With 2021 almost here and our new year’s resolutions written out, weight loss is at the top of the mind for many people. But figuring out how to lose weight and (keep it off) can be a challenging task. We’re here to guide you in accomplishing your weight loss goals with 5 healthy tips and tricks to help you lose weight fast and feel more confident in the new year.

Water: A Natural Appetite Suppressant

Let’s begin with one of the easiest and most accessible tools you can use to lose weight: water. Water is a natural appetite suppressant. When we drink water (especially before meals), we’re able to feel fuller faster, helping with portion control and reducing hunger.

And speaking of hunger, dehydration can sometimes trick our brains into thinking we’re hungry when we’re actually just thirsty. Drinking a glass of water before reaching for a snack can help you cut down on unnecessary calories.

Green Tea Can Boost Metabolism

Water isn’t the only drink that can help with weight loss. Green tea has long been regarded as an essential drink for those looking to lose shed a few pounds and boost their metabolism due to it containing caffeine. This fat burner is a great alternative to sugary drinks and can be had hot or cold. Studies show that green tea not only helps you burn more fat during workouts, but it also increases your body’s ability to burn fat while resting.

Practice Mindful Eating

Mindfulness has become a popular topic of discussion in the health and wellness sphere and for good reason: it is a meditative practice that helps you recognize and cope with your emotions, as well as become more aware of physical sensations in the body. It’s an especially beneficial practice for people suffering from mood disorders.

Mindful eating, therefore, is the practice of being aware of your cravings, hunger, and your body while eating. It involves:

• Taking your time while eating and avoiding distractions.
• Paying attention to your hunger cues.
• Only eating until you’re full.
• Learning to differentiate between actual hunger and emotional eating or eating out of boredom.
• Enjoying your meals by taking engaging your senses.
• Learning to cope with negative emotions about food.
• Eating with the goal of your health and a positive well-being.
• Taking note of how different foods affect your body and mood.

People who practice mindful eating are able to curb cravings, avoid emotional eating, and choose foods that help keep your body healthy, ultimately assisting with weight loss.

Plan Out Your Meals

Meal planning is one of the most effective ways to lose weight fast. Meal prepping allows you to make sure that you’re consuming nutritious foods that help your body function well while also cutting out the right amount of calories needed to lose weight. Meal planning takes into account not just meals, but also snacks. When your meals are prepared ahead of time, you’re less likely to reach for quick or unhealthy foods when you’re on the go.

Planning your meals is also a great way to save time in the kitchen. If you find that you don’t have time to cook a meal during the week, setting aside some time on the weekends to plan out the upcoming week’s meals can help to ease stress during the weekdays.

Find Creative Ways to Stay Active

Exercise is the cornerstone of weight loss. Experts say that to lose weight you need to exercise for between 150 and 250 minutes a week (or 22 to 35 minutes a day). Typically, people go to gyms or parks to exercise. However, with gyms closed and social distancing being needed to help stop the spread of COVID-19, people have had to find new ways to exercise during the pandemic. Thankfully, you don’t need to be in a gym to exercise and lose weight fast. You can meet your weekly exercise goals by:

• Doing at-home yoga.
• Taking virtual dance classes.
• Walking or jogging around your neighborhood.
• Taking up a new hobby such as roller skating or biking.
• Taking your dog for long walks.
• Even tackling your household chores can help you break a sweat!

The Bottom Line

Weight loss doesn’t have to be a cause of stress. Losing weight ultimately comes down to making healthy lifestyle changes and paying attention to your body. You don’t need to ban cookies from your kitchen or obsess about counting calories to fulfill your weight loss resolution. When you make overall health the focus, weight loss comes naturally.