6 Tips to Lose Weight the Healthy Way

Losing 10 lbs doesn’t need to be torture.  Making small steps in changing what you are doing can be the difference between success and failure. Adopt these simple steps into your normal routine and you will be thinner and healthier in days. These simple lifestyle changes will lead to real and lasting results.

1. Cut Soda from your Diet

Soda is one of the biggest offenders of causing the dramatic increase in obesity. One can of soda contains about 40 grams of sugar and 150 calories! Drink 3 cans per day and you are adding a pound of weight weekly.

2. Boost Fiber in your Diet

Fiber is incredibly healthy and has many positive benefits.  Fiber before your meal helps decrease hunger and fills you up with zero calories. The fiber also stabilizes blood sugar levels and prevents food from causing a spike in insulin that promotes hunger and is damaging to your blood vessels.

3. Drink more Water

Aside from the health benefits of hydrating your body, water has zero calories!   Drinking water means you are drinking less high-calorie, rich-in-sugar beverages.  Have a full glass or bottle before a meal to fill you up so you eat less food.

4. Get more Sleep

Recent studies have shown a direct connection between weight gain and lack of sleep. Being sleep-deprived damages the body’s ability to repair itself and leads to weight gain.  Ideally, 7-8 hours can provide optimum sleep time.

5. Limit Alcohol

Alcohol is essentially sugar.  Sugar has about 4 calories per gram. Drinking alcoholic beverages packs on empty calories (calories that don't provide nutritional value).  A typical glass of wine contains 4 ounces and 140 calories. Hard liquor contains less calories per shot than a glass of wine but if mixed with syrups, soft drinks or fruit juices- it can be a big calorie load!  Beer has alcohol and carbohydrates, so a 12oz beer is about 150 calories and the low carb or light beers about 95 calories.  Drinking 3 beers a night will add a pound a week to your weight….why do you think they call it “beer belly”?

6. Walk Daily

Walking is one of the greatest exercises you can do as it offers incredible benefits to your heart, blood vessels, muscles, tendons, and bones.  In addition, there are many psychological benefits.  Brisk walking 30 minutes a day will burn about 150-200 calories, which means if done daily you can lose a pound about every 2 1/2 weeks or 2 lbs per month!

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