It’s one thing to train really hard and stick to a diet, but it’s a whole different battle to keep the weight off long term. It’s absolutely normal to gain and lose a pound here and there – you actually weigh more in the afternoon than you do in the morning because you’ve consumed food throughout the day. But if you’re seeing gains and losses in big numbers then you’re experiencing yo-yo weight loss, which isn’t healthy for your physical body or your mental health. We’ve pulled together 9 strategies to burn fat and keep it off to help you stay motivated as you work towards being the best version of yourself!
1. Load up on Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that can actually help you lose weight. Research suggests that vitamin D boosts your leptin levels, this is a hormone that will let your brain know when you are full. If you stop eating when you are full then you won’t overeat, ingest too many calories and ultimately you won’t gain weight. It can be difficult to get enough vitamin D from food, so you can take a supplement, but consult your healthcare provider to ensure you’re taking a proper dosage.
2. Keep Track of Calories
If you are trying to lose weight, then you understand that you need to burn more calories than you consume on a regular basis. If you do this properly then your body will burn fat and you’ll be able to keep it off. You consume calories by eating food and drinking liquids and you burn calories through exercise, your metabolism and when your body processes food. The best way to strike the perfect balance between calories in and calories out is to find a diet, or a way of eating that works with your lifestyle and that you can sustain for a long period of time.
3. Move Every Day
Keeping your body moving doesn’t necessarily mean you have to complete a marathon every weekend or torture yourself with high intensity workouts every day. It’s important to stick to a consistent exercise routine that feels good and works for you, but it’s also important to just keep your body moving. In fact, the physical act of laying down or sitting all day can actually speed up the production of fat in your body. Make a conscious effort to move your body every hour.
4. Curb Your Anxiety & Emotions
Many times, we’ll find that we eat out of boredom, or because we’re feeling anxious, stressed or emotional. This type of emotional eating can wreck your progress and you’ll quickly gain weight. If you fall victim to emotional eating try to find alternative ways to stay calm – yoga, meditation or taking a hot bath are all good options. If you find that you eat when you are bored or low on energy then try taking a short nap, going for a brisk walk or get outside so you can avoid walking to your refrigerator or pantry for snacks.
5. Take Charge of Your Food Schedule
The best way to lose weight and keep it off is by setting yourself up for success when it comes to when you eat, how much you consume and what foods you buy. Try to cook most of your meals at home, serve yourself smaller portions, plan your snacks ahead of time and limit the number of tempting snacks you keep at home. We also recommend eating dinner earlier around 6:00 p.m., that way you can “fast” until breakfast the next morning – this gives your digestion system a break so that it can aid in weight loss.
6. Keep a Food Diary
There’s no better way to keep yourself accountable than by writing down everything you consume throughout the day. A food diary can also help you recognize patterns in your diet that can lead to gaining weight, or even if you hit a plateau.
7. Limit Snacking
Whether you mindlessly reach for a snack, eat out of boredom or munch throughout the day this type of eating will ruin any progress you’ve made. The best way to combat snacking is to plan your snacks ahead of time and even pre-portion them.
8. Drink Water
Staying hydrated is vital to your overall health and well-being but drinking water can also help curb your appetite and cravings as they pop up throughout the day. Researchers even say that what we think is hunger may really be our bodies telling us that we’re thirsty!
9. Drink Green Tea
Regularly drinking green tea can help you lose weight and keep it off because this magical drink can increase the amount of fat your body eliminates and boosts your metabolism. Next time you think about enjoying a cup of coffee, reach for green instead!
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