Building these eating and exercise habits will help you lose weight quickly but surely (2023)

losing weight isnotsimple or fun. You may want to get it over with as quickly as possible and may have googled "how to lose weight fast" for ways to speed up the process. Sure, there are tons of trending diets and extreme weight loss methods that promise to get the job done in a short amount of time, but they can really backfire and harm your health.

"Fad diets that promote rapid weight loss often involve eliminating entire food groups or greatly reducing calorie intake," she explainsDanielle Crumble Smith, RDN, a nutritionist withTop nutrition coaching. "Unless you have a known food allergy or intolerance, skipping an entire food group can mean you're missing out on some important nutrients that are beneficial for energy and overall health."

Unhealthy methods of weight loss can also lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and other health problems, especially if they involve skipping meals, fasting, or other unsustainable practices, saysJordan Hill, RD, fromTop nutrition coaching. "Extreme weight loss practices can lead to eating disorders and unhealthy food habits, which can have long-lasting negative effects on mental and physical health."

Additionally, drastically reducing calories can have the opposite effect on your body that you desire. “Your metabolism slows down to conserve energy for essential functions like breathing and walking. This can have a negative impact on other aspects of our health like our thyroid and hormones,” Smith explains.

Trying to shed pounds too quickly can also lead to muscle wasting. And that can further slow your metabolism and make it harder to sustain weight loss long-term, Hill adds.

You will most likely end up gaining weight again, and then some. "If we give up foods we love or eat too few calories, we get hungry! Too few calories can also lead to low blood sugar, which signals our body to produce stress hormones like cortisol," says Smith. "Excess cortisol can actually make weight loss difficult and is associated with mid-range weight retention."

So if you're trying to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way, don't expect to shed heavy pounds over the course of a week.

"To embark on a path to long-term success,Aim for a weight loss of one to two pounds per week' says Crumble. "It takes 3,500 extra calories (on top of what we need to survive) to gain just a pound of fat. To lose a pound of fat, we need the same deficit." That's why it's often recommended that you cut your daily calorie intake by 500 calories, or burn another 250 calories while cutting your calorie count by 250.

If you want to lose weight healthily and sustainably, you will find 16 fitness and nutrition tips from the experts here.

Meet the experts: Danielle Crumble Smithis a nutritionist at Top Nutrition Coaching.Jordan Hillis also a nutritionist at Top Nutrition Coaching.Kami Blaseis a personal trainer onthroat.

Follow these tips from personal trainers to lose weight and keep it off.

1. Find physical activity that you can do consistently.

Lasting weight loss is best achieved when it is achieved through changes that actually stick. “Start smaller than you might think. People often exaggerate because they are excited. But it's easy to get burned out then," he saysKami Blase, a personal trainerthroat.

She encourages her clients to start with one day a week, especially if they haven't been consistently moving before.

“Then add a second day after a couple of weeks. If that feels seamless, add a third. Keep going until you feel your days of exercise fit into your desired lifestyle and feel sustainable,” says Blease. “You can also increase the time you do the activity. your bodyeventually adapts to what you do, so steadily increasing the intensity over time is a good way to ensure you continue to get stronger and see results over time.

2. Go ahead.

"Gomore often is a sustainable, accessible way to burn more calories and stick to your weight loss goals," saysTatjana Johnston, CPT, the athletic performance managementOMORPHO. "It's also low impact and not a super strenuous form of exercise, which makes it more likely that someone will stick with it."

One brisk 30-minute walk per day (even if divided into three 10-minute walks)was shownto increase calorie burn and get you closer to your weight-loss goals, notes Johnston.

“You can bring your dog and a podcast and it's fun! To increase intensity, walk faster or longer. Just remember to recover with hydration, fuel and stretching,” she says. “Be very consistent in walking and accept the fact that distance and location may change from time to time. Don't let a short walk throw you off your motivation and think how good you'll feel when you're done!”

3.Ask a trainer for help.

