17 Tips to Boost Your Weight Loss Efforts

If you want to lose weight, you know what you have to do: Eat healthy and start working out. To [...]

If you want to lose weight, you know what you have to do: Eat healthy and start working out. To stay on this healthy track, try using these simple tips to help give yourself a little weight loss boost.

weight loss measurements

1. Go green! While helping the environment is important, too, right now we're talking about a different green. Getting in your daily serving of veggies is not an easy task but it's a great tool for helping you lose weight. Add spinach to soups, pastas or just about anything! Blend kale into your fruit smoothies and snack on cucumbers. Do everything you can to eat your greens and your body will thank you. Try this Green Monster Smoothie for a tasty way to snack on veggies!

2. Meal prep. Pack your healthy snacks the night before. Store leftovers before you eat dinner so you know you'll have a healthy lunch tomorrow, assuming you've served a healthy dinner! We have tons of skinny and easy recipes that make great leftovers.

3. Drink water. It's hard to stress just how important water is. It helps you to feel full, is great for your skin and is essential to losing weight. Try drinking 64 ounces of water a day. It's not easy, but it's worth it! Your body needs it! It'll also mean more potty breaks — so you'll already be improving on the next piece of advice we have for you.

4. Walk as often as possible. By parking further away, taking more bathroom breaks or opting for the stairs, you are burning a few extra calories. Getting up and moving will help you to keep your body active.

5. Eat a good breakfast. First off, make sure you eat breakfast. It kickstarts your day and gets your metabolism working. Next, make sure it's healthy. Try something that will keep you full, like eggs, oatmeal or a protein shake. If you're short on time, hard-boil some eggs over the weekend and keep them in your office fridge so you can eat there. You can also make these Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Burritos!

Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Burritos

6. Don't eat out.If you're eating out a few times week, it's time to stop. Pack your lunch the night before so you won't be tempted. If your coworkers go out for lunch, you can tag along and bring your packed lunch. Instead of meeting the ladies for dinner and drinks, invite them over to test taste a new skinny appetizer you made! Not only will you save calories, but you'll save money too.

7. Don't drink your calories. As we already said, water is essential to weight loss. Stop drinking sodas (including diet) and ditch the fruit juices. Instead of a nutrient-stripped glass of OJ, eat an orange and drink a glass of water. If you're serious about weight loss, you should cut out alcohol as well. It's a drain of calories and you don't gain any nutrition from it.

8. Exercise whenever and wherever you can. Going to the gym is not a possibility for everyone — especially for busy moms. Instead, try doing this 5-minute routine before you take a morning shower. Then do some squats while you wait for the microwave, calf raises as you brush your teeth and lunges on your way to your car.

9. Purge your pantry. We don't encourage wastefulness, but when it comes to junk food, we say toss it. Open your pantry and get rid of all your salty snacks, sweets and any other unhealthy product. If you don't have it in the house, there's way less temptation to eat it.

10. Keep healthy snacks around. When you get hungry in the mid-afternoon, be ready! It's okay to snack, as long as it's a healthy choice. Try keeping a bag of baby carrots in your office fridge or a bowl of apples on your desk. That will keep you from getting a candy bar from the vending machine.

11. Try a new workout. By encouraging yourself to try something new, you're keeping yourself from getting bored and challenging your body in a new and exciting way. Test out a Zumba or Pilates class, or sign up for a class at a new fitness studio in town.

12. Don't be afraid to wiggle. If you sit at a desk all day, you probably aren't getting a whole lot of walking done. Swing your legs around, sit on a stability ball and just move around in general. It'll keep you from getting sleepy and will burn some extra calories in the process.

13. Budget your treats. If you know you'll be getting birthday cake tonight or a glass of wine with the girls, adjust your calorie intake. Eat a lighter dinner to make room for what you'll be having after. It's okay to have desserts when you're smart about it. Here's a great dessert that won't ruin your day of healthy eating!

chocolate-stuffed raspberries

14. Make skinny swaps. Skinny swaps are small but mighty ways to make your food healthier. That means using Greek yogurt in new ways, swapping applesauce for oil, and more!

15. Get fit with your family. Use your children as tools for fitness! Expand hide and seek to the second floor so you can take the stairs. Play Simon Says while holding a light pair of dumbbells. Make after-dinner walks a tradition. You can also introduce healthy food to the family; instead of cooking a healthy meal for yourself and something calorie-dense for them, make one meal that you can all enjoy together. It'll broaden your kids' palates and make dinnertime easier for you.

16. Take measurements. The scale isn't the only way to track progress. Measure your waist, neck, arms, calves, thighs and more, and then compare them after a month of working out! You should also consider taking before and after photos. No one else has to see them, but you'll be surprised by how different you'll look.

17. Get spicy. Spicy foods like cayenne pepper can help give your metabolism a boost! Try adding sriracha to your morning eggs and other spicy foods to keep everything moving! For more metabolism-boosting foods, click here.

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