Weight loss is not the answer to every health problem, but if your doctor recommends it, there are tips to help you lose weight safely. A steady weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week is recommended for the most effective long-term weight management.
That said, many eating plans designed to help you lose weight leave you feeling hungry or unsatisfied, or they cut out major food groups and are not sustainable. These are major reasons why you might find it hard to stick to a healthier eating plan.
Everyone has unique needs and different eating styles and tips may work better for you than someone else.
You may find you are able to lose weight by following a low carb diet or a diet that has a focus on whole foods, but there are some general principles that apply when you’re trying to lose weight.
Here are some science-backed tips to help you lose weight that include healthy eating, choosing carbs carefully, and that aim to:
- reduce your appetite and hunger levels while keeping you satisfied
- produce consistent weight loss over time
- help improve your metabolic health at the same time
If you want to lose weight quickly, some of these tips may help, but quick weight loss is rarely sustainable. Focusing on long-term health and habits that you can stick with over time will help improve your health and are more likely to result in lasting weight loss.
How to Lose Weight in 3 Simple Steps
How to Lose Weight Fast in 3 Simple Steps
1. Cut back on refined carbs
One way to help lose weight quickly is to cut back on sugars and starches, or carbohydrates. This could be with a low carb eating plan or by reducing refined carbs and replacing them with whole grains.
When you do that, your hunger levels go down, and you generally end up eating fewer calories (1Trusted Source).
With a low carb eating plan, you’ll utilize burning stored fat for energy instead of carbs.
If you choose to eat more complex carbs like whole grains along with a calorie deficit, you’ll benefit from higher fiber and digest them more slowly. This makes them more filling to keep you satisfied.
A 2020 study confirmed that a very low carbohydrate diet was beneficial for losing weight in older populations (2Trusted Source).
Research also suggests that a low carb diet may reduce appetite, which can lead to naturally eating fewer calories without thinking about it or feeling hungry (3Trusted Source).
Note that the long-term effects of a low carb diet are still being researched. It can also be difficult to adhere to a low carb diet, which may lead to yo-yo dieting and less success in maintaining a healthy weight.
There are potential downsides to a low carb diet that may lead you to a different method. Reduced calorie diets can also lead to weight loss and be easier to maintain for longer periods of time.
If you opt for a diet focusing instead on whole grains over refined carbs, a 2019 study correlated high whole grain intake with lower body mass index (BMI) (4Trusted Source).
To determine the best way for you to lose weight, consult your doctor for recommendations.
SUMMARY
Reducing refined carbohydrates may help curb your appetite, lower your insulin levels, and help you lose weight.
But the long-term effects of a low carb diet are not yet known. A reduced calorie diet could be more sustainable.
2. Eat protein, fat, and vegetables.
Aim to include a variety of foods at each meal. To balance your plate and help you lose weight your meals should include:
- a protein source
- fat source
- vegetables
- a small portion of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains
To see how you can assemble your meals, check out:
- this low carb meal plan
- this lower calorie meal plan
- these lists of 101 healthy low carb recipes and low calorie foods
Protein
Eating a recommended amount of protein is essential to help preserve your health and muscle mass while losing weight (5Trusted Source).
Evidence suggests that eating adequate protein may improve cardiometabolic risk factors, appetite, and body weight (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
Generally, an average male needs about 56-91 grams per day, and the average female needs 46-75 grams per day, but many factors influence protein needs. Here are guidelines to help you figure out how much protein to eat without eating too much (9Trusted Source,10Trusted Source):
- 0.8g/kg of body weight
- 1-1.2g/kg of body weight for people 65 and older
- 1.4-2g/kg of body weight for athletes
Diets with adequate protein may also help you reduce cravings and snacking by helping you feel full and satisfied (11).
Healthy protein sources include:
- meat: beef, chicken, pork, and lamb
- fish and seafood: salmon, trout, sardines, and shrimp
- eggs
- plant-based proteins: beans, legumes, quinoa, tempeh, and tofu
Vegetables
Don’t be afraid to load your plate with leafy green vegetables. They’re packed with nutrients, and you can eat very large amounts without greatly increasing calories and carbs.
