Obesity is a major epidemic in the United States and around the world. That’s why losing weight is one of the top goals for many people. It doesn’t just make you look good but it is healthy too. Losing weight can be a long and arduous journey, but it doesn’t have to be. One of the most important steps you can take is to create a plan that will help keep your motivation up. This article will show you how to do just that with six simple steps you can use anytime – every day.

Eat Mindfully

Eating mindfully can help you prevent eating too much. Eating while distracted makes it easy to eat beyond the point of fullness, especially when eating foods that are high in fat and sugar. Eating mindfully pays attention to the sight, smells, textures, and flavors of food. Mindful eating also helps you reduce stress levels since it slows down your eating by about 20%. Eating mindfully takes time, so try to avoid distractions like watching television while you eat.

It’s easier to make poor food decisions when you get hungry and don’t have anything healthy around. Keep plenty of healthy snacks on hand so you can easily satisfy hunger without resorting to junk food. Make your own healthier versions of junk food like baked potato chips, popcorn with cinnamon sugar, or trail mix. You’ll also want to keep plenty of fresh fruit on hand.

Farm to Table

Your diet is important for your weight loss efforts. It can help you lose weight or it can cause you to fail in your attempts. Do some research on the food that you eat each day and see if there are healthier options available.  You may end up eating fewer calories and more nutrients. You may be surprised to find that nutritious foods aren’t as expensive as you might think. For example, ditch white bread in favor of whole-grain bread. These are higher in fiber which will keep you fuller for longer.

Reduce Your Portions

It’s easy to overeat and overindulge when the food is sitting in front of you. Try to eat off smaller plates and bowls so your portions look larger than they really are. Also, reduce the number of calories you consume daily by creating a calorie deficit. You should look for the Foods to Eat on a 1200 Calorie Diet to ensure you don’t consume something that will interrupt your weight loss. Also, to reduce your portions you can use tall, skinny glasses instead of short fat ones too since it tricks your brain into thinking you’re drinking more than you really are. 

The best thing you can do is ensure that the plate or bowl in front of you has smaller portions of food on them. Fill up half your plate with vegetables, a quarter of it with lean protein, and the final quarter with whole grains. Also, use a smaller fork, spoon, and knife. The utensils make the food portions look larger so use smaller ones to reduce how much you eat at one time.

Exercising is Important

You don’t have to exercise for hours every single day in order to lose weight. You just need to find the right amount of exercise that’s right for your body. Start by targeting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. If you don’t know how to measure intensity, check with your doctor or use this calculator. Don’t forget to schedule in time for rest and recovery too.

When you are on a weight loss journey, exercise is very important. You don’t have to spend hours at the gym each day just to be able to lose weight. Just try doing 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week. If you do not know what that means for your own body, check with your doctor. Also, remember that rest and recovery are just as important as exercises, so allocate some time for that too.

Have a Weight Loss Plan

This is a great strategy that helps keep your motivation up and it can help you lose weight. Use a planner to write down your plan for the day, week, month, and year. Also, use this time to note how much weight you want to lose and by when. You’ll regularly see how far you’ve come from your original goal which will help keep you motivated to stay on track.

Flip through your planner or calendar and write down all of the steps that you will take in order to lose weight. Write down what your weight loss goals are, when you’re going to reach them, and how much weight you plan on losing. Keep this information readily available so you can look back on it when you need the motivation to stay on track with your plan.

As you can see, there are a lot of different things you can do to boost your weight loss journey. By following these six steps every day, you will have the best chance at staying on track and achieving success.