Many of us spend much of our lives fighting a seemingly endless battle against our waistlines, trying all that we can to lose stubborn and unattractive body fat in order to give our bodies that lean, ripped, and defined look that we’ve always craved. Sadly however, for many people, losing weight, or rather, losing fat, is much easier said than done, which is why worldwide obesity rates are currently at a pandemic scale. People are carrying far too much fat, and as a result they’re living shorter, they’re plagued with a series of medical conditions, and they generally feel unattractive and undesirable. We know all too well just how difficult it can be to lose weight, and it is certainly not something that you can take a haphazard approach to. Weight loss isn’t about short-term quick fixes, it’s about looking at the big picture by looking at the long-term of things. In order to lose stubborn and unsightly body fat, we shouldn’t crash diet, or starve ourselves whilst working out until we’re physically sick, we should instead make simple lifestyle changes that will stick with us for the rest of our lives. If you’re fed up of yo-yo dieting and being overweight, here’s a look at six of the best fat loss hacks you could ever hope for.
Small plates, small glasses
One of the main causes of obesity is the fact that so many people overeat, and consume far too many calories on a daily basis. One of the primary reasons for this is the fact that their portion sizes are much too large, which obviously means the more food they eat, the more calories they consume. People when dieting, will often wrongly assume that just because something is healthy, that they can have more of it and still lose weight. This is simply not true. Ok, the food may be healthy and packed full of healthy ingredients including vegetables, but every item on that plate still contains calories, and if you consume more calories than your body is able to burn off in a day, that excess energy will be broken down by your body, and converted into body fat. A great way of cutting down on your portion sizes, and therefore cutting back on the amount of calories you consume daily, is to plate up your meals and beverages on smaller plates, and in smaller glasses. If you have a large plate, your brain will convince you that you need to fill every square inch so that you can get enough energy. By using a smaller plate however, if you fill that plate up, your brain will be convinced that you have enough, so you’ll be less likely to crave more, or seconds. It may sound bizarre but it really does work.
Dressings and sauces on the side
We all enjoy dining out from time to time, and sometimes dining out may be the only available option of getting food inside our bodies. If you find yourself eating out, even if you make relatively healthy choices like a chicken Caesar salad for example, the dressing that comes with it could increase the fat and calorie content significantly, which would make your weight loss much harder. If you order the sauces and dressings on the side however, you’re in control of how much is used, so you can use less, or even none at all.
Place a mirror on your fridge
Ok, now this really may sound pretty crazy and out there to many of you, but just remember to keep an open mind and hear us out. By placing a mirror on your fridge, you will be much more likely to make healthier food choices when selecting the foods because seeing ourselves will force us to pause for a moment, and remember why we’re dieting and trying to lose weight in the first place.
Make healthy food substitutions
Healthy eating needn’t be boring, and it needn’t be all about eating bland, tasteless, and uninspiring foods either. In reality there are many different methods of eating healthy and still enjoying great tasting food in the process, you simply need to be smart and make healthy substitutions along the way. For example, rather than fried eggs, how about poached eggs? The eggs will be cooked in water rather than oil, saving you several grams of fat and several dozen calories, whilst still tasting great. Instead of cooking oil or fat, use zero calorie cooking sprays instead. Feeling peckish and craving a chicken mayo sandwich? Instead of white bread, butter, and full-fat mayo, go with wholemeal bread, skip the butter, bulk out the chicken with plenty of fresh salad, and go with a drizzle of low-fat mayonnaise. There are always healthy options available, just make sure you know the difference between healthy and “low fat” or “reduced fat”.
Exercise in ways that you actually enjoy
It’s amazing how many people there are out there that would much rather put themselves through hell by doing something that society thinks they should be doing, rather than doing something that they actually enjoy. For example, there are people out there that go to the gym every week when trying to lose weight, despite the fact that they hate every minute of it, and dread every second leading up to it. Why put yourself through something you hate? To lose weight? Why not do something you do enjoy instead? For example, rather than going to the gym, if you enjoy cycling and outdoor activities, why not take up cycling instead? You can play sports you enjoy, go swimming, get friends and family members involved, and loads more still. If you enjoy the exercise and activities that you perform, you’ll be far more likely to stick with it and actually succeed.
Increase water consumption
Water is essential for so many different reasons, yet most people just don’t get enough of it on a daily basis. Water hydrates our bodies and muscles, it promotes brain health and function, it boosts the metabolism, it flushes toxins from our bodies, it improves digestion, and it does plenty more on top of that. Water will also help fill us up so that we feel full for longer and therefore crave less food, and eat less food, allowing us to remain in a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. Forget chemical-laden “diet” beverages, and instead stick with good old fashioned H20.