All vegetables are nutrient-rich and healthy foods to add to your diet, but some vegetables, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and corn, are higher in carbs.
These vegetables are considered complex carbs because they contain fiber, but you may want to be mindful of serving size when adding these vegetables to your plate.
Vegetables to include more of:
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- spinach
- tomatoes
- kale
- Brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- Swiss chard
- lettuce
- cucumber
- peppers
Healthy fats
Don’t be afraid of eating fats.
Your body still requires healthy fats no matter what eating plan you choose. Olive oil and avocado oil are great choices for including in your eating plan. Nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados are delicious and healthy additions, as well.
Other fats such as butter and coconut oil should be used only in moderation due to their higher saturated fat content (12Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Try to assemble each meal with a protein source, healthy fat source, complex carb, and vegetables.
Leafy green vegetables are a great way to bulk up a meal with low calories and lots of nutrients.
3. Move your body
Exercise, while not required to lose weight, can help you lose weight more quickly. Lifting weights has particularly good benefits.
By lifting weights, you’ll burn calories and help prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).
Try strength training three to four times a week. If you’re new to lifting weights, a trainer may be able to help you get started. Make sure your doctor is also aware of any new exercise plans.
If lifting weights is not an option for you, doing some cardio workouts such as walking, jogging, running, cycling, or swimming is very beneficial for weight loss and general health.
Both cardio and weightlifting may help with weight loss and offer lots of other health benefits.
SUMMARY
Resistance training, such as weightlifting, is a great option for losing weight. If that’s not possible, cardio workouts are also effective.
Choose what’s sustainable for you.
What about calories and portion control?
If you opt for a low carb eating plan, it’s not necessary to count calories as long as you keep your carb intake low and eat mostly protein, fat, and low carb vegetables.
If you find yourself not losing weight, you may want to keep track of your calories to see if that’s a contributing factor.
If you’re sticking to a calorie deficit to lose weight, you can use a free online calculator like this one to estimate your calorie needs.
You can also download free, easy-to-use calorie counters from websites and app stores. Here’s a list of 5 calorie counters to try.
Note that eating too few calories can be dangerous and less effective for losing weight. Aim to reduce your calories by a sustainable and healthy amount based on your doctor’s recommendation.
A note on calorie counting
Counting calories may be a helpful tool for some, but it may not be the best choice for everyone.
If you are preoccupied with food or your weight, feel guilt surrounding your food choices, or routinely engage in restrictive diets, consider reaching out for support. These behaviors may indicate a disordered relationship with food or an eating disorder.
Talk with a qualified healthcare professional, such as a registered dietitian, if you’re struggling.
You can also chat, call, or text anonymously with trained volunteers at the National Eating Disorders Association helpline for free or explore the organization’s free and low cost resources.
SUMMARY
Counting calories isn’t usually needed to lose weight on a low carb eating plan. But if you’re not losing weight or on a reduced calorie eating plan, calorie counting may help.
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9 weight loss tips
Here are 9 more tips to help you lose weight:
- Eat a high protein breakfast. Eating a high protein breakfast could help reduce cravings and calorie intake throughout the day (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
- Limit sugary drinks and fruit juice. Empty calories from sugar aren’t useful to your body and can hinder weight loss (18Trusted Source, 19).
- Stay hydrated. Drink water throughout the day and aim for half your body weight in ounces (20Trusted Source).
- Choose weight-loss-friendly foods. Some foods are better for weight loss than others. Here is a list of healthy weight-loss-friendly foods.
- Eat more fiber. Studies show that eating fiber may promote weight loss. Find fiber in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and these other high-fiber foods. (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).
- Drink coffee or tea. Caffeine consumption may help boost your metabolism. No need to go overboard on caffeine though and be mindful of adding sugar to these drinks (24Trusted Source, 25).
- Base your diet on whole foods. They tend to be nutrient rich, more filling, and less likely to cause overeating than processed foods.
- Eat slowly. Eating quickly can lead to weight gain over time, while eating slowly makes you feel more full and boosts weight-reducing hormones (26Trusted Source).
- Get good quality sleep. Sleep is important for many reasons, and poor sleep is one of the biggest risk factors for weight gain (27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source, 29).
