In life sometimes it’s the little things that matter the most—and it’s no different with weight loss.
You can take positive steps toward living a more slimming lifestyle with small tweaks.
Start with these 6 tiny changes that will help you lose weight and keep it off for good.
1. Eat vegetables at every meal
We know vegetables aren’t on the menu all the time, especially at breakfast.
However, veggies can be your weight loss saviors.
They’re low in calories and high in fiber, making them natural choices for whittling down that waistline.
2. Learn portion sizing
If you’ve been struggling to lose weight and keep it off, it might be time to check out your portion sizes.
It’s super easy to overeat, especially when you live a busy lifestyle filled with family, friends, and work.
Measuring out portion sizes is one of those tiny weight loss tips that can keep you on the right track if you really stick to it.
It takes next-to-no time to grab a measuring cup when it’s time to serve a meal—but it will make a big difference in your calorie count in the long run
3. Pack your lunch
Save your waist, hips, thighs, upper arms, and more from thousands of calories every year by packing lunch.
Commit right now to cutting lunchtime takeout in half; if you normally nosh out four times a week, cut it down to two.
Eating healthy homemade lunches will reduce fat, calories, sodium, refined sugar, and more.
4. Plan on eating 2 snacks a day
That same busy lifestyle that sabotages portion sizes can do a number on how often you eat too.
If you go long stretches without food, blood sugar levels drop, which makes you more vulnerable to overeating at meals or reaching for not-so-good-for-you snacks.
5. Don’t drink your fruits
This is one of the most overlooked weight loss tips.
Downing that big glass of orange juice may not be doing your body any favors.
Processed fruit juices are notoriously high in calories and most certainly have added sugar.
What’s more, it’s common to over-pour serving sizes, so you may be drinking way more calories than you think.
Trade in that big glass of processed OJ for a whole orange, and swap out that apple juice for a whole apple.
6. Get enough sleep
Numerous studies have shown that getting less than 5–6 hours of sleep per night is associated with increased incidence of obesity. There are several reasons behind this.
Research suggests that insufficient and poor-quality sleep slows down the process in which the body converts calories to energy, called metabolism. When metabolism is less effective, the body may store unused energy as fat. In addition, poor sleep can increase the production of insulin and cortisol, which also prompt fat storage.
How long and how deep someone sleeps also affects the regulation of the appetite-controlling hormones leptin and ghrelin. Leptin sends signals of fullness to the brain while ghrelin tells your brain you’re hungry.
Without a properly functioning leptin and ghrelin, you’re constantly hungry and nothing you eat will ever make you full.
So, sleep more and sleep well.