Losing weight is a goal that tons of people every day, month, and year set for themselves. To lose weight you have to get yourself in a calorie deficit by exercising and practicing healthy eating habits.
For you to be successful at this, proper nutrition and developing healthy habits is essential. The problem people run into is when they think that healthy eating is temporary. With this mindset, eventually, you will go right back to square one.
In order to be successful in weight loss, you need to shift the idea of going on a diet, which tends to be temporary, to creating healthy habits, which is much more sustainable and long term.
With that in mind, I’m giving you 5 healthy habits to lose weight and transform your body, mind, and lifestyle.
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1. Drink water
Drinking water throughout the day does so much for your body. For starters, it keeps you hydrated. But also, drinking water keeps you fuller for a longer period of time and prevents overeating. Drinking a glass of water before each meal will help overeating because your body will recognize it’s full faster. This is especially good to do if you eat fast like I do. It is standard to drink a half ounce to an ounce of water every day for each pound you weigh. For example, someone who is 150 pounds should be drinking somewhere between 75-150 ounces of water each day. However, I like to shoot for that 1:1 ratio especially if weight loss is your goal.
Now, I am used to drinking a lot of water each day because I enjoy drinking water and I live somewhere that it is usually really hot. However, I understand it is harder to accomplish when you don’t feel like you need water or aren’t frequently thirsty. Therefore, I have some tips to make drinking water easier.
- Always carry water with you – in a water bottle or a cup with a lid
- Use a straw – I find if I use a straw, I start drinking water without even knowing it because it is more fun and effortless to drink out of a straw. I like to get some metal reusable straws or use a water bottle with a straw lid. Click the image below to get your own reusable cups with a straw.
- Add water flavorings. If you don’t like the taste of water and get bored drinking it, add flavorings. You can add fresh fruit like cucumber, pineapple, and lemon or I really like Mio flavors. You just add a few drops into your water, and you’re all set. Tea is also super good to spice up water.
2. Eat a nutritious breakfast
Start the day with a healthy and nutritious breakfast. I really do believe that breakfast can be the most important meal of day. This is because if you start out eating junk food and sugar, that’s what you’ll gravitate towards for the rest of the day. Whereas, if you eat a proper, healthy breakfast, you will not only feel better and have more energy, but also want to continue to eat like that for the rest of the day.
A proper breakfast will also fill you up for a longer time. Some good examples are eggs, sausage, yogurt, granola, or oatmeal.
3. Eat smaller portions
Put smaller portions on your plate. Don’t pile up your plate with a bunch of food. The goal of eating is to give your body nutrients and energy to go on with your normal activities. You don’t have to stuff yourself each meal.
I struggle with overeating sometimes and what I found that really works for me is to put one portion size of protein, carbohydrates and vegetables on my plate and eat that. Once I have eaten that and drank some water, if I’m still hungry, I go back for another serving of vegetables. Typically, if I eat slower and drink more water, one protein size of each is substantial enough to fill me up without over stuffing myself. This is something that I have to continue to work at, but it is extremely effective. These healthy eating habits aren’t going to come naturally but the payoff is so rewarding. Keep pushing and reminding yourself of the end goal.
One portion size varies from person to person depending on gender, activity level, weight and more so you can’t compare yourself to others. However, there is average or standard amount of what one portion is which you can base your portion sizes off of.
Check out this portion size chart below.
4. Stay away from buying a lot of junk food
If you are trying to lose or maintain weight, seeing junk food and sweets around your house is going to make it really hard to eat healthy and will cause cravings. A good way to avoid this, it is to not have a bunch of processed food or refined sugars in your house.
When you make a change or goal to eat healthy, the number one thing you can do to ensure you will fail is completely eliminate entire food group such as carbohydrates or sugars. Remember, you want to create maintainable healthy eating habits and not a strict diet.
I love chocolate; therefore, I like to keep dark chocolate in the house to have when I feel a sweet tooth coming on. Having rice or noodles for dinner is okay too. What you don’t want is a bunch of processed chips, sugary cereals, or Kraft mac and cheese. Get rid of those foods that are really processed.
5. Home-cook meals rather than dining out
Cook instead of eating out. Limit the number of times you go out to 2-3 times a week. This will save you money and save you calories. I love cooking, it is something I enjoy doing and there are a ton of great recipes out there to try. The portion sizes in restaurants can sometimes be really big and cause overeating. In addition, most times, you can make the same thing at home for less than half the calories.
If you don’t like cooking, there are a ton of really simple and easy recipes to follow. Cooking doesn’t have to be elaborate or hard.
Check out this Simple and Healthy Pesto Caprese Chicken.
When it comes to lunch, packing your lunch is the way to go. Many individuals aren’t home during the day. That doesn’t mean you get a free pass you eat out or drive through McDonalds each day of the week. Again, it is much more cost effective and healthy to pack your lunch.
Packing a lunch is great when you are trying to eat healthy because whatever you pack, you are going to eat. If you pack 3 different kinds of vegetables and that’s all you have, that’s what you’ll eat. Make sure you also pack some kind of protein to fill you up.
Some of the things I like to pack include:
- Sandwich
- Vegetables and fruits – sugar snap peas, carrots, cucumbers, apples, bananas, etc…
- Crackers with meat and cheese
- Yogurt with granola with fresh fruit
- Salad with chicken
For more lunch ideas check out my Pinterest
These are all super easy and quick things you can throw into a lunch box. This is where meal prepping comes into play, and it is a super good healthy eating habit. I don’t meal prep every meal, but I like to meal prep my lunches. If I am going to want chicken, I will cook a bunch of seasoned chicken on Sunday, so it is ready for the week.
Start incorporating these 5 healthy eating habits into your everyday life and feel the benefits almost immediately. Keep them consistent and make them a habit. You got this!
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