While these 9 tips are a good starting point, they’re not the only things that impact weight loss. Try to reduce stress, and move your body. Read more about natural tips for losing weight here.
SUMMARY
Eating whole foods, higher protein, fiber, and less sugar can help you lose more weight. Don’t forget to get a good night’s sleep, too.
Sample meal ideas for fast weight loss
These sample meal plan ideas are low carb, which limits carbs to 20–50 carbs per day. Each meal should have protein, healthy fats, and veggies. These meal ideas are just suggestions, as everyone has different needs and food preferences.
If you’d prefer to lose weight while still eating complex carbs, add in some healthy whole grains to your meals such as:
- quinoa
- oatmeal
- whole wheat flour, bread, or pasta
- brown rice
- rye
- barley
Breakfast ideas
- poached egg with sliced avocado and a side of berries
- spinach, mushroom, and feta crustless quiche
- green smoothie with spinach, avocado, and nut milk and a side of cottage cheese
- unsweetened Greek yogurt with berries and almonds
Lunch ideas
- smoked salmon with avocado and a side of asparagus
- lettuce wrap with grilled chicken, black beans, red pepper, and salsa
- kale and spinach salad with grilled tofu, chickpeas, and guacamole
- BLT wrap with celery sticks and peanut butter
Dinner ideas
- enchilada salad with chicken, peppers, mango, avocado, and spices
- ground turkey bake with mushrooms, onions, peppers, and cheese
- antipasto salad with white beans, asparagus, cucumbers, olive oil, and Parmesan
- roasted cauliflower with tempeh, Brussels sprouts, and pine nuts
- salmon baked with ginger, sesame oil, and roasted zucchini
Snack ideas
- cauliflower hummus and veggies
- healthy homemade trail mix with nuts and dried fruit
- kale chips
- cottage cheese with cinnamon and flaxseeds
- spicy roasted chickpeas
- roasted pumpkin seeds
- tuna pouches
- steamed edamame
- strawberries and brie
How fast will you lose weight?
You may lose weight more quickly in the first week of a diet plan and then lose weight at a slower but more consistent rate after that. The first week you typically lose a mix of both body fat and water weight.
If this is the first time you are making changes to your diet and exercise habits, weight loss may happen more quickly.
Unless your doctor suggests otherwise, losing 1–2 pounds per week is usually a safe amount. If you’re trying to lose weight faster than that, speak to your doctor about a safe level of calorie reduction.
Aside from weight loss, a low carb diet can improve your health in a few ways, though the long-term effects are not yet known:
- blood sugar levels tend to significantly decrease on low carb diets (30)
- triglycerides tend to go down (31)
- LDL (bad) cholesterol goes down (32Trusted Source)
- blood pressure improves significantly (33Trusted Source)
Other diet types that reduce calories and increase whole foods are also associated with improved metabolic markers and slower aging (34, 35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source). Ultimately, you may find a more balanced diet that includes complex carbohydrates is more sustainable.
SUMMARY
You can reach your weight loss goals by incorporating a low carb or low calorie diet into your life, but the speed of weight loss depends on the individual.
General weight loss can sometimes improve certain markers of health, such as blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
The bottom line
By reducing carbs or replacing refined carbs with complex carbs, you’ll likely experience reduced hunger levels. Feeling hungry is often why it’s difficult to maintain a weight loss plan, so it’s important to find a way of eating that leaves you feeling satisfied.
By incorporating a sustainable low-carb or lower-calorie eating plan, you can eat healthy food until you’re full and still lose weight.
Losing weight quickly may be your goal, but it’s important to think about the long run. While you may lose water weight quickly, fat loss takes longer, and developing sustainable weight loss may take longer than you’d like.
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NUTRITION
Evidence Based
How Long Does It Take to Lose Weight?
Whether you want to lose weight for a special occasion or simply improve your health, weight loss is a common goal.
To set realistic expectations, you may want to know what a healthy weight loss rate is.
This article explains the factors that affect how long it may take you to lose weight.
How weight loss occurs
Weight loss occurs when you consistently consume fewer calories than you burn each day.
