’s important not only to include sufficient amounts of healthy fats, proteins and high fibre foods – all of which will keep you feeling fuller for longer – into your diet, but to also make allowances for the occasional small treat.

Restricting calories shouldn’t mean depriving yourself of those favourite treat foods which are often energy dense with low nutritional value, but rather learning how to balance your diet to include both treats and nutritious foods.

It’s just as important to be able to eat foods for your enjoyment as it is to eat nutrient dense foods for your physical health.

It’s also important to ensure that if you are exercising to aid weight loss and improve health, your nutrition supports that physical activity.

Daniel Richter – Strength Log

Daniel-Richter

While exercise is great for your health, it is not effective for weight loss. This has been proven in a multitude of research studies published for decades.

What is effective for weight loss, however, is a diet focused on a sustained caloric deficit.

Once again we can lean on the research and see that a wide range of dietary approaches can be similarily effective for weight loss.

Therefore, weight loss becomes more about finding sustainable eating patterns that put you in a caloric deficit, and you have a lot of different options for doing so.

One factor that many successful weight loss diets have in common is to avoid highly processed, ultra palatable food, which is easy to over-eat.

Instead, focus on eating whole foods that are satiating and nutrient-dense.

Therefore, a great lifestyle change for weight loss would be to switch the majority of your food intake from highly processed food to whole foods.

A good rule of thumb is that 80% of what you eat daily or weekly consists of whole foods.

Dr. Jordan Duncan – Silverdale Sport & Spine

Jordan-Duncan

An excellent lifestyle change that can help you lose weight is to walk more steps per day. You can keep track of these steps on your smartphone or Fitbit.

Several studies included in the 2017 Journal of Health Research article, entitled Evidence behind 10,000 steps walking, showed that walking programs consisting of 10,000 steps per day for 6-9 months resulted in weight loss, body fat percentage, and waist circumference.

You can increase the calorie-burning power of those steps by walking uphill. We only burn about 100 calories per mile when walking on flat ground.

The reason for this is that our bodies were designed to make walking very energy efficient.

As we walk, we have the ability to store energy in our tendons and myofascial slings and then use that energy to aid in propelling us forward.

The benefit of this storage and release of energy is that it allows us to walk great distances with relatively minimal effort. Walking uphill increases the challenge and allows you to burn more calories.

Working against gravity makes the body less efficient at its storage and release of energy, creating a much better workout.

This could include walking hills, where on the trail or road, or walking on an inclined treadmill.

Katie Harrell

Katie-Harrell

One of my favorite changes for weight loss is walking. Walking is so underrated–small change, big impact. It’s low-impact, needs no equipment, and can literally be done anywhere.

The way I recommend incorporating walking for weight loss is to first monitor your current daily steps, and then bump up from there–2000 steps tends to be a good place to start.

For example, if you’re currently getting 3000 steps a day, aim for 5000. This could be as simple as adding a 20 minute walk in the morning, during lunch, or after dinner with the family.

When weather is not fun for walking, I even take my walk indoors–around the mall, a nearby store like Target, or at a local museum.

Megan Ayala – Patricia and Carolyn

Megan-Ayala

The first stage in a weight-loss journey is to develop the belief that you can achieve your objectives. To sustain your effective and focused weight loss, you must adjust to improved eating habits.

In addition to a well-balanced diet, you should think about adopting lifestyle modifications to aid in weight loss. Make a point of focusing on your nutrition and including physical activity in your daily routine.

It is essential to eat a well-balanced diet, but it is also critical to join a gym to make your weight reduction journey simpler. Exercise is a great way to increase your body’s strength, stamina, and flexibility.

If you have a sweet tooth, consume fresh fruits, establish a diet plan, and go to the gym for at least 30 minutes every day.

Another helpful tip is to go for walks early in the morning. Never skip breakfast, and never starve yourself to lose weight since it will just make matters worse.

Make sure you have a decent lunch, and don’t eat anything with sugar, fat, or carbs for dinner. In addition to all of this, you must eat your meal and sleep on time.

Kent Probst – Long Healthy Life Blog

Kent-Probst

Strength training — You will build muscle mass which will increase your metabolism and allow you to burn more calories at rest.

Fitness support group — Having a group of people to lean on when you’re struggling to lose weight and maintain it will greatly increase your odds of success.

Establish a routine — Plan your exercise on your calendar. You’re more likely to hold yourself accountable, and it will provide a structured plan you need when losing weight.

Fill your plate with mostly vegetables and fruit — A plate of food that is mostly fruits and vegetables will make you feel full and provide lots of fiber with fewer calories.

Eat food that is quick to prepare — Look for recipes that call for fewer ingredients, using whole, unprocessed foods. You’ll be more likely to stick to a healthy eating routine.

For example, soups can be very healthy and are usually easy to prepare.


Thank you so much to all the experts that have contributed to this expert roundup! Please share it on social media with your friends and followers.