Find out how Habits like drinking cold water, taking a walk, and intermittent fasting could help you achieve effortless weight loss.
Feb 2022. This article is independently written by Shelby Golding. All opinions given are hers. Shelby has been certified as a personal trainer and nutritional specialist since 2007. In 2008, she found her passion for writing about these topics and hasn't looked back.
Even if you try all the weight loss tips and tricks on the internet, you still might not see a difference in your waistline. The true secret to weight loss is not what you eat, how often you exercise, or how many calories you consume. If you want results, you need to make weight loss a part of your lifestyle.
A weight loss lifestyle incorporates techniques that help your body shed pounds naturally without too much effort on your part. The number on the scale is not a foolproof indicator of health. The average adult's weight fluctuates 5 or 6 pounds in a single day. Focus on making healthy, lasting changes, and you will lose weight without watching the scale.
Easy Lifestyle Changes for Weight Loss
Instead of stressing over the scale, use these five easy lifestyle changes to create lasting results in both your weight and overall health.
1. Drink Cold Water
Drinking cold water is a simple shift that can dramatically change your weight. Primarily because proper hydration is essential for a healthy body. People who are well hydrated are less likely to develop obesity and other life-threatening diseases.
Our bodies also need water to metabolize stored fat and carbohydrates. It helps our muscles, tissues, and joints move smoothly and supports healthy digestion by eliminating waste faster.
Cold water is especially efficient for weight loss because your body expends extra calories heating the water for digestion. While you only burn about eight extra calories per 8-ounce glass, these extra calories build up over the day. For example, if you drink ten glasses of cold water a day, you’d burn 80 more calories than you might have otherwise!
Our bodies also need water to metabolize stored fat and carbohydrates. It helps our muscles, tissues, and joints move smoothly and supports healthy digestion by eliminating waste faster.
Cold water is especially efficient for weight loss because your body expends extra calories heating the water for digestion. While you only burn about eight extra calories per 8-ounce glass, these extra calories build up over the day. For example, if you drink ten glasses of cold water a day, you’d burn 80 more calories than you might have otherwise!
2. Take a Walk
Walking is a beneficial, low-impact exercise that will help you lose inches from your waistline. Unfortunately, an estimated 80% of Americans sit at a desk all day for work. While most people will take time out of their day to eat or chat with coworkers, most wouldn't even consider taking a break for a short walk.
Most people can fit a short walk into their day, whether it's walking your dog in the morning or a brief walk around the block in the evening after dinner. Walking is also efficient at burning belly fat, one of the most stubborn and noticeable types of body fat. Belly fat is a risk factor in conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The less belly fat you have, the less chance you have of developing these common health issues.
The best part about walking for weight loss is that you do not need to commit to too much upfront — even fifteen minutes of walking burns about 70 calories. But stay consistent and try to walk every day to see real results.
Most people can fit a short walk into their day, whether it's walking your dog in the morning or a brief walk around the block in the evening after dinner. Walking is also efficient at burning belly fat, one of the most stubborn and noticeable types of body fat. Belly fat is a risk factor in conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The less belly fat you have, the less chance you have of developing these common health issues.
The best part about walking for weight loss is that you do not need to commit to too much upfront — even fifteen minutes of walking burns about 70 calories. But stay consistent and try to walk every day to see real results.
3. Try Intermittent Fasting
Whether you reduce the number of calories you eat at night or consume a liquid breakfast in the morning when you wake up, extending the hours between your first and last meal is an easy way to lose weight.
If you think about it, our bodies can't burn fat by constantly filling it with fuel. If it never needs to tap into the fat reserves, that stubborn belly weight will never go away. Overnight fasting of 16 hours (or more) lowers blood sugar and insulin levels, forcing our body to use fat stores for energy.
However, intermittent fasting is not for everyone. Try it for a few weeks to see how your body responds. Suppose you find yourself ravenously hungry during the fasting hours. In that case, it's better to listen to your body than follow a diet that isn't working for you.