Conversely, weight gain happens when you consistently eat more calories than you burn.
Any food or beverage you consume that has calories counts toward your overall calorie intake.
That said, the number of calories you burn each day, which is known as energy or calorie expenditure, is a bit more complicated.
Calorie expenditure is composed of the following three major components (1Trusted Source):
- Resting metabolic rate (RMR). This is the number of calories your body needs to maintain normal bodily functions, such as breathing and pumping blood.
- Thermic effect of food (TEF). This refers to the calories used to digest, absorb, and metabolize food.
- Thermic effect of activity (TEA). These are the calories you use during exercise. TEA can also include non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which accounts for the calories used for activities like yard work and fidgeting.
If the number of calories you consume equals the number of calories you burn, you maintain your body weight.
If you want to lose weight, you must create a negative calorie balance by consuming fewer calories than you burn or burning more calories through increased activity.
SUMMARY:
Weight loss occurs when you consistently consume fewer calories than you burn each day.
Factors affecting weight loss
Several factors affect the rate at which you lose weight. Many of them are out of your control.
Gender
Your fat-to-muscle ratio greatly affects your ability to lose weight.
Because women typically have a greater fat-to-muscle ratio than men, they have a 5–10% lower RMR than men of the same height (2Trusted Source).
This means that women generally burn 5–10% fewer calories than men at rest. Thus, men tend to lose weight quicker than women following a diet equal in calories.
For example, an 8-week study including over 2,000 participants on an 800-calorie diet found that men lost 16% more weight than women, with relative weight loss of 11.8% in men and 10.3% in women (3Trusted Source).
Yet, while men tended to lose weight quicker than women, the study didn’t analyze gender-based differences in the ability to maintain weight loss.
Age
One of the many bodily changes that occur with aging is alterations in body composition — fat mass increases and muscle mass decreases.
This change, along with other factors like the declining calorie needs of your major organs, contributes to a lower RMR (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
In fact, adults over age 70 can have RMRs that are 20–25% lower than those of younger adults (2Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
This decrease in RMR can make weight loss increasingly difficult with age.
Starting point
Your initial body mass and composition may also affect how quickly you can expect to lose weight.
It’s important to understand that different absolute weight losses (in pounds) can correspond to the same relative (%) weight loss in different individuals. Ultimately, weight loss is a complex process.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Body Weight Planner is a useful guide to how much you can lose based on your initial weight, age, sex, and how many calories you take in and expend (7Trusted Source).
Although a heavier person may lose double the amount of weight, a person with less weight may lose an equal percentage of their body weight (10/250 = 4% versus 5/125 = 4%).
For example, a person weighing 300 pounds (136 kg) may lose 10 pounds (4.5 kg) after reducing their daily intake by 1,000 calories and increasing physical activity for 2 weeks.
Calorie deficit
You must create a negative calorie balance to lose weight. The extent of this calorie deficit affects how quickly you lose weight.
For example, consuming 500 fewer calories per day for 8 weeks will likely result in greater weight loss than eating 200 fewer calories per day.
However, be sure not to make your calorie deficit too large.
Doing so would not only be unsustainable but also put you at risk for nutrient deficiencies. What’s more, it might make you more likely to lose weight in the form of muscle mass rather than fat mass.
Sleep
Sleep tends to be an overlooked yet crucial component of weight loss.
Chronic sleep loss can significantly hinder weight loss and the speed at which you shed pounds.
Just one night of sleep deprivation has been shown to increase your desire for high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods, such as cookies, cakes, sugary beverages, and chips (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).
One 2-week study randomized participants on a calorie-restricted diet to sleep either 5.5 or 8.5 hours each night.
Those who slept 5.5 hours lost 55% less body fat and 60% more lean body mass than those who slept 8.5 hours per night (10Trusted Source).
Consequently, chronic sleep deprivation is strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and certain cancers (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
Other factors
Several other factors can affect your weight loss rate, including:
- Medications. Many medications, such as antidepressants and other antipsychotics, can promote weight gain or hinder weight loss (14Trusted Source).
