Regardless of what some miracle pill sellers are saying, there is no quick and easy way to lose weight. In order to shed some fat, your energy intake must be lower than your energy expenditure. You have to consume less or spend more. Even better, both.
Ideally, weight loss should be the result of a change in habits and not of a diet. Because no matter how they’re designed, diets are rarely effective in the long term. It’s well known that most people who follow a diet eventually regain the lost weight, and even more. There are success stories out there, of course, but diets are rarely the answer for most people.
Baby steps towards a new you
What does work, however, is integrating small changes into your daily routine. Several baby steps can add up and make a real difference on the scale.
For starters, we can never stress enough the importance of exercising. Just 30 minutes of physical activity per day will help you achieve your goal. You can divide these minutes into several sessions. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk or bike to work, play with your children! Whatever will get you moving.
But exercise alone will not get you where you want to be. You’ll have to make some adjustments to your eating habits. Here are 20 such adjustments that Men’s Journal believes will help you slim down and maintain your new figure:
1. Fight the urge to have seconds
2. Cut up your food
3. Floss or brush after meals
4. Plan out your business trips
5. Keep count of your bites
6. Go for wrapped candy
7. Use chopsticks
8. Never indulge at subpar restaurants
9. Close the kitchen
10. Sit at the furthest end of the table
11. Smell your food between bites
12. Have infused water ready
13. Use blue plates
14. Abandon diet soda
15. Choose your snacks wisely
16. Make spices your best friends
17. Don’t keep sweets handy
18. Begin with a soup
19. Stick to your initial decision
20. Use smaller wine glasses
To find out how to apply these 20 tips, read Men’s Journal’s post.
SOURCE: Men’s Journal
