If your goal is to lose weight forget the deprivation diet and marathon workouts. Research shows that taking small steps is the best way to get lasting results.
“When you focus on just a couple of small changes at a time, you begin to ingrain some healthy habits that last for a lifetime, rather than trying an all-or-nothing approach that more often than not fails because it’s too hard to follow,” says Lesley Lutes, PhD, a professor of psychology who specializes in obesity prevention at the University of British Columbia.
I will share with you 3 simple changes that helped me lose weight.
1. Lighten up your coffee
A regular cup of coffee with a dash of milk and even a little sugar has hundreds of fewer calories than the blended drinks, which are practically dessert in a cup. You can easily lighten up your coffee order without sacrificing taste by opting for low-fat milk adding just a touch of honey for sweetness, and a dash of cinnamon for flavor.
Small changes like mentioned can and should apply on all food – mayonnaise, cheese, ketchup etc. but we will talk about it in depth in the next article.
2. Use air fryers to prepare your food.
Air fryers use hot air circulation to crisp up food with little to no added oil,
significantly reducing calorie and fat intake, often by 70-80% compared to deep-frying, while still producing crispy, satisfying meals.
Yes, you heard right. This information was mind blowing for me. 70-80% less calories for the same meal. Personally, I believe this change helps me the most with my fat loss. And it is easy to prepare. Most of the air fryers have perfectly tuned programs for different food. You just need to push the button and you are free to do something else till the meal is finished. Also, I noticed that food actually tastes better because it is prepared at optimum temperature, not overheated, still juicy and tasty. I do not promote any of the air fryers, there is no link to click so I can earn a provision – I just share these incredible simple changes that helped me lose weight. You can buy an air fryer from $30 – $50 and it can serve you for years. Mine is 3 years old now. I use it every day and still work perfectly.
3. Eat more protein-rich food.
One of the biggest benefits of consuming protein is that it fills you up without adding too many calories..
The energy in protein-rich food is released slowly so you stay fuller for longer after eating. If your meals keep you full after eating, there is less chance you’ll grab a quick – and usually unhealthy – snack soon after.
Increasing protein intake for weight loss boosts metabolism through a high thermic effect (burning ~20–30% of protein calories during digestion).
This is an important fact and I want to explain it further. Let’s say that your body uses 2500 calories daily on average. With training you can lose 300, 400, or in some extreme cases maybe up to 600 calories. But what about the rest? How does your body spend 2000 calories?
The human body uses calories for digesting food, brain activities, all sorts of movement … even when you sleep. A lot of calories are used to digest food that you eat. Proteins digest for a longer period of time so your body spends more calories on proteins (around 30% more). So, just by eating more proteins you lose weight!
Protein also helps you retain muscle mass, which is key during weight loss. Maintaining muscles also requires more burning calories during the day so by having more muscles your body spends more energy for maintenance and you lose more weight. Also, with more muscles you will look better.
