Changes to Your Lifestyle to Lose Weight

Although a proven diet like the HCG diet can be a great way to lose a large amount of weight in a relatively short period of time, you need to follow the diet up with permanent lifestyle changes that will continue to help you to lose weight. There are several ways to make fast changes to your habits and lifestyles so that you first maintain the weight that you currently have and don't gain any more, and then start to lose the weight that you want to get back to a healthy weight. It doesn't have to be difficult to lose weight when you make these easy changes to your lifestyle, and you'll be impressed at how quickly you lose weight.

Change #1 - Avoid drinks with calories

One of the easiest ways to start to lose weight more rapidly is to avoid any drinks with sugar in them or calories from cream or other ingredients. Juice, soda, and other sweetened drinks are a source of "€œempty calories"€ or calories that don't really fill you up. They are one of the biggest causes of weight gain out there. You have to especially be concerned about this when you are trying to lose weight, as just a few calorie drinks per week will really hinder your efforts and make it a lot more difficult to lose weight. Try to opt for water or drinks sweetened with stevia, and sparkling water is a great alternative to soda.

Change #2 - Don't eat when you're watching TV

Eating when watching TV can take your mind off your meal which isn't a good thing; most people overeat when they watch the television. TV is a distraction and studies show that distracted eating often results in overeating because you aren't conscious of how many calories you're eating. You're also more likely to continue eating in spite of being full. Also, up to 37% of advertisements show food, usually in very appealing commercials or photos, which doesn't help you eat any less. Try to eat most if not all of your meals without being distracted; you'll be a lot less likely to eat too much and it will help you maintain a healthy weight.

Change #3 - Eat more fruits and vegetables

It almost goes without saying, but the more fruits and vegetables that you add into your diet, the less likely you are to gain weight. It's easy to forget how beneficial to your health that they are, and if you've found that you're lacking them in your diet, try to find some vegetable recipes that you enjoy and be sure to stock up on plenty of your favorite fruits. Keep junk food out of your home as much as possible and try to eat mostly organic. The amount of weight that you can lose just by making this simple change can be quite substantial, and you're much less likely to want to eat larger portions of food when you fill up on salad and fruit.

Change #4 - Get enough sleep

With so many people being regularly sleep deprived, it is all too often a source of weight gain. A lack of sleep can be a major problem because it forces your body to look for other sources of energy, and although caffeine can be a temporary pick me up, you'll inevitably start to rely on food as a source of energy. The link between sleep deprivation and being overweight is very well established, and if you find that you are waking up drowsy and not refreshed, you need to reset your sleep schedule and be sure that you are getting to sleep at an appropriate time so you wake up feeling good and energized and not groggy.

Change #5 - Don't skip meals

Skipping meals is one of the biggest causes of weight gain because it puts your body into starvation mode for a short period of time. There are certainly benefits to intermittent fasting where your body burns calories from fat for a period of time, but if you're skipping meals you'll just be more likely to overeat at the next meal. If you want to skip meals be sure you plan out the intervals where you aren't eating so that there is some actual benefit, or even better, try a low calorie diet like the HCG diet which is proven and won't force you to starve. It will restrict your calories enough to lose weight but the diet is carefully designed to reduce your hunger so that you won't overeat.

Change #6 - Cook more at home

The simple act of making a homemade meal more often will make a major difference in your weight loss efforts. You'll find that it's a lot easier to lose weight when you eat your own homemade meals because you'll get to choose the ingredients. Of course you should pick recipes that are healthy and made with mostly fruits and vegetables when you're trying to lose weight, but with the large number of unhealthy options at most restaurants out there, you'll be doing yourself a huge favor just by eating more often at your house and by being careful with your recipe selections.

Change #7 - Eat a salad at the start of your meal

Eating a salad at the start of your meal will make you much less likely to overeat. You can always stake any extra portions of your entrée home, and when you start with a salad you'll feel more full and won't feel like you have to eat a ton of food from your main course to feel satiated. Of course you'll need to be careful to avoid unhealthy salads with a ton of unhealthy dressing, croutons, or grains or other ingredients that aren't going to help you lose weight, but it's still better to eat a moderately unhealthy salad as a starter or a piece of fruit rather than an appetizer loaded with carbs and fat. Switch out a salad for the cheese sticks and you'll find that you won't want to eat as much as you used to.

About the author

Dr. Constance Odom, MD

Dr. Constance Odom, MD

Dr. Constance Odom, MD

About

Constance Tambakis Odom, MD graduated in 1987 with her Doctorate of Medicine from the New York Medical College, and was an Anesthesiologist Resident from 1988 to 1991 at the Brookdale Medical Center PGY II (CA-I)-PGY IV (CA-III). She is Board Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology since 1998 and American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine since 2002. Constance Odom, MD is affiliated with the American Medical Association, American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, American Society of Anesthesiology, Georgia Society of Anesthesiology, Hellenic Medical Society of New York, North Carolina Society of Anesthesiology, and Society of Ambulatory Anesthesia.

Credentials

Medical Director At:

• Nu Image Medical
• MetroMedispa P.A.

Staff Anesthesiologist at:

• Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital in Dunn, NC
• Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, NC
• Duplin General Hospital in Kenansville, NC

Director of Anesthesia Services at:

• Jacksonville Surgery Center in Jacksonville, NC

5 years ago · 4 min read