5 Simple Tips to Lose Weight (And Keep It Off Forever)

By: Sammy Wijeratne

You probably heard this advice regarding losing weight: “All you have to do to lose weight is to eat healthily and exercise regularly.” It sounds so simple, but a little search on Google on how to lose weight will leave you with tons of information on how to do that.

You thought it’s supposed to be simple - eat right and exercise regularly - yet, here you are, you’re presented with numerous and often conflicting advice!

You will be given different diet plans, workout regimens, and lifestyle plans. And before you know it, you’re already overloaded, confused, and frustrated with all the available information. What diet plan should you follow? What workout routine should you do?

You still decided to choose a workout and meal plan you think is best. Despite not liking what you’re doing and eating, you still stick it in, hoping your efforts will pay off.

But after a couple of weeks, you barely even shredded that excess weight! Frustrated and defeated, you eventually returned to your old lifestyle of eating unhealthy foods and sedentary living.

It does not have to be this way, though. As mentioned earlier, losing weight is simple - eat right and exercise regularly.

If you keep doing that, you’ll eventually lose weight. Of course, simple does not mean easy, but it is not as complicated as we usually think. And luckily, we don’t even have to put ourselves through a diet and workout plan that we dislike! All we need to do is stick to basic lifestyle changes. With time, we will eventually lose weight!

So, what should we do? What changes should we make?

In this article, I have identified five fundamental changes you can make to lose weight. They may sound simple - as they should be - but once you stick to them, you’ll lose weight in no time!

If you need a helping hand, a weight loss coach in NJ is ready to help you.

We will help you set realistic goals, develop an action plan and help keep you on track until you achieve your weight loss goals!

1) Drink more water

If you’re not drinking enough water, it’s time to increase your water intake. Here’s why

An adult body comprises around 60% for men and 55% for women.

Our brain is also mostly made up of water - approximately 80% of it is water. To maintain proper water levels, one should drink at least half of their body weight in ounces.

For instance, if you weigh 150lbs, you should at least drink 75oz of water every day to maintain proper water levels.

But what does this all have to do with losing weight?

Drinking Water to Lose Weight

Water is crucial for every single function in our body. When you don’t drink enough water, your mind-body balance gets disrupted, your metabolism will start to suffer, and your energy levels will go down.

This will eventually affect your exercise performance and, in turn, your fat-burning capacity. Hence, it will negatively affect your weight loss efforts.

Also, you lose water and electrolytes as you sweat whenever you work out. If you don’t correctly hydrate yourself and keep your body dehydrated, thermal regulation gets impaired, making you feel more tired and exhausted as you exercise.

You will also experience brain fog, which affects your concentration levels. Finally, we associate thirst with hunger, which can lead to overeating.

So, drink more water and keep yourself hydrated!

2) Cut out added sugar

Added sugars are any sugar that is not naturally present in food and/or has been extracted from one food (e.g., fruit juice) to be added to another.

Added sugars can be found in virtually all processed foods. Just look at the products in your kitchen and read the food label. You’ll find “Added sugar” in one of its ingredients.

If you only consider the foods you’re consuming, you’ll be surprised at how many of them have added sugars in them.

Soda, fruit juices, desserts, jam and jelly, sauces, and syrups - are just some foods with added sugars, and I’m sure we typically have them in our kitchen. And don’t buy for the “healthy” label right away: even “health foods” such as yogurt (sweetened and fruit-containing) and sweetened peanut butter could have added sugars as well.

Needless to say, when you consume a diet full of sugars, your blood sugar levels rise.

This triggers the release of insulin which is responsible for removing the sugar from the blood and transporting them into cells to be converted into energy needed for our physical and physiological activities.

However, when the energy requirement is met, the excess sugars will be restored and stored as glycogen in muscles or fat in various other tissues (e.g., subcutaneous fat) and around organs (e.g., visceral fat).

