Making Changes: Simple Lifestyle Swaps That Help You Lose Pounds

Fad diets and shortcuts don’t work when it comes to losing weight long term. You need to make changes to your lifestyle, eat better and exercise more for the rest of your life. However, there are some foods that can help you achieve your goals a little quicker when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

JT making Sugar free cookies

Eat Whole Grain Foods
A study by Pennsylvania State University suggested that people who are on a weight loss plan lose more fat if they eat whole grain foods. So it’s a good opportunity to ditch all those refined foods in your store cupboard, like white rice and white bread. Get your whole grain fix by eating more portions of whole wheat, brown or wild rice, whole rye, barley and corn, buckwheat, quinoa and sorghum, amongst other foods. You can eat them as part of a meal or add them to snacks. Popcorn without butter, sugar or salt is a perfect example.

Exercise Daily
Make sure you are exercising daily to maximize your weight loss. You don’t have to go nuts – and, in fact, this could be dangerous for you – but make sure you are raising your pulse for a good half an hour every day. Save your heavier workouts for three, maybe four times a week, and go out for a brisk walk between workout days. Not sure what exercises are best? There are some great workouts for beginners over at GymJunkies.com.

Use Low-Fat Dairy Or Soy Milk
Don’t cut out dairy from your diet completely as it is a good source of calcium. It has also been shown that you are more likely to lose weight when consuming dairy products than taking supplements, for example. Choose low-fat versions or soy milk, and you can watch those calories, get your calcium, and help your muscles keep in shape

Eat More Fruit & Veg
Fruit and vegetables are filled with water, fiber and lots of other nutrients that are vital for a healthy body. But the reason they work for weight loss is because they have fewer calories. They can help you feel fuller quicker, and if you can combine eating more with consuming less fat, you will quickly see results.

Go Veggie
Vegetarians typically weigh less than meat eaters, and you could lose up to a pound a week – even without exercise – by switching to a low-fat vegan diet. Worried about snacks? Don’t. There are plenty of tasty vegan treats you can indulge in. However, taking this huge step is difficult to do if you love eating meat, so why not go veggie or vegan 4 or 5 days a week and treat yourself with some choice, lean cuts at the weekend?

Drink Tea
If you drink 2 cups of black or green tea every day, it could help stimulate the calorie-burning efforts of your body. Keep a few hours between drinks for the best effect and, of course, leave out the milk, cream or sugar.