- Medical conditions. Illnesses, including depression and hypothyroidism, a condition in which your thyroid gland produces too few metabolism-regulating hormones, can slow weight loss and encourage weight gain (7Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).
- Family history and genes. There is a well-established genetic component associated with people who have overweight or obesity, and it may affect weight loss (16Trusted Source. 17Trusted Source).
- Yo-yo dieting. This pattern of losing and regaining weight can make weight loss increasingly difficult with each attempt, due to a decrease in RMR (18Trusted Source).
SUMMARY:
Age, gender, and sleep are just a few of the many factors that affect weight loss. Others include some medical conditions, your genetics, and the use of certain medications.
Best diet for weight loss
With innumerable weight loss diets available — all promising impressive and quick results — it can be confusing to know which one is best.
Yet, though creators and proponents deem their programs superior to the rest, there’s no single best weight loss diet (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).
For example, low-carb diets like keto may help you lose more weight initially, but studies find no significant differences in weight loss in the long term (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).
What matters most is your ability to stick to a healthy, reduced-calorie eating pattern (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).
However, following a very low calorie diet for long periods is difficult for many people and the reason why most diets fail (26Trusted Source).
To increase your chances of success, only moderately reduce your calorie intake, individualize your diet according to your preferences and health or work with a registered dietitian.
Combine diet with exercise, including both aerobic and resistance training, to maximize fat loss and prevent or minimize muscle loss (27Trusted Source).
By eliminating highly processed foods and incorporating more healthy, whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and proteins, you can further promote weight loss and your overall health.
SUMMARY:
Adhering to a weight loss diet is difficult for most people. Regardless of your goals, choose a dietary pattern based on your individual preferences and health status.
Safe rates of weight loss
While most people hope for fast, rapid weight loss, it’s important that you don’t lose too much weight too quickly.
Rapid weight loss can increase your risk of gallstones, dehydration, and malnutrition (28Trusted Source).
Other side effects of rapid weight loss include (29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source):
- headaches
- irritability
- fatigue
- constipation
- hair loss
- menstrual irregularities
- muscle loss
Though weight loss may occur faster at the start of a program, experts recommend a weight loss of 1–3 pounds (0.45–1.36 kg) per week, or about 1% of your body weight (31Trusted Source).
Also, keep in mind that weight loss is not a linear process. Some weeks you may lose more, while other weeks you may lose less or none at all (32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source).
So don’t be discouraged if your weight loss slows or plateaus for a few days.
Using a food diary, as well as weighing yourself regularly, may help you stay on track.
Research shows that people who employ self-monitoring techniques, such as recording your dietary intake and weight, are more successful at losing weight and keeping it off than those who don’t (34Trusted Source).
SUMMARY:
Losing weight too quickly can lead to problems like gallstones, muscle loss, and extreme fatigue. Experts recommend a moderate weight loss of 1–3 pounds (0.45–1.36 kg) per week, or about 1% of your body weight.
The bottom line
Weight loss occurs when you eat fewer calories than you burn.
Many factors affect your weight loss rate, including your gender, age, starting weight, sleep, and the extent of your calorie deficit.
Aiming to lose 1–3 pounds (0.45–1.36 kg) per week is a safe and sustainable way to reach your goals.
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NUTRITION
Evidence Based
Top 23 Weight Loss Tips for Women
Diet and exercise may be key components of weight loss for women, but many other factors play a role.
In fact, studies show that everything from sleep quality to stress levels can have a major impact on hunger, metabolism, body weight, and belly fat.
Fortunately, making a few small changes in your daily routine can bring big benefits when it comes to weight loss.
Here are the top 23 weight loss tips for women.
1. Cut Down on Refined Carbs
Refined carbs undergo extensive processing, reducing the amount of fiber and micronutrients in the final product.
These foods spike blood sugar levels, increase hunger, and are associated with increased body weight and belly fat (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).
Therefore, it’s best to limit refined carbs like white bread, pasta, and prepackaged foods. Opt for whole-grain products like oats, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and barley instead.
2. Add Resistance Training to Your Routine
Resistance training builds muscle and increases endurance.