If one is overweight or obese, their visceral fat levels are already very high. In this condition, eating a diet high in simple sugars and processed carbohydrates poses a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome refers to risk factors such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is a condition in which your body’s cells don’t respond to normal insulin levels.

When that happens, cells don’t intake glucose from the blood for energy production, which causes the blood sugar levels to rise gradually and stay high. If left untreated, this can lead to type 2 diabetes.

The scary factor about insulin resistance is that there are no measurable indicators in the blood until one day your blood report indicates you are borderline diabetic.

So, cut added sugars to your diet, and start working out (or at least start moving more) to ensure your body does not get too high in sugar.

3) Eat foods that “grow” and can be “harvested.”

In other words, eat foods that are in their natural and wholesome form.

What are these foods?

Fresh vegetables, whole grains, meat, eggs, and fish. These foods are healthy because they contain complex carbohydrates, protein, fiber, good fats and nutrients.

Above all, they are natural. Stick to these foods, and not only will it help you lose weight, but it’ll also improve your overall health.

Not all foods get digested the same way.

Studies have shown that the same number of calories eaten in the form of ‘whole foods’ and ‘processed foods’ are digested differently: whole foods are burned up to 50% more calories and are stored less than processed foods.

Also, eating natural foods plays a good role in our digestion.

That being said, here are some of the roles of each component found in whole and natural food

Fiber

Fiber acts as a “bulking agent” and will occupy more space in your stomach. This helps you stay full for a more extended period.

In turn, this can alleviate and curb potential overeating. Fiber also supports gut bacteria that helps with your metabolism, helps fat loss by deactivating hunger hormones, helps in removing waste products from the body, and releases excess estrogen.

PROTEIN

Protein plays a significant role in muscle building. The more muscles you have, the more calories you burn since your body demands more energy from the muscles you’ve built.

Aside from building muscles, like fiber, protein also improves your satiety, helping you to stay fuller for a more extended period.

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are essential for proper nutrient uptake (such as fat-soluble vitamins) and their transportation in the body. Healthy fats also improve satiety and prevent overeating.

And yes, consuming (healthy) fats help in fat loss because they fire up your metabolism and aid in reducing spikes in blood sugar levels.

Now, you may think: how about sugar in fruits?

Fruits and Vegetables

Sugars in fruit (when you finish the whole fruit) do not count as added sugars to your diet because sugars in fruit exist together naturally with everything else (e.g., fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals) that makes a fruit, well, a fruit.

Fruits and vegetables add fiber to your diet, which is an essential tool when you want to lose weight.

The fruits’ structure (fiber network) and these other compounds will delay the release of fruit sugars into the bloodstream, thereby controlling the insulin response. Finally, consuming whole and fresh food will help reduce added sugars.

4) Reduce or completely eliminate your alcohol consumption

If you are someone who doesn’t drink alcohol at all, you are already one step ahead of others. But if you do drink alcohol casually, then it’s time to make a change for that.

Alcohol (ethanol) has no nutrient value. It is only empty calories. Therefore, alcohol calories must be used by the body right away.

This will force your liver to work overtime to metabolize the alcohol. It hinders the body’s fat-burning process as it needs to burn down the alcohol calories first.

In addition, drinking alcohol also inhibits the absorption and usage of nutrients such as vitamins B1, B12, folic acid, and zinc.

Weight gained due to alcohol consumption is not only because of alcohol calories alone but also because of the extra food and snacks you consume during that time.

Alcohol tends to improve one’s appetite, inadvertently making you consume more food than usual.

It is simply best to remove alcohol entirely from your life. But if there are instances where alcohol will be involved (i.e., for social gatherings), here are some tips.

When you do drink...

When casually drinking, avoid sugary, high-calorie cocktails, opt for low-calorie simple drinks, and make sure you drink plenty of water along with your glass.

Also, instead of gulping down one shot after another, take sips and extend one drink over an hour. That would also keep your blood alcohol levels in check.

5) Move your body in any way you like

One of the reasons why people don’t want to exercise is simply because they do not like the workout program presented to them.

