5 Small Changes to Make to Lose Weight and Improve Your Health

Making positive lifestyle and diet changes in order to lose weight, feel better, and increase your overall health is often a very difficult task for many. If you’re like the majority of people out there, you’ve likely committed to eating better and exercising more only to find that your strong start slowly fades until, before you know it, you’ve fallen back into your old ways.

The most common demise for any lifestyle change is that we try to do too much too soon. As humans, we often approach things with an “all or nothing” mentality, a way of thinking that is sure to set us up for failure. Changing the way we think about and approach our health goals is the only way to end the cycle of yo-yo dieting so you’ll never again have to tell yourself, “I’ll start fresh on Monday.”

How To Approach Your Healthy-Eating Goals

Moving away from that “all or nothing” mentality is the first step to weight loss success. No more beating yourself up and feeling like you’ve fallen off the diet wagon after eating that chocolate chip cookie or that slice of pizza. After all, we are human and we are definitely not perfect! Remind yourself of this often.

With each of your health goals, take baby steps. Committ to the long-term by acknowledging that changes will not happen overnight. For example, if your long-term goal is to eat less meat, start by making a short-term goal to eat 3 vegetarian meals a week. Once that becomes easy, increase it to 4, 5, and so on until you have accomplished your ultimate goal. It is important to recognize that you may need to revisit goals from time-to-time, but this is just part of the process. Health and happiness is a marathon, not a sprint. Approach all of your goals this way and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Don’t Know Where to Start?

There are many small changes for health you can make that will have a huge impact on the scale, energy levels, and the way you feel about your body. If you feel overwhelmed or just don’t know where to start, the following 5 small diet changes are easy ways to lose weight that anyone can do. Try one of them or all of them, but just remember to take them in stride.

Drink More Water

Our bodies contain more water than any other substance (we are about 66% water) and requires it for just about every process that occurs in the body. If consume a lot of soda or other sugar-filled drinks, start by replacing one of those drinks a day with water, slowly increasing this number until you’ve kicked your soda addiction. Keeping a reuseable water bottle close by is one of the easiest ways to remind ourselves to drink more H2O. Infusing water with fresh fruits is a great way to make it more flavorful and enjoyable. Drinking water instead of sugary drinks not only reduces the amount of calories you are consuming, but it will also help to suppress your appetite, making you feel full and nixing your urge to snack between meals.

Cut Back on Processed Foods

Heavily processed foods are not only packed full of calories, bad fats, and sodium, but they also contain frightening amounts of health-harming chemicals and additives. This is often one of the most difficult changes for people to make because of the fast-paced, convenience-driven world we live in today. Aim to cook more meals at home that incorporate fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins like fish, chicken, and legumes. Not only will you greatly reduce the amount of waistline-busting calories and chemicals you are consuming, but also you’ll get the added health benefits that come with the stress-reducing, calming effect cooking offers many people.

Reduce Your Sugar Intake

Sugar is the biggest nemesis when it comes to losing weight. When we consume more sugars than our bodies need, they get stored as fat. And if you’re not exercising regularly, you’re not stimulating the metabolic processes required to burn that unwanted fat. Drinking more water and eating less processed foods are both great ways to reduce the amount of sugar you are consuming, but if you’re looking to cut even more sugar out of your diet, consider the following tips:

  • Use natural sweetners in coffee, tea, and other sweetened drinks.
  • Buy plain yogurt and sweeten with fresh fruit and skip artifically flavored varieties.
  • Cut back on the number of alcoholic drinks you are consuming. Skip sugary mixes.
  • Satisfy a sweet tooth with healthier versions of the original. Try some new healthy dessert recipes to get inspired.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

This is one you’ve probably heard time and time again, yet the average American does not consume the daily recommended servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. Not only do they provide our bodies with just about every nutrient we need to get and stay healthy, they are also one of the greatest sources of dietary fiber. A diet high in fiber helps to regulate the digestion system, slow the digestion process and reduce spikes in blood sugar levels, and keep us feeling full for longer. One of the easiest ways to increase your intake is to incorporate fresh produce in some way into every meal. This can mean you are adding sauteed spinach to your omelet, avocado to your turkey sandwich, or bananas and blueberries to your yogurt. You don’t have to become a rabbit in order to hit those daily servings!

Explore New Foods

Most people are creature of habits which is definitely evident in many of our daily food choices. Mix up the types of foods you are eating and strive to try new foods you’ve never had, or even heard of before. Eating a wider variety of foods ensures that you are getting the full spectrum of nutrients your body requires to function at its best as different foods offer different amounts and types of vitamins and minerals. Not only will you be getting all the good-for-you stuff your body needs, you’ll have fun exploring new cuisines and you’ll break yourself from any boring food ruts you find yourself in! There are also a number of foods you may have never tried before that are healthier substitutions for some of your favorite foods that, unfortunately, are not the best for your health like pasta, white rice, potatoes, and bread. People who follow low carb diets are crazy about shirataki noodles, a zero calorie, zero net carb, and fat-free food that can be used in place of high-carb, starchy foods in any recipe or dish. So break out of your food comfort zone and start tasting your way to better health!



About the Author: Skinny Noodles is the leading brand of low carb, no calorie, fat-free, and gluten-free shirataki noodles made in the U.S.A. Visit us at www.getskinnynoodles.com for more information about shirataki noodles, nutrition information, and delicious, healthy recipes.

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