Best Weight Loss Tips
As you may already know, there’s no single quick-fix solution to dropping excess weight. We recommend incorporating all these tips into your weight loss strategy for best results:
1. Make Sustainable Changes
For some of you, losing a couple of pounds may not be too hard—but it inevitably comes creeping back. Or, you might never see much in the way of changes, despite trying your hardest.
Bad habits, particularly where it concerns food and exercise, aren’t easy to break [1]. Deciding to drop your candy habit or do an hour of cardio a day after a lifetime of inactivity is great, but you shouldn’t rush.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t challenge yourself, but start off small and set goals to work toward—for example, treating yourself to fast food twice a week instead of daily.
2. Drink More Water

One study showed increasing your water intake can help you eat less and may reduce body fat, too [2]. Drinking water fills you up, which means drinking before a meal can limit your chances of overeating. It can also ramp up your metabolism: one study revealed that 500ml of water increased metabolic rate by 30 percent.
Swapping out high-calorie beverages like sodas with water can also work to shrink your waistline. You can add lemon, mint, or low-calorie sweeteners if you must to make H20 more appealing.
3. Change How or When You Eat
You have options when it comes to overhauling your diet for the better. Before we discuss what foods to eat, let’s talk about how to avoid a major weight loss hurdle: overeating.
Whether your daily calories come from healthy foods like salmon or junk foods like ice cream, you need to consciously control how much you eat. There are two options to limit your calories per day to a healthy range:
Intermittent Fasting (IF)
Intermittent fasting (IF) involves eating food for a set number of hours every day and fasting for the rest of the time: at least 16 hours. Besides weight loss, fasting has proven benefits for the body, such as lowering blood sugar, reducing heart disease risk, and more [3].
Some IF advocates believe you can eat food during fasting hours as long as you keep your calorie intake under a certain level. Others only drink water while fasting to avoid spiking insulin at all. Make sure if you try IF, you clear it with your doctor if you have a condition that requires you to take medication, like high blood pressure.
Portion Control
Portion control is an established diet technique that may help you consume fewer calories. This method focuses more on food preparation; limiting your portions of certain items [4].
You can try eating using smaller plates to downsize your portions. Alternatively, use plates that are pre-sectioned to make it easier for you: they tell you how much of each food you should have for a satisfying meal.
4. Work On a Healthy Attitude Toward Food
Emotional eating and other disorders like binge-eating are associated with a greater risk of long-term complications, including weight gain [5].
If you deal with feelings of guilt, fear, or other negative emotions toward food, aim to change that—seek support from friends, relatives, communities, or a professional.
Practice good eating habits such as savoring your meals rather than rushing them. Avoid mindless snacking while at your laptop or in front of the television.
5. Eliminate Processed Foods
If the bulk of your diet involves eating this type of food, you should be aware of the higher risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity [6]. Not only are they high in calories, they usually have low levels of nutrients compared to raw ingredients.
Reduce Sugar Intake
You shouldn’t be consuming more than 100 to 150 calories worth of sugar daily: about five to six teaspoons [7].
You may be surprised at hidden sugar in seemingly “safe” items such as fruit juice, which means you need to read labels carefully. If your favorite treats are sweet, try to reward yourself once per week rather than multiple times a day.
Limit Refined Carbs
The average diet is usually concerningly high in refined carbs which can lead to weight gain. Much like sugar, eating these empty calories offers little benefit to your body [8]. You’re also probably consuming far more calories than you need.
Instead, opt for good carbs from veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Unless you’re eating paleo or keto, whole grains aren’t off-limits. A whole grain diet may also keep your risk of diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and cancers low.
6. Choose Healthy Fats

Standard diet advice is to stick to eating low fat options whenever possible. Not all fat is equal: trans fats increase bad cholesterol, but monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats don’t [9].
One trial demonstrated that eating walnuts and fatty fish—both good sources of unsaturated fats—may help lower your chances of heart disease [10].
Unless you’re following a keto lifestyle, you don’t need to aim to eat high fat foods in large quantities. Try to eat small quantities of good fats: avocados, olive oil, and whole eggs are all great choices. Bear in mind these foods are high in calories, so keep track of how much you eat.
7. Fill Up on Fiber

Adding fiber to your diet can leave you feeling fuller for longer, which means you’re not as likely to fill up on snacks between meals or overeat. People who eat fiber on a regular basis tend benefit from increased weight loss. It’s also less likely you’ll abandon your new healthy eating habits if you aren’t suffering from hunger pangs.