Whether youve decided to get in better shape as part of a New Years resolution, for summer bathing suit season or you just want to boost your normal routine, theres never a bad time to get fit and shed those last extra pounds. And odds are you want to lose weight fast.
But if youve ever tried losing weight, getting in shape or simply leading a healthier lifestyle, you know that its not as easy as just changing your diet and squeezing in more workouts. Thats why Ive rounded up my favorite 49 ways to help you get healthy andfit.
From exercising for short bursts of time to making weekly menus to even having a cheat meal, these 49 workout, diet and lifestyle tips to lose weight fast will help you achieve your health and fitness goals.* Just remember, this is not onlyabout losing weight, but living a better healthier, happier life!
1. Schedule workouts
Pencil workouts into your daily planner the same way you do dinner with friends or that important business meeting. This will help hold you accountable. Itll also force you to choose a specific time to get your sweat on, making it more likely youll stick to it.
2.Break up workouts throughout the day
Cant carve out a full 30 minutes or an hour of exercise time in one go? Opt for shorter bouts of exercise throughout the day instead. The latest science suggests that several short exercise bursts provide the samehealth and fitness benefits as a similar amount of exercise done in one longer workout and, in some cases, reap even more rewards. (1)
Try a quick cardio circuit in the morning, a brisk stroll during your lunch hour and an after-dinner strength session. Theres no need to do it all at once.
3. Dont let traveling derail your efforts
Being away from your normal routine doesnt mean your healthy efforts need fall to the wayside. Jog a few miles on the hotel gyms treadmill, scope out a local barre studio and pop in for a class, take a walking tour of the city, rent a bike and explore or even do a quick workout in your hotel room.
Try theseresistance bandexercises; they make for a quick workout, and a band takes up little space in your bag, making it perfect for when youre on the go.
4. Add variety to your routine
Keep your muscles guessing by cross training and trying different workouts or tweaking your usual routine. Youll work new muscles and beat boredom while tryingsomething new. Also, studies show that youre more likely to stick with your daily exercise routine if you switch up your workouts. Are you a CrossFit junkie? Stretch out at a yoga class. Is running more your style? Try addingsome speed intervals throughout your usual route.
5. But dont force yourself to do an activity you dislike
If you hate an activity, youre likely much less likely to stick with it. This doesnt mean shying away from activities that challenge you thats how your body changes! But if you dread swimming, theres no reason to force yourself into the pool five times a week. Working out shouldnt be a chore; it should be something you look forward to.
6. Do it on a budget
Its easy to think that getting in shape will be expensive, but it doesnt have to be. Aside from outdoor activities like walking, running andhiking, there are many other ways to get in a great workout without spending much money. Try a YouTube workout, check out low-cost community fitness centers or invest in a few quality exercise videos.
7. Crank up the music
Its been scientifically proven that listening to upbeat music during exercise helps you work harder and enjoy both the workout and the music more. (2) Plus, it can help pass the time during a particularly intense part of your workout.
And its super easy! All you have to do is add your favorite fast-paced jams to a playlist and get moving.
8. Exercisewith a group
Not only do activities like group fitness exercises help hold you accountable to a specific time and place to work out, its also a great way to meet friends. After all, youre likely to start seeing and befriending class regulars. Classes also provide an opportunity to try something new in a safe, supportive environment.
If working out in a studio isnt your thing, check sites like Meetup to find local groups in sports youre interested in. From running groups to walking to lose weight to bike riding communities, theres probably a group interested in the same activities as you.
9. Start your day with a workout
If you constantly find that theres not enough time during the day to squeeze in a workout, it might be time to jumpstart yourday with one. Getting exercise in the morning has a variety of perks: Youll be energized throughout the day, unexpected time commitments wont jeopardize your fitness plans and youre more likely to make healthier choices.
And heres a bonus tip: Make setting the alarm clock early a bit easier by prepping your workout essentials the night before so you can grab and go.
10.Get results fast with burst training
Burst trainingisinterval training that combines short, high-intensity bursts of exercise with slow recovery phases. This method of exercise helps your body burn fat faster because your metabolism stays elevated for up to 48 hours after exercise. When youre short on time but want fastresults, its a super effective option to lose weight fast.
11. Skip the scale
When youre trying to lose weight, the scale can be deceiving. Thats because it doesnt take into account that you are probably adding muscle. So even though youre making progress, the number on your scale might not budge (or it couldeven go up), which can be defeating.
And while a pound of fat is still the same as a pound of muscle, because muscle is lean and smooth, you can be shedding inches while remaining the same weight. To get a more accurate depiction of how your body is changing, use body measurement tape instead to track your size and progress.
12. Incorporate weight lifting
Could lifting weightstruly be one of the fastest ways to lose weight? Savvy exercisers know that the best workouts dont include just cardio, but incorporate strength training as well.
Building muscle helps you lose inches all around, keeps your metabolism going after leaving the gym and will help you look better, too. Researchers even discovered that weight training could be more beneficial for reducing belly fat than aerobic exercise. (3)
And ladies, dont stress weight lifting will not make you bulk up. So if youre looking to get that toned look, pick up those weights and make them a regular part of your routine.