If you think about it, our bodies can't burn fat by constantly filling it with fuel. If it never needs to tap into the fat reserves, that stubborn belly weight will never go away. Overnight fasting of 16 hours (or more) lowers blood sugar and insulin levels, forcing our body to use fat stores for energy.
However, intermittent fasting is not for everyone. Try it for a few weeks to see how your body responds. Suppose you find yourself ravenously hungry during the fasting hours. In that case, it's better to listen to your body than follow a diet that isn't working for you.
4. Get Rid of Unnecessary Liquid Calories
When you look at your diet, how much of your daily caloric intake is from beverages? Liquid calories are often referred to as empty calories because they lack nutritional value. The most common culprits are alcohol, juice, and soda.
One study suggests that cutting liquid calories from your diet can result in more weight loss than cutting calories from solid foods. Researchers speculate that this is because liquid foods are less likely to satisfy our hunger.
If you compare apple juice to an actual apple, you might see why. An apple in solid form contains fiber which helps the body feel full. In contrast, apple juice gives us the sugars, vitamins, and minerals without any of the substance.
If you exchange every calorie-heavy liquid in your diet with a glass of water, you will be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle. However, if you do indulge in liquid calories, choose those with added nutritional value (such as a green juice) over those with little to none (like a soda).
5. More Produce, Less Meat
A simple way to lose weight is to start eating a plant-based diet. We use the word “simple” instead of easy because some people might not find this a straightforward change to make. But if you are serious about weight loss, cutting out or reducing meat consumption is something you should consider.
Not only are most animal products calorie-dense, but they also contain unhealthy saturated and trans fats. The American Heart Association recommends a diet with less than 5-6% of saturated fats and no trans fats to lower your risk of developing heart disease.
Plants, legumes, and whole grains are all heart-healthy foods filled with essential vitamins and minerals. In addition, the fiber in vegetables and whole grains helps you feel full longer without adding extra calories. While the shift may be difficult initially, you will start to feel and see a difference in your weight within a week of starting a fully plant-based diet.
Not only are most animal products calorie-dense, but they also contain unhealthy saturated and trans fats. The American Heart Association recommends a diet with less than 5-6% of saturated fats and no trans fats to lower your risk of developing heart disease.
Plants, legumes, and whole grains are all heart-healthy foods filled with essential vitamins and minerals. In addition, the fiber in vegetables and whole grains helps you feel full longer without adding extra calories. While the shift may be difficult initially, you will start to feel and see a difference in your weight within a week of starting a fully plant-based diet.
Go Slow
Many of our food habits go all the way back to childhood and will not change overnight. Lifestyle changes require perseverance and commitment. Of course, we want to meet our weight loss goals, but overall health and wellbeing should always come first.
To make a lasting change, adopt one of two healthy habits a month and build up over time. Go as slow as necessary to make the changes permanent.
And if you’re sometimes held back by chronic pain, which can make focusing on weight loss incredibly difficult, use your Kailo patch to support your efforts.
Kailo is designed to relieve pain in seconds, and it is theorized to work by interfering with the body’s electrical system. It’s easy to apply and you can learn more about the promising results from our clinical trial.
To make a lasting change, adopt one of two healthy habits a month and build up over time. Go as slow as necessary to make the changes permanent.
And if you’re sometimes held back by chronic pain, which can make focusing on weight loss incredibly difficult, use your Kailo patch to support your efforts.
Kailo is designed to relieve pain in seconds, and it is theorized to work by interfering with the body’s electrical system. It’s easy to apply and you can learn more about the promising results from our clinical trial.
If you don’t already have Kailo in your life, buy your Kailo patch today and breathe a sigh of relief tomorrow.
Disclaimer: Kailo should not be used if you have a pacemaker or if you are pregnant. Always consult your doctor or health care professional before using Kailo.