"A trainer will help create a program that's specific to your needs, ensuring you're more likely to get the results you want while protecting your body in the process," says Blease. "There's a variety of trainers out there, so take the time you need to find someone that fits your goals, training style, and budget."

Working out with a trainer at least once a week will make sure you're doing this move consistently and that your form is correct, too, she adds.

"It's typical to program outside of these sessions, so decide on a number of days that fit your goals and lifestyle, and ask your trainer to hold you accountable," she says. "Working with a trainer has so many benefits beyond weight loss, but if that's the focus, they'll likely help you put more muscle on your physique, which will help you burn more calories even at rest,resulting in possible weight loss."

4. Get your heart rate up.

The easiest way to do this? Heart. "When cardio is done regularly, it can help you lose weight and maintain that weight loss," says Johnston. The average recommendation for cardiovascular activity is 150 to 300 minutes per week (two and a half to five hours per week).The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

However, that number can vary based on a person's individual health and the intensity of the cardio, notes Johnston."Consistency is the key! If you can create and stick to a cardio plan, you stand a better chance of losing weight and keeping it off. Second, make your cardio fun! Exercise, grab a friend, or listen to a podcast while you work out your cardio. You'll be more inclined to stick with this habit if you enjoy it."

5. Start making weights a part of your routine.

While it's important to enjoy the movement you're doing, you should lift weights consistentlyhas so many benefits. “It helps with balance and stability, improves metabolism and even lowers the risk ofcertain diseases' says Bladder.

It's easy to assume that lifting weights will make you big, so many women avoid going to the gym or grabbing heavier weights.

"This isn't usually the case unless your body is predisposed to that body type or you're lifting on purpose to build muscle that way," says Blease. "I always recommend doing weightless exercises first to get comfortable with the form."

Aim to lift weights three to five days a week. This ensures you're able to target specific muscle groups multiple times and focus on progressive overload, meaning you're gradually increasing the weight, frequency, or number of reps over time. "As a result, the body is constantly adapting and your muscles are growing," she adds.

And food is also a big part of supporting your body once you start adding weights. "Make sure you're consistently following a programmed routine and eating to help your body build more muscle," Blease adds. “Don't cut your calories; your body needs them to function and ensure you build healthy muscle over time.”

6. If you're short on time, increase the intensity.

While these are not for everyone,HIIT-Trainingare a great optionBuild muscle and use a lot of energyIn a short period.

"As long as you feel like you can maintain proper form, it's a great way to get into a workout for people with busy schedules," says Blease. “Even a day is better than no day, but aim for about three days of more low-intensity exercise on another day or two if possible. You can increase the intensity by trying to do more reps during a given time or use heavier weights while maintaining the same time goal. Both will increase your intensity and continue to challenge your body.

If you love HIIT workouts, make sure you introduce rest days as well. "Be sure to use your rest properly and don't overdo it," she says. “People can become so obsessed with losing weight that they end up hurting themselves. Take time to stretch, rest and recover as needed.”

7.Persistent through setbacks.

When you hit a setback on your weight-loss journey (like missing a few days of exercise), it can be discouraging, all-consuming and cause you to throw yourself off track.

"We think if we deviate from our plan in one element of our lives, the day is ruined and we might as well deviate from the whole plan," says Johnston. "One of the most important components to successfully achieving a goal isSetbacks must not ruin our progress. The setback is often not as severe as we think and will not greatly affect our ultimate goal at all. If we face the setback with the understanding that we are all human and that mistakes are normal, we can just move forward with our healthy mindset and plan."

Giving yourself grace and getting back to your plan will help reaffirm your goal and remind you that this weight loss journey requires patience and perseverance."Practice giving yourself and others grace when they slip! As long as it doesn't become a habit, you'll get closer to your goal,” says Johnston.

8. Think "lifestyle movement."

This means you look at the entire lifestyle you desire and build exercise into it. “Some people have very little desire to go to the gym and lift weights or take an exercise class. That's fine! Hiking, swimming, skiing, surfing, or biking are all forms of exercise that could feel more sustainable,” says Blease.

