Making small changes and choosing to focus on them will make achieving that weight loss goal. Sticking to the fundamentals as listed below will take you closer and closer to that goal.

Making these changes in the beginning may seem energy-consuming, but over time a double positive effect will happen – they become second nature so you’ll do them more automatically, plus when you start seeing your results, it creates positive reinforcement and makes you want to continue following these practices. So let’s just dive right in.

1. Drink Your Water

When you start staying fully hydrated, the differences in your mood and appetite will be as clear as night and day. The fact that majority of us drink mostly soft drinks, fruit juices, and teas and coffees loaded with hundreds of calories does us more disservice than we realise.

How many times do we drink plain water without fillers to make it taste good? Infusions with fruit/lemons are also as simple and as effective as drinking plain water. It’s the extra unneeded calories from fillers (creams, sugar etc) that take hydrating from an energising endeavour to a weight-gain hidden killer.

The great news? Making the swap to plain water will be enough to get you better results, clearer skin, improve your mood and will motivate you to do more.

2. Eat Low GI-Foods

Carbohydrates with a low glycemic index include foods like oats, legumes, wholewheat flour products (pasta, bread etc) have the extra benefit of not only stabilising blood sugar, they are satisfying (filling) and reduce hunger for hours.

This means you’ll be less hungry and be less likely to reach for the first thing you see or when you are about to go to sleep. Eating carbohydrates at night helps with sleep and will stop those midnight/2am fridge raids. Try it for a week and note the changes.

3. Make Your First Meal Of The Day Protein- And Fibre-Rich

Your first meal of the day is a time you can use to get ahead of your nutrition – you just woke up, have fresh energy, and your willpower is at its highest. As the day drags on, willpower gets depleted, and it’s harder and harder to give in to the temptations that come your way.

Eating a protein filled breakfast such an egg white omelette or a protein shake with oats, will not only give you a head start with eating enough protein for the day, but it will also keep you full for longer and also reduce hunger throughout the day. Win-win!

4. Avoid Foods That Are Difficult To Stop Eating

Have you ever had half a bag of Doritos? I mean actually ate half the bag and stopped, satisfied, then been able to walk away? Me neither.

Doritos, Oreos, chocolate cakes, candy, chocolate – I think most of us are aware to limit these because they fit the definition of “unhealthy” – in reality they are foods with limited nutritional value, and are hyperpalatable (combination of fat/sugar/salt that makes food ultra delicious – abnormally so) they are difficulty to stop.

There are everyday foods that have the same effect – there could be these junk foods in your house, or it could even be food accessories like peanut butter or nutella.

The idea is not to avoid them for their own sake, but because they serve as trigger foods and are hard to stop consuming. Overconsuming will keep you from making the progress you want.

Ways to apply this to everyday life is the old mantra of avoiding keeping junk food in your house. Only eat them when you eat out eg going out to celebrate, birthdays etc, or if you do buy for home – buy single serving sizes. Buy 1 magnum ice-cream instead of a 5L tub of ice cream, buy a slice of cake instead of a whole one.

5. Tell A Friend/Family Member To Keep You Accountable

Sharing your plan when you are about to take action with someone will keep you accountable because now you know someone else is expecting you to follow through. This will add as external motivation to keep going. Combining this with your own internal motivation will help you keep up the changes you decide to make, and this is what helps take you closer and closer to your goals.

Having someone to support you when you’re killing it, or to remind you when you might feel like quitting or stopping goes a long way in helping you achieve your goals. Get a buddy and tell them what you are doing, you want to reach target X by date Y. You will have someone to keep you on your toes, and you might even end up inspiring them when you stick to it and reach those goals!

These are the 5 tips to make things easier, however ultimately the work relies on you at the end of the day. One day at a time with the right mindset is the start to a reaching your weight loss goal.

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