It’s especially beneficial for women over 50, as it increases the number of calories that your body burns at rest. It also helps preserve bone mineral density to protect against osteoporosis (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
Lifting weights, using gym equipment, or performing body-weight exercises are a few simple ways to get started.
3. Drink More Water
Drinking more water is an easy and effective way to promote weight loss with minimal effort.
According to one small study, drinking 16.9 ounces (500 ml) of water temporarily increased the number of calories burned by 30% after 30–40 minutes (6Trusted Source).
Studies also show that drinking water before a meal can increase weight loss and reduce the number of calories consumed by around 13% (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
4. Eat More Protein
Protein foods like meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, and legumes are an important part of a healthy diet, especially when it comes to weight loss.
In fact, studies note that following a high-protein diet can cut cravings, increase feelings of fullness, and boost metabolism (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).
One small 12-week study also found that increasing protein intake by just 15% decreased daily calorie intake by an average of 441 calories — resulting in 11 pounds (5 kg) of weight loss (12Trusted Source).
5. Set a Regular Sleep Schedule
Studies suggest that getting enough sleep may be just as crucial to losing weight as diet and exercise.
Multiple studies have associated sleep deprivation with increased body weight and higher levels of ghrelin, the hormone responsible for stimulating hunger (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).
Furthermore, one study in women showed that getting at least seven hours of sleep each night and improving overall sleep quality increased the likelihood of weight loss success by 33% (16Trusted Source).
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6. Do More Cardio
Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, increases your heart rate to burn extra calories.
Studies show that adding more cardio to your routine can result in significant weight loss — especially when paired with a healthy diet (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
For best results, aim for at least 20–40 minutes of cardio per day, or around 150–300 minutes per week (19Trusted Source).
7. Keep a Food Journal
Using a food journal to track what you eat is an easy way to hold yourself accountable, and make healthier choices.
It also makes it easier to count calories, which can be an effective strategy for weight management (20Trusted Source).
What’s more, a food journal can help you stick to your goals, and may result in greater long-term weight loss (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).
8. Fill up on Fiber
Adding more fiber to your diet is a common weight loss strategy to help slow the emptying of your stomach and keep you feeling fuller for longer (23Trusted Source).
Without making any other changes to diet or lifestyle, increasing dietary fiber intake by 14 grams per day has been associated with a 10% decrease in calorie intake and 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg) of weight loss over 3.8 months (24Trusted Source).
Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are all great sources of fiber that can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.
9. Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating involves minimizing external distractions during your meal. Try eating slowly and focusing your attention on how your food tastes, looks, smells, and feels.
This practice helps promote healthier eating habits and is a powerful tool for increasing weight loss (25Trusted Source).
Studies show that eating slowly can enhance feelings of fullness and may lead to significant reductions in daily calorie intake (26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).
10. Snack Smarter
Selecting healthy, low-calorie snacks is a great way to lose weight and stay on track by minimizing hunger levels between meals.
Choose snacks that are high in protein and fiber to promote fullness and curb cravings.
Whole fruit paired with nut butter, veggies with hummus, or Greek yogurt with nuts are examples of nutritious snacks that can support long-lasting weight loss.
11. Ditch the Diet
Although fad diets often promise quick weight loss, they can do more harm than good when it comes to your waistline and your health.
For example, one study in college women showed that eliminating certain foods from their diet increased cravings and overeating (28Trusted Source).
Fad diets can also promote unhealthy eating habits and lead to yo-yo dieting, both of which are detrimental to long-term weight loss.
12. Squeeze in More Steps
When you’re pressed for time and unable to fit in a full workout, squeezing more steps into your day is an easy way to burn extra calories and increase weight loss.
In fact, it’s estimated that non-exercise-related activity may account for 50% of the calories your body burns throughout the day (29Trusted Source).
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further from the door, or taking a walk during your lunch break are a few simple strategies to bump up your total number of steps and burn more calories.
13. Set Attainable Goals
Setting SMART goals can make it easier to reach your weight loss goals while also setting you up for success.
SMART goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They should hold you accountable and lay out a plan for how to reach your goals.
For example, instead of simply setting a goal to lose 10 pounds, set a goal to lose 10 pounds in 3 months by keeping a food journal, going to the gym 3 times per week, and adding a serving of vegetables to each meal.
