Weight loss shouldn’t be something frustrating or scaring. But when you’re desperately trying to squeeze in workouts and avoid your favorite high-calorie treats, it can seem like there’s nothing pain-free about it.
Yet while eating healthier and slipping in exercise does take some work, it really doesn’t have to require heroic effort. Making just a few simple lifestyle changes can pack a big weight loss punch over time.
So, keep reading to learn how to lose weight in a healthy, unmiserable way.
5 Top tips to have a pleasant weight loss journey
Here are the best 7 tips on how to lose weight without sweating it too much.
1. Add more healthy food
Forget diet denial: Try adding foods to your diet instead of subtracting them. Add in healthy goodies you really love, like deep-red cherries, juicy grapes, or crunchy snow peas. Slip those favorite fruits into your bag lunch and breakfast cereal; add the veggies into soups, stews, and sauces.
Adding in really works, while taking away never does. However, do remember to keep an eye on overall calories. And don’t forget to add in something physical, too. You don’t have to become a gym rat: doing a few dance moves before dinner, shooting hoops, or taking a quick stroll are good enough.
2. Tweak your lifestyle
It may sound familiar to you: You pledge to honor a daily elliptical routine and count every last calorie. But soon, you’re eating cupcakes at the office and grabbing happy hour mojitos, thinking, Oops, diet over.
There is a better way to do it. Swap the all-or-nothing approach for one or two healthy switch-ups in your daily routine. This can lead to more weight loss than you ever imagined.
3. Drink more water
A sports or energy drink, fruit smoothie, or light beer — each serving contains about 100 calories. Yet these beverages don’t satisfy you the way 100 calories of food does, so they’re a waste. Other liquids may be high in sodium and carbohydrates, which trick your body into retaining water, puffing you out.
Water, on the other hand, has zero calories and carbs and little to no sodium, making it the perfect slim-down drink. And strangely, it actually helps flush out excess water weight as well as jump-starts your metabolism. If it’s just too boring, add lemon wedges or mint leaves.
4. Go Walking
Walking when the weather’s nice is a super-easy way to keep fit. Go out for a few minutes, even when you’re short on time. A five minute walk, is a five minute walk and adds some activity to your life.
In fact, it doesn’t matter exactly what you do, so long as you’re up and active. Aim for at least 15 minutes a day.
5. Spice it up
Eating hot peppers can boost a person’s basal metabolism (the total calories the body burns at rest). The reason? Capsaicin, a compound found in jalapeno and cayenne peppers, may increase your body’s release of stress hormones such as adrenaline, which can speed up your metabolism and your ability to burn calories.
What’s more, eating hot peppers may reduce your appetite, Tremblay says, helping to curb your cravings. So spice up your stir-fried veggies, eat low-calorie chili or salsa (try them on salads and baked potatoes), and watch the pounds come off faster.
Instead of going on a diet, make it your goal to become a healthier, happier and fitter person. Focus on nourishing your body, instead of depriving it.
Weight loss should follow as a natural side effect.
