Every January, thousands of people make promises to themselves to use the new year as a way to improve their life. These resolutions encompass everything from stopping smoking to working toward a new promotion. One of the most popular resolutions for many is to lose weight. With just a few simple lifestyle changes, you can successfully lose weight for the new year, whether you want to lose as few as 10 lbs. or as many as 50.
Track Your Calories
One of the best ways to keep you on track for losing weight is to track the foods you eat. By tracking the calories you eat, you can see where your calories are coming from and make the necessary adjustments to lower your intake. One tool for helping you do this is The Daily Plate website. The Daily Plate is designed to allow you to search thousands of foods and add them to your daily total as you go throughout your day. The online software then breaks down the foods you have eaten into its important parts such as fats, sodium and, most importantly, calories.
Cut the Extras
Another way to lose the pounds is to cut out extra calories you do not need. Simple things, such as opting for skim milk over whole milk or choosing a low calorie dressing over a cream-based high calorie variety, can quickly add up calories. When choosing low-fat foods, be sure to look at the nutrition label and compare calories between the full-fat and low-fat varieties. Not all products have a large difference in calories, even if the brand is advertised as a low-fat product.
Lose the Soda
Another way to lose pounds is to cut regular soda, as well as other high-sugar drinks, out of your diet. The average can (12 oz.) of soda contains between 120 and 190 calories. Cutting even one can of soda from your diet each day will save you an estimated 1,085 calories each week. Since it takes cutting 3,500 calories to lose a pound of fat, you could lose an estimated 16 lbs. in a single year.
Eat Slower
Eating more slowly can also help you reduce the amount of calories you take in, resulting in weight loss. As you eat, it takes time for your body to realize it has eaten all it needs. If you eat too fast, you may eat beyond the point of actual fullness, receiving all the extra calories that come with it. In fact, according to dietitian Milton Stokes, R.D., it can take up to 20 minutes for your body to send the signal necessary to realize its full.
Get Active
One of the best ways to lose weight is to get active. According to the Mayo Clinic, weight loss revolves around burning more calories than you take in. Exercise requires additional energy to keep the body operating. As your heart rate increases, so does your metabolism, resulting in the need for additional calories. Each additional calorie burnt can contribute to your overall weight loss. You do not have to spend multiple hours in the gym each day to benefit from exercise. Even less intense activities such as walking or jogging a half hour a day, five days a week, can go a long way to help you reach your weight loss goals.
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