9 Tips to
Help You Lose Weight in 2022
1) Keep
track of your calories
Once you're ready to get started, keep track of your calories for at least a week or two. Write down everything you eat and drink. If possible, use MyFitnessPal (this is what I use), as it has a huge database of food items and automatically calculates your calorie intake based on your weight, height, age, and sex. But any old notebook will do—the key is logging what you consume daily so that when it comes time to make changes, you know where they should be made. Note: This is an important step even if you've been eating clean for years—I still recommend keeping close tabs on your caloric intake at least every few months! The more data you have, the better. So don't skip out on writing things down because you think it's good enough. It's not good enough until it's perfect. Trust me. Don't let laziness derail your progress; instead, let motivation propel it forward.
2) Drink
Water
With diet being one of the biggest tips to lose weight, it might be a good idea to cut your intake of sugar and sugary drinks. Replace them with water and unsweetened, non-caffeinated beverages—and watch how your energy levels skyrocket. A study conducted by researchers at Virginia Tech found that drinking 17 ounces of water increased participants’ metabolic rates by 30 percent after eating a meal. This is because your body works harder to digest liquid than solid foods, so more calories are burned and fat is burned faster when you drink more water. Drinking around six to eight glasses of water per day will keep you hydrated while also boosting your metabolism for about 60 minutes after each glass. So next time you reach for a soda or sweet tea, try reaching for a glass of water instead. Not only will you save hundreds of empty calories, but you’ll have more energy throughout the day too!
3) Move
Daily
Experts agree that moving for 30 minutes a day can help you lose weight over time. The best way to lose weight is with regular physical activity, says Richard Iannone, MD, former director of preventive cardiology at New York–Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. An easy way to get more exercise: Take a one-minute break from whatever you’re doing every hour and walk around your office or home. In a Duke University study, researchers found that people who broke up their sitting time by standing up—for just one minute out of every 60—lost an average of two pounds per year. It doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up to about 12 pounds each decade! And research shows that shedding just 10 percent of your body weight can drastically reduce heart disease risk. So if you weigh 200 pounds, shedding 20 pounds will put you on track to reap those benefits.
4) Decrease
Sugar Intake
Sugar makes our hunger cravings fluctuate quickly, meaning we end up consuming even more calories over the course of a day. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s a good idea to monitor your intake of sugar and refined carbs. To drop these extra pounds safely but quickly, switch to a sugar-free diet. This means avoiding all foods that contain added sugars—such as soda, candy, cookies, cakes, and ice cream—as well as cutting back on natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. Don’t worry: Your body will thank you for it!
5) Sleep
Well
Good sleep habits are key when you’re trying to lose weight. If you don’t get enough shut-eye, your body produces more of a hormone called ghrelin that makes it harder for you to lose weight. Your stomach also produces less of a hormone called leptin that helps suppress your appetite. This means you’ll be hungry more often, leading you to eat too much! In fact, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that adults who slept fewer than five hours a night consumed an average of 549 additional calories per day—that adds up to about 15 pounds each year! That doesn’t mean you should cut back on sleep—just make sure you get enough ZZZs every night. And try not to nap during the day; napping can cause your blood sugar levels to spike and leave you feeling groggy and fatigued.
6) Hydrate
yourself throughout the day.
It’s a good idea to sip plenty of water throughout your day. Why? Well, drinking enough water can help keep you hydrated, as well as flush harmful toxins out of your body. Besides being good for your skin and health, adequate hydration is also associated with weight loss. If you’re serious about losing weight, you should drink at least eight glasses of water each day (and more if it’s really hot). Making it a habit is key here. Not only will you feel better, but your energy levels will stay consistent throughout the day—which means you won’t be tempted to reach for a sugary snack when there isn’t one available. And that leads us to our next tip...
7) Eat
Clean and Healthy Foods
Eating clean can help you lose weight, feel better and improve your health. It’s not a short-term solution; it’s a lifestyle change, so give yourself time to get used to it. Switching out what you eat for nutritious alternatives is an excellent way to start. Eat real food—fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins—as often as possible. Eating too much processed food and saturated fats can make losing weight more difficult in 2022 than it needs to be. Don’t forget about exercise: Aim for at least 30 minutes of activity every day. Don’t overdo it at first, but try to work up to that goal gradually. If you don’t have time to work out during the day, squeeze in a 10-minute walk before dinner or after breakfast.
8) Exercise
for at least 30 minutes daily.
Any exercise is better than none, but if you really want to drop pounds and inches, you need to work out for at least 30 minutes daily. You don’t have to do it all at once—in fact, a 10-minute workout before breakfast and 10 minutes after dinner are ideal. In between, carve out three other times during your day that you’ll also work out by taking a stroll around your office building or parking lot. If you can’t fit a full 30 minutes into your schedule, consider splitting up your workouts into two 15-minute chunks. Research shows that people who do more than one short bout of exercise per day lose more weight overall compared with those who only go long once per day. This could be because short bouts of activity (like going on walks) are easier to squeeze into busy schedules, so they help keep us from getting too sedentary while still helping us maintain healthy habits.
9) Don’t
rely on quick fix solutions. Don’t ever quit. Never stop trying.
Even with these nine tips, long-term weight loss takes time. If you’re serious about losing weight and keeping it off for good, it may take several years before you see lasting results. That’s okay—there are many health benefits of losing just 10% of your body weight (25 pounds for a 200-pound person). But even if you manage to drop 30 pounds by 2022, don’t get frustrated or discouraged; consider that a good start! The most important thing is that you keep going. Don’t rely on quick fix solutions like pills, fad diets, or crazy exercise routines. Don’t ever quit. Never stop trying. Be kind to yourself. Remember that progress comes in small steps—but there are big rewards along the way. Stay focused on what really matters: your overall health and well-being. Remember: Small changes can lead to big results over time! For more information, visit www.fitnessrxwomen/tips-to-lose-weight.