13. Consider using a personal trainer
If youre at a total loss as to how to begin a fitness routine, have an injury or other health issues or simply want to learn how to maximize your gym time, considering investing in a personal trainer. They can help shape a fitness program to reach your goals while taking into account any special considerations.
A certified personal trainer can be a great way to kick-start your healthy lifestyle or help get you over a weight loss plateau. Scheduling one with a few friends can keep costs down, too.
14. Drink plenty of water
Often we think were hungry when our bodies are actually just begging for water. So itsimportant to drinkenough waterthroughout the day to stay hydrated. Rather that worrying about stomach bloat and water weight, you need to realize that water will actually reduce bloating and overall weight.
Drinking water not only keeps fat toxins moving out of the body, it also keeps your metabolism running optimally. In fact, in a 2013 study showed14 healthy men and women increased their metabolic rate by 30 percent after drinkingabout 16 ounces of water! (4)
And if thats not enough to convince you the worlds healthiest drink will help you lose weight fast, remember that itscalorie-free, too!
15. Pack your own snacks
It comes on suddenly: One minute youre feeling great and the next youre starving for a snack. Skip the vending machine and prepare your own healthy snacks to take to work, school or whenever youre out and about. Why? In part, because most processed snacks are purely carbs and are the definition of empty calories, jacking your blood sugar and leaving you hungrier afterwards.
From apple chips to an on-the-go healthysmoothie, packing your own snacks will help you lose weight fast while also giving you the nutrients you need without the icky preservatives from expensive, processed foods.
16. Increase your protein intake
Increasing your protein intake is a great way to lose weight fast and burn fat. And most people dont get nearly enough protein in their diet.
If your goal is to lose weight, I would recommend consuminghalf your body weight in grams of protein a day (at the very least). For those seeking to burn fat and build muscle, aim to consume 0.7 to 1 gramperpound of body weight. For example, if you weight 150 pounds, you should be getting 75 to 150 grams of protein a day (depending on your goals). Checkout this list of these topprotein foods.
17. Eat grapefruit
New research is revealing that consuming grapefruit benefits weight loss in a major way. (5) The key may be an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) that is found in grapefruit. AMPK helps your body utilize sugar, which results in boosting your metabolism.
Additionally, nootkatone, a component found in grapefruit, has been shown to significantly increase fat-burning (AMPK) activity. So consider grapefruit a great vitamin C-rich snack and add grapefruit slices to a spinach salad or even into an immune-boosting smoothie to help you lose weight fast.
18. Drink green tea
Drinking herbal teas such asgreen tea, white tea, black tea and rooibos tea can amp up your metabolism. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, green tea is more effective than other teas like oolong at promoting weight loss because of its high levels of catechins. (6) So if you want to lose weight fast, I recommend drinking 13 cups of green tea daily.
19. Get your fill of fiber
Foods high in fiber will help you feel fuller longer and help reduce sugar cravings. Also, fiber has been proven to balance blood sugar, lower cholesterol and more.
But chances are youre not consuming enough. The average person only gets 1520 grams of fiber eachday when they should be getting 3040 grams daily. Not sure if your favorite foods stack up? Check out my tophigh-fiber foods.
20. Eat 90 percent of your meals at home
Whether youre a novice or a pro in the kitchen, making your own snacks and meals from whole foods will help you lose weight fast. By controlling what ingredients, fats and oils are in your food, youll be able to make healthy choices without sacrificing the food and flavors you love.
Start by committing to making one meal a day at home. As you get more comfortable in the kitchen, increase that number. Youll be surprised by the quality of dishes you can make right in your own kitchen. Get some of my favorite healthy recipes here.
21. Stock pile healthy snacks at home
See no evil, eat no evil. Its hard to resist temptation when it comes to foods so eliminate it instead! Keep your cabinets and refrigerator stocked with fresh, healthy snacksso theyrefront and center. One trick I love is washing fresh fruits and veggies as soon as I get home from the store and storing them in glass or nice bowls on the counter or refrigerator shelf. It keeps them visible so you rememberto eat them!
Plus, whenever I need a snack, theyre already prepped. To make it a little easier to start, here are sometips forhealthy eating on a budget. You can also take along my healing dietshopping listthe next time you hit the supermarket.
22. Make a menu
If youre constantly find yourself thinking, I have nothing to eat or I dont know what to make, preparing a menu is for you. Similarly, many diets may give you a plan in the beginning but then ask you to repeat the menu. Most of us like variety so it might be time to create your own menu.
Choose your favorite recipes and decide what you want to serve for meals a week at a time. Write out the ingredients youll need and take that list with you when you shop. Youll have all the ingredients on hand to make nutritious meals for the week.
Bonus: Save money by choosing meals that use in-season produce and combining your meals with your local grocery stores sales flyer. And dont forget about leftovers! Use them to create new meals (for instance, make a stir-fry with leftover cooked meats and veggies) or have a weekly night where all the leftovers get put out and everyone in the family can eat their favorites again.