It's about finding ways to incorporate more exercise into your daily routine, like taking the stairs at work every day, walking the block twice during your lunch break, or doing a plank first thing in the morning.

"All of these things add up over time and can feel more reasonable for someone who isn't your typical gym-goer," says Blease. “When it comes to lifestyle movement, I recommend finding things you could do almost every day. You can always increase the intensity by increasing the time you spend doing these activities or the number of activities you attempt in a day.”

Nutritionists share the eating habits that can get you where you want to be.

1. Make protein a major part of your diet.

Aim for 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal and add protein to snacks as well. Protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates and fats, helping us stay full longer.

"It's a lot easier to make healthy choices when you're not hungry! Also protein foodhelp support stable blood sugar levels' says Smith. "Meals high in carbohydrates raise insulin levels, and one function of insulin is that it triggers fat storage."

An added benefit of higher-protein diets when focusing on weight loss is that protein helps maintain lean muscle mass, which leads to a higher resting metabolism, she adds.

2. Practice intuitive eating.

Listening to your internal signals of hunger and fullness can help you control portion sizes. “Honour the Abundancecan help prevent overeatingand make sure you're not consuming more calories than your body needs," says Hill.

3. Don't skip meals.

"If you skip meals or delay between meals or snacks, you will become overly hungry. That makes it a lot harder to make healthy choices, and it also makes it harder not to overeat later on," Crumble says. Skipping mealscan lead to a slower metabolism, and can often make you feel tired, which can negatively impact your training, both on exertion and recovery.

If you're having a hard time eating regular meals, try setting an alarm and packing snacks."Set alarm reminders on your phone or schedule meal or snack breaks on your calendar so you don't forget anything,” says Crumble. Also, set yourself up for success by taking healthy snacks with you when you're not at home so you don't find yourself in a situation where you're really hungry but don't have access to healthy food.

4. Stay hydrated.

"Drinking enough water can help you with thisfeel full and prevent overeatingsays Hill. Aim to drink about half your body weight in ounces of hydrating fluids per day.

5.Avoid (or greatly reduce) sugary drinks.

"Juices, sodas, fancy coffees, etc. are often the calorie equivalent of a meal, but they still make you hungry," says Crumble. "Plus, the sugar content is often higher than a candy bar, which willraise blood sugar levels. If soda or fancy coffee are staples in your diet, the simple act of removing them can result in a calorie reduction of at least 250 calories per day, putting you in half the recommended 500-calorie deficit.

Instead, make sure you find other drinks you enjoy to keep you hydrated. Fruit-infused water, sparkling water, herbal teas, cinnamon-infused coffee, milk of your choice, and monk fruit are ways to excite your taste buds without overloading your body with sugar, she says.

6. Limit processed foods and eat them in moderation.

Processed foods are often high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and empty caloriescan contribute to weight gain' says Hill. "Instead, focus on eating whole, nutrient-dense foods that provide your body with the nutrients it needs."

7.Balance your meals with proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.

In order for any eating behavior to remain successful in the long term, you must feel satisfied. The combination of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats helps regulate appetite and also supports more stable energy levels throughout the day.

“When you have more energy, you move more and train harder. When you're satisfied, you'll also find that pesky sugar cravings naturally go away," says Crumble. “Keep it simple and prepare in bulk if you can. When you set aside a day to prepare several different protein and carb options, you'll find it that much easier to balance your meals throughout the week. Use different fats and flavors to add variety. "

8.Fill half your plate with colorful vegetables.

Vegetables not only provide a variety of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, but also fiber and water.

"Fiber is digested more slowly and helps keep you feeling full longer," says Crumble. "Vegetables are also a very low-calorie way to add bulk to your meal, making you happier. " Cholesterol. Vegetables also help promote liver detoxification."

To eat more veggies, she suggests you try switching up the veggies you consume and eating the rainbow. "The different colors of vegetables (and fruits) are due to different antioxidants that help protect your body from cell damage," says Crumble. "If veggies are a struggle, try pureeing them and adding them to sauces or shredding them and adding them to meatballs."