Are you looking to lose some weight? Does the New Year’s resolution you promised to yourself in January seem awfully far away? Maybe you think that you don’t have the time right now to go on a full-on diet? Or perhaps, you just don’t want to give up your favorite ice cream flavor for the summer. Don’t worry! Losing weight is a process, but I’m confident that by taking some of these steps you’ll be on your way to seeing significant results!

1. Eat Breakfast 

I know that going without that pesky morning meal can seem like a no-brainer way to lose weight and eliminate calories. That is actually false. Eating breakfast in the morning helps us because it replenishes our bodies as they begin the day from the last time we ate, which could’ve been last night at 5 pm.

Breakfast helps to jumpstart your body’s metabolism, which means you can lose more weight by eating breakfast. Plus, it will help you to be more alert and present during work or school.

2. Become A Heavy Drinker

Drink plenty of water. Try to avoid your favorite sugary sodas,  adding creams to your coffee, or a beloved smoothie. Also, try to limit how much alcohol you are consuming on the weekends, as this can be an easy way to drink your calories. Try to replace what you normally drink, with water. And remember that diet pops and sodas aren’t the solutions, they are actually part of the reason you’re having trouble losing weight.

 3. Get Active 

Unfortunately, there is no magic pill, magic food, or magic diet that is going to cause you to lose all the weight you’ve ever wanted. You need to incorporate exercise with healthy eating. Try running around your neighborhood, signing up for classes at your local YMCA, or getting a group of friends together to exercise. It is scientifically proven that 30 minutes of exercise each day will help your overall mental health and well-being. So don’t delay, go and join that gym today!

 4. Stop Late-Night Snacking 

There is nothing better than getting that greasy pizza to share with friends at 10 pm on a Friday night, but it’s not helping your metabolism. According to scientific studies, your metabolism normally shuts down around 6 or 7 every night. That means that it will take your body longer to digest your calories after those times.  I know that if you are staying up until 11 pm every night, not eating after six can be challenging. However, here are some go-to tips to beat the hunger pains. First, brush your teeth right after dinner. Second, take a break from cleaning up your kitchen, so you don’t eat leftovers. Thirdly, try to have a good afternoon snack.

 5. Follow The Orange, Red, Green Rule

At every meal, you consume, try to have something on your plate that is red, orange, and green. This will help you to eat more veggies and other foods that are great in nutrients and not high in calories.

 6. Moderation 

Many places will say that you can’t enjoy the food you love once you start dieting. That is not true. You just need to enjoy that food in moderation. That might mean that you only buy one baked good at the grocery store every two weeks. It could be only eating one cookie instead of seven. Maybe you start setting a strict portion on how much pasta you’ll allow yourself to consume at a meal. So keep the food you love, just try to lower the amount.

 7. Take Your Time 

It takes awhile for our brain to tell our body that we are full. Because of that, when people eat very quickly, they often overeat. This is why you get that sick feeling after you eat at a buffet. So take a little bit longer to chew and consume your food.

 8. Eat Right Away After A Workout

It takes your body 30 minutes after a workout to stop burning calories at the same rate at which you were working out. That means you’ll have some extra calories you can consume!

 9. Get Support 

Include your friends and family on your decision to start losing weight. Share your goals and trials with them. This will give you community to go to when you want to quit or just need to vent.

  10. Sleep 

If you start going to bed earlier, I guarantee that you’ll start to see positive weight results. This can also help you with those late-night snack cravings! Sleep deprivation almost immediately leads to weight gain, so get those z’s in each night.

We hope that with these tips you start to see lower numbers on the scale! Have some great dieting tips we missed? Feel free to comment below!

Check out healthy ways to eat when you’re busy here.