Maybe, they are handed a program that involves lifting weights, but they aren’t into lifting weights and are more into jogging.

Similarly, a jogging program won’t probably appeal to some, but would instead lift weight or do a sport. To this, do whatever you want as long as you keep moving!

You can do any exercise and activity that you love to do. It’s all about moving your body to keep it active and healthy.

You could choose any aerobic exercise you love, such as running, jogging or even walking.

Or you could do sports like basketball, badminton, and tennis. If you are into building your body, then apply yourself in a gym and lift weights.

If running does it, then run! If dancing does it, dance yourself to the beat of your tune! Whatever moves your body, then do it.

But even if you dislike specific exercises, at least it would be wise to incorporate them into your routine.

For instance, maybe you’re into aerobic exercise and less into lifting weights, but still consider lifting some weights to grow your muscular strength.

On the other hand, if you’re more into lifting weights, do not still forget your cardio to improve your cardiovascular health.

But at the end of the day, remember that diet plays a significant role in losing weight - around 80% of it.

This means you should not slack on your diet and try to make it up with your workouts. You will only shortchange your activities if you eat poorly and too much.

Should You Hire a Weight Loss Coach?

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we can still lag in our weight loss journey.

Maybe it’s because we don’t know what changes we need to make. Or perhaps, we need a helping hand or partner who will guide us through our weight loss journey.

If you have difficulty losing weight, a weight loss coach can help you!

If you live in New Jersey, our weight loss coach NJ is ready to help you bring your weight loss journey to the next level!

They are properly trained and have helped others lose weight. If they had helped others, they certainly could help you, too!

Can a Coach Help You Lose Weight?

Yes, a coach can certainly help you lose weight!

Your trainer will focus on much more than exercising.

From day one, a trainer will invest their time and knowledge into your overall health goals.

Not only will a trainer focus on exercise but also on a proper diet to give you the energy and nutrients to lose weight.

Your coach will be there with you every step to ensure that you are on track.

According to research, the average profile member loses around 12% of their weight just within a week with coaching from a weight loss coach or independent professional.

That being said and needless to say, you need to put in your efforts, too. If you don’t make the changes yourself, you are only short changing your weight loss efforts.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Weight Loss Coach?

On average, new weight loss coaches charge around $50-$75. If you are looking for more experienced weight loss coaches, they charge around $100-$200 on average.

Some coaches offer their services in packages, and the price ranges between $1,200-$2,400, but you can still find cheaper options for packages.

On average, most weight loss coaches offer two monthly sessions that last around 45-90 minutes.

How Can You Find a Weight Loss Coach?

The best way to find a weight loss coach is by searching online or find your local fitness center in new jersey.

If you want to be sure that the coach is legitimate, you can check if they have any certification from well-known organizations like National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC), International Consortium for Health & Wellness Coaching (ICHWC), or National Consortium for Credentialing Health & Wellness Co.

Final Thoughts

Losing weight should not be complicated.

It may not be easy, but it’s certainly simple - eat right and exercise regularly. The more you do it, the more you’ll lose weight and the better your health will be. The tips that I have listed in this article are just some of the ways you can do right now to get started on your weight loss journey.

If you still find it difficult to lose weight, don’t lose hope. Understand that the methods used will vary from one person to another - what works for another may not work for you and vice-versa.

If you are really having difficulty in losing weight, then a weight loss coach might help. A weight loss coach will identify the problem areas in your diet, help you set realistic goals and sustain a healthy relationship with food.

Your weight-loss coach will work with you on the quantity and quality of calories you should be eating depending on your level of physical activities.

They will help you choose foods and formulate meals that would fit your preferences and lifestyle. In no time, you will be eating healthy and enjoying it, too.

For those living in New Jersey and needing to drop weight for a healthier life, personal training makes sense.

Our weight loss coach NJ can help you achieve your goals by helping you develop an action plan and keep you on track as you work on your weight loss efforts.