14. Keep Stress Under Control
Some studies suggest that increased stress levels can contribute to a higher risk of weight gain over time (30Trusted Source, 31Trusted Source).
Stress may also alter eating patterns and contribute to issues like overeating and binging (32Trusted Source).
Exercising, listening to music, practicing yoga, journaling, and talking to friends or family are several easy and effective ways to lower stress levels.
15. Try HIIT
High-intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, pairs intense bursts of movement with brief recovery periods to help keep your heart rate elevated.
Swapping cardio for HIIT a few times per week can amp up weight loss.
HIIT can decrease belly fat, increase weight loss, and has been shown to burn more calories than other activities, such as biking, running, and resistance training (33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source).
16. Use Smaller Plates
Switching to a smaller plate size may help promote portion control, aiding weight loss.
Although research remains limited and inconsistent, one study showed that participants who used a smaller plate ate less and felt more satisfied than those who used a normal-size plate (35Trusted Source).
Using a smaller plate can also limit your portion size, which can reduce your risk of overeating and keep calorie consumption in check.
17. Take a Probiotic Supplement
Probiotics are a type of beneficial bacteria that can be consumed through food or supplements to help support gut health.
Studies show that probiotics can promote weight loss by increasing the excretion of fat and altering hormone levels to reduce appetite (36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source).
In particular, Lactobacillus gasseri is a strain of probiotic that’s especially effective. Studies show that it can help decrease belly fat and overall body weight (38Trusted Source, 39Trusted Source).
18. Practice Yoga
Studies show that practicing yoga can help prevent weight gain and increase fat burning (40Trusted Source, 41Trusted Source, 42Trusted Source).
Yoga can also decrease stress levels and anxiety — both of which may be tied to emotional eating (43Trusted Source).
Additionally, practicing yoga has been shown to reduce binge eating and prevent preoccupation with food to support healthy eating behaviors (44Trusted Source, 45Trusted Source).
19. Chew Slower
Making a conscious effort to chew slowly and thoroughly can help increase weight loss by cutting down on the amount of food you eat.
According to one study, chewing 50 times per bite significantly decreased calorie intake compared to chewing 15 times per bite (46Trusted Source).
Another study showed that chewing food either 150% or 200% more than normal reduced food intake by 9.5% and 14.8%, respectively (47Trusted Source).
20. Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Enjoying a nutritious breakfast first thing in the morning can help start your day off on the right foot and keep you feeling full until your next meal.
In fact, studies find that sticking to a regular eating pattern may be linked to a reduced risk of binge eating (48Trusted Source, 49Trusted Source).
Eating a high-protein breakfast has been shown to decrease levels of the hunger-promoting hormone ghrelin. This can help keep appetite and hunger under control (50Trusted Source).
21. Experiment With Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting involves alternating between eating and fasting for a specific window of time each day. Periods of fasting typically last 14–24 hours.
Intermittent fasting is thought to be as effective as cutting calories when it comes to weight loss (51Trusted Source).
It may also help enhance metabolism by increasing the number of calories burned at rest (52Trusted Source).
22. Limit Processed Foods
Processed foods are typically high in calories, sugar, and sodium — yet low in important nutrients like protein, fiber, and micronutrients.
Studies show that consuming more processed foods is associated with excess body weight — especially among women (53Trusted Source, 54Trusted Source).
Therefore, it’s best to limit your intake of processed foods and opt for whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins, whole grains, and legumes.
23. Cut Back on Added Sugar
Added sugar is a major contributor to weight gain and serious health issues, such as diabetes and heart disease (55Trusted Source).
Foods high in added sugar are loaded with extra calories but lacking in the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein that your body needs to thrive.
For this reason, it’s best to minimize your intake of sugary foods like soda, candy, fruit juice, sports drinks, and sweets to help promote weight loss and optimize overall health.
The Bottom Line
Many different factors play a role in weight loss, and some extend far beyond diet and exercise.
Making a few simple modifications to your lifestyle can help promote long-lasting weight loss for women.
Including even one or two of these strategies in your daily routine can help maximize results and promote healthy, sustainable weight loss.