Incorporating weight loss habits into your life doesn’t sound like an easy thing to do. Yes it can be challenging, especially if you’re busy or you recently had a child.

The good news is that there are weight loss habits you can implement that will help you lose and keep the weight off. Your lifestyle and the choices you make daily matter. They will impact how successful you are in the long run at dropping unwanted pounds. Think of incorporating weight loss habits as a challenge and one that you can overcome if you put your mind to it.

Get Enough Sleep

One weight loss habit that will help you stay healthy is quality sleep. Sleep allows your mind and body to repair themselves, in turn helping you to maintain a healthy weight. Lack of sleep is a recipe for gaining weight and not reaching your weight loss goals. You may make unsavory choices when tired, like choosing coffee with a lot of sugar in it and skipping workouts. You may end up going to bed late because you’re too full. This turns into a vicious cycle. You’ll make better decisions and have more natural energy to get through your workouts when you get enough sleep.

Exercise & Track Calories Burned

You must add exercise to your daily to-do list if you want to lose weight. Get in the habit and you’ll soon discover that your clothes fit better, you’re in a better mood, and that you feel full of energy. Commit to working out more often and find activities that help you burn more calories and get your heart rate up. For example, you may be wondering how many calories does biking burn? Openfit has all the answers you need to this important question and can help you figure out which biking exercise and intensity level might be right for you.

Maintain A Food Journal

Consider maintaining a food journal and you write down what you’re eating at each meal and throughout the day. This particular weight loss habit will help you quickly and clearly see what you’re putting in your body and what changes you might need to make to lose weight. It’s an excellent way to be more open and honest with yourself about your diet and to truly see where your problem areas may exist. While it can be annoying to document all you eat at first, it’ll become easier and second nature once you get into the habit of doing it.

Drink More Water

Drink more water throughout the day to stay hydrated and as a way to help you lose more weight. You’ll look and feel better for it and may feel fuller longer so that you don’t eat as many calories. Focus on drinking more water and choosing it over other options such as sugary drinks or coffees and alcohol. Remind yourself that liquids also have calories. So drinks such as sodas may be hindering your weight loss progress. Water will make you feel more energized and you’ll begin to remove any toxins that may be lingering in your body. Bring a water bottle around with you throughout the day and consider adding fruits or vegetables to your water if you don’t like the taste of it plain.

Snack Smart

You may get hungry throughout the day and grab whatever is easy or closest at the time. However, these snack calories will also add up over time and you might struggle to lose weight. Therefore, another habit to consider is to always snack smart and pay attention to what you’re eating in between meals. Buy healthy snacks that fit easily in your purse and that you can carry with you when you’re on the go. This way you can avoid eating out as much or eating whatever treats are in the break room at work. Almonds and fruits and vegetables are excellent options to have with you and will be more satisfying long term than potato chips.  

Have Healthy Weekends

Avoid giving up on your healthy habits on the weekends or it may set you back all week and stall any progress you’re making currently. You can lose weight faster and more effectively when you have healthy weekends too. Carryover your good habits even though you’re on a more relaxed schedule. You may have the urge to eat unhealthily or skip workouts on your days off. Remind yourself that it’ll only make it harder to lose weight during the week if you give in. Keep busy by filling your schedule with various activities and taking your mind off of food. Stick to your healthy routines and you’ll discover that you feel better on Monday morning as well.

Reduce & Manage Your Stress

Too much stress and anxiety is not only debilitating but can also cause you health problems over time. Get in the habit of finding healthy ways to cope with and reduce your stress and you’ll likely find that you lose weight faster. Stress not only makes you feel lousy and tired but your body also produces more cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels over time may promote overeating and weight gain. On the other hand, low cortisol levels may lead to weight loss in some instances. Stress may cause you to make poor choices and ignite the urge to practice unhealthy habits and coping strategies. Stay ahead of it and keep your stress under control so you can feel good and make wise choices.

Weigh Yourself

You may not always like what the scale reads but that’s not a good reason to not get on it. One habit that will help you lose weight is, to be honest with yourself about your current weight and set a goal for how much you want to lose. Weigh yourself often (at least once a week) so it’s top-of-mind for you and you’re always focused on what you need to be doing each day to lose weight. Getting on the scale is a good reminder of what you’re working toward and you can make adjustments to your routine if you notice that you aren’t losing as much as you prefer.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is when you live in the present moment and don’t worry too much about the past or present. It can help you make better life choices, eat healthier, reduce stress, and allow you to feel calmer most days. Give it a try by eating more slowly and waking up with a mindful approach by setting a daily intention to continue your positive habits. You may not only begin to lose the weight but mindfulness is known to help keep it off too. You can actually discipline your mind to lose weight and help you change your habits for the better.

Limit TV Time

Watching too much television may be contributing to you living a more sedentary lifestyle and not moving as much. You may tend to exercise less and eat more if you’re always sitting in front of the TV. Therefore, if you want to lose weight then make it a habit to limit your TV time and choose to fill your schedule with other activities instead. For instance, you may want to go out for a walk, work in your garden, or clean the house which will burn more calories than you lying on the couch for hours. It’s good for your health and well-being to take a break from technology and your electronics every so often and get out and experience life.

Wear Jeans Often

Another habit you may want to give a try as you focus on losing weight is to wear jeans often. You may be avoiding it because sweatpants are more comfortable and you know your jeans may be a bit tight. However, putting them on regularly is a good reminder to yourself that you want to lose weight because you want your jeans to fit better. Instead of getting rid of old jeans that no longer fit, keep them around, and challenge yourself to fit back into them by a certain date. You’ll likely be able to achieve your goal and you can save your money and wear jeans you already own.

Conclusion

These are a few useful habits you should consider adding to your routine if you want to lose weight. They’ll not only help you lose weight but they’ll also make you feel better overall. When you have healthy habits to fall back on you may soon discover that it becomes easier to leave unhealthy behaviors in your past and not repeat them going forward. Be patient with yourself because change takes time. It may be a while before you’re able to maintain your new lifestyle and you don’t have to think or try so hard to remember to practice your healthy habits. Focus on what is going well and be proud of yourself for giving it a try and any weight you do lose.