Are you ready to lose weight? You’re not alone. In fact, just under half of Americans attempted to lose weight in the last year.
The most important part of losing weight is adherence to your program. Starting a diet and exercise routine is half the battle, sticking to it is the next.
Let’s talk about how to stick to your weight loss diet for the best results!
How To Stick To A Weight Loss Diet: Cook Good Foods
The easiest way to give up on a diet is by sticking to foods you don’t like. Cook healthy meals, but make them taste good?
Do you like Mexican food? Make a healthy brown rice bowl with brown rice, beans, a healthy protein, and plenty of vegetables! Chop up onions and peppers and even toss some healthy greens like spinach in there! Add some taco seasoning into the pan and some salsa when it’s done!
Do you like Asian-style food? Don’t go too heavy on the soy sauce, but make some healthy fried rice! Fry some rice in a small amount of olive oil or other healthy oil after sauteing some finely chopped onions, carrots, and peas. Crack an egg in there for a good protein boost and get rid of the yolk first if you want to lower the fat content! Then add some chicken and broccoli or some tofu and snow peas on top! Your options are endless.
Remind Yourself Why You’re Doing This
When it comes to sticking to a diet, motivation is key.
One of the toughest but strongest points to remember is that there are so many health risks associated with being overweight. In fact, because the US has the highest obesity rates, 1 in 5 deaths are attributed to it every year. It puts you at a higher risk for cancer, diabetes, joint problems, and even Alzheimer’s. Does your family have a history of these illnesses?
Maybe you’re not overweight and you just want to show off at the beach in the summer. That’s good motivation, too! Don’t forget how great it will feel to be one of the hot ones showing off in the summer!
Don’t Go Overboard
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Literally and figuratively.
If you make your diet too extreme, you might find yourself quitting it altogether. Don’t sell yourself short. Have a goal, stick to it, and treat yourself occasionally. Losing weight shouldn’t be unhealthy.
Keep Track
Track your calories, macros, and weight, but again, don’t go overboard. Don’t make this too complicated. If you’ve never counted calories before, try it out for a week or two so you get a general feel for it, and then just keep a rough tally in your head from there.
Track your weight, but remember, this can fluctuate a lot. Especially if you’re switching up your diet. You could fluctuate by up to 9 pounds every day just from differences in water retention, so don’t let this stress you out. Weighing yourself once a week or so is the best option.
Drink Water
To avoid the negative feelings that come with bloating, help with digestion, and feel full throughout the day, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. Drinking water has so many overall health benefits, but when you’re trying to lose weight, it’s absolutely necessary.
Be Safe
No matter what the fancy marketing campaigns tell you, the only proven way to lose weight is a calorie deficit, and every weight loss diet will have to fit into that. However, the deficit should only be around 500 calories a day for best results.
A 500 calorie deficit translates to 1 pound a week, which is a steady and healthy amount to be losing. If you’re looking to lose a larger amount of weight and that sounds too slow to you, imagine how great it would be to lose 52 pounds by this time next year while maintaining your health!
Just estimate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), and subtract 500 calories from that to aim for every day.
Eat Volume
Now, if you know your calorie intake but you’re feeling hungry throughout the day when you stick to it, it could be because you aren’t eating the right foods.
If you want to eat 400 calories in one meal, the food you choose could make or break your hunger. If you eat 400 calories worth of nuts or beef, it will do almost nothing to fill up your stomach.
However, 400 calories of vegetables, especially uncooked ones, will fill your stomach almost to capacity. Eat plenty of produce and foods that aren’t dense in calories to help yourself feel full between meals.
See What Works For You
Experimenting with different diets is tricky, so only go with ones that have actual science to back them up. Juice cleanses and many other fad diets can be pretty unsafe, so work with what you know.
If you are roughly set on your diet choice, there’s still room for experimentation. Let’s say you’re eating whole foods only and you’re aiming for 2,000 calories a day. There’s still plenty to fiddle with.
Find the right eating schedule for you! Intermittent fasting works for many people, and it can definitely reduce your calorie intake and help you burn some extra fat, especially if you work out toward the end of the fast. Cardio while fasting shows tremendous results! People who do this typically have an 8 to 10-hour eating window, and a 14 to 16-hour fast. That’s a safe option to try!
You can also experiment with different recipes, different meal timing, and different ingredients! Just find out what works best for you!
Get The Body You Want!
There is no one-size-fits-all weight loss diet, unfortunately. However, there are so many options for you to try out, and so many exciting new things to try before giving up, and you’ll be so happy when you see the results of sticking with it! Keep up to date with our latest health news and find out some of our best weight loss secrets!