23. Slow down!
When you eat fast, its easy to overeat. It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to register that itsfull. While you chew, your brain is processing that you are eating, and chewing releases enzymes for pre-digestion in your saliva to start the digestion process.
So begin mindful eating, chewing slowly and enjoying the flavor of your food! This process will ensure that you not only consume fewer calories, it also eases digestion and helps your brain to catch up with your body. If you have trouble eating slowly, try putting down your fork or spoon in between bites.
24. Let go of the grains
Even though grains have been promoted as healthy starches, consuming them is one of the fastest ways to pack on the pounds. Plus as you probably know by now, the gluten found in most grains can increase inflammation in yourbody and put a strain on your digestive system. And store-bought bread often has added high fructose corn syrup, sugar and preservatives.
Grains contain large amounts of carbohydrates, which break down into sugar thatyour body will store as fat. So my advice is to keep your grain consumption down to one serving or less daily. And when you do eat grains, eat only sprouted grains or quinoa, and load up on vegetables!
25. Dont shop on an empty stomach
Does this situation sound familiar? You have the best of intentions to fill the grocery cart with lots of produce and healthy protein. But halfway through your shopping trip, your stomach starts growling and all of a sudden those potato chips are looking a lot more appealing than normal. Well, its happened to us all.
The best solution? Fill up before you go! When youre not fighting hunger pangs, its a lot easier to make healthy choices.
26. Make healthy swaps
Eating clean doesnt mean you have to give up your favorite foods. Instead, think of ways to healthify them yourself! Is dip your weakness? Try this spicy bean dip. Are Fridays your pizza night? Make a coconut crust pizza instead. I guarantee theyll be delicious, satisfy your cravings and help you feel great!
27. Dont supersize
No, Im not talking about fast food in fact, pleasecut outANY fast food, which relies on terrible ingredients and excessive sodium, from your diet. But simply speaking, there are going to be times that you are in a situation where you are in a position to eat something that is usually off-the-menu for healthy eating. So, instead of binging on these foods, keep your goals in mind and nibble on smaller amounts.
Are you at a party with hors doeuvres and appetizers you just cant turn down?Decide youll eat just one type of bite-sized food and turn down the rest. Or, is your office having a pizza party and the smell of cheesy goodness is too hard to resist? Pick the slice loaded with veggies, enjoy and then turn away.
28. Add in some fat-burning herbs
Most diets barely discuss herbs, but adding in some healthy herbs to whatever eating plant youre onmay be just what you need to lose weight fast! Studies have shown that herbs like cayenne pepper, turmeric, cinnamon and dandelion may all help promote weight loss. (7)
You can add a bit of cayenne pepper to season chicken or dips, use turmeric when making burgers or sprinkle it on a salad, put 1/2 teaspoonof cinnamon in your smoothie and drink a hot cup of dandelion tea in the morning for breakfast.
29.Downsizeyour plate
Believe me, this really works! Because the same serving of food looks like less food on larger plates, trick your brain into eating less by serving your main dish on salad-sized plates instead of dinner ones. (8)
I switched out all my large dinner plates with salad plates for a while. And it is amazing how a medium-sized plate of food felt more satisfying when I cleaned it. When you combine this with eating slower and more intentionally, you will enjoy your food more and eat less!
30. Do a cleanse or detox
Doing a short cleanse or detox is one of the best ways to lose weight fast. Whether it be a few days or weeks, doing something like a vegetable juice cleanse or the Daniel fastis highly effective. Another simple way to cleanse is by starting to drink thisSecret Detox Drink.
31. Make a better breakfast
Start your day on the right foot and fuel your body with a hearty breakfast. Itll give you energy in those first few hours youre awake. Plus, since breakfast is the firstmeal of the day, youll have all day to burn those calories. Tired of the same old eggs and toast? Try some of these delicious breakfast recipes.
32. Go crazy for coconuts
When consumed as part of a low-carb diet, along with the avocado, coconut is one of the best weight loss foods in the world today. Coconut contains MCFAs (medium-chain fatty acids) that your body can easily burn as fuel for energy.
To get more coconut into your diet, switch out the other oils in your home for coconut oil, add coconut milk into your morning smoothie, use coconut flakes to crust chicken tenders and drink coconut water to stay hydrated during your next workout.
33. Dont drink your calories
Creamy, foamy drinks might taste delicious, but they can have enough calories to serve as an entire meal and thats not even taking into account the amount of sugar and preservatives they contain. Make your own healthier versions instead. From pumpkin spice lattes to spiced hot apple cider, theres a nutritious alternative for most high-calorie beverages
34. Choose healthy fats
Not all fat is created equal. The fats found in foods likeavocados, nutsand dark chocolate are actually good for you and they taste delicious! Enjoy them on a regular basis to reap their health benefits but dont go overboard because they are calorie dense.
35. Bring your own foods
Its your Aunt Mildreds birthday and, while youre committed to healthy eating, the rest of your family hasnt gotten there yet. Instead of chowing down on fried, unhealthy foods or being rude and turning down everything thats offered, a great compromise is to bring a dish along to share (after clearing it with the host, of course).
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How to Lose Weight Fast: 49 Secrets to Put Into Practice ...
