The easiest tips that can help the pounds fall off, so easy you might not even think about them!

Losing weight is pretty simple. If you eat more than you burn, you gain weight, and if you eat less than you burn, you lose weight. Of course, this occurs over a period of time. However, with stress, a busy life, the temptation of calorie-packed foods and also emotional eating, it can be hard to consistently eat less than you burn to lose the weight you desire. But a few healthy food habits can keep you on the straight and narrow. Give these a try, and over time, watch the weight start to drop!

Limit snacking
When you reach for a 3pm biscuit, are you hungry or bored? When you grab a 11am chocolate bar, are you hungry or just tired? The snacks between meals can really rack up the calories, as often, they are lacking in nutrition and instead, filled with fats and sugars. Instead of snacking, eat three substantial meals a day that fill you up. You could even try brushing your teeth after meals as the minty, clean feel can help distract your mind from needing more food.

Drink up
Often, we can mistake thirst for hunger. To stop this happening, be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Herbal teas also work. Water not appealing? Infuse a water bottle with lemon and cucumber slices for a fruit kick to your H2O!

Pack in protein
Of the three macros – carbs, fats and protein – it is protein that makes us feel fullest. So, ensure that each of your meals contains a healthy portion of protein. This can include meat, fish, eggs, tofu, dairy foods and even beans, legumes and nuts. Although be wary of the fat content of nuts and certain dairy foods such as cheese.

Eat enough!
When you’re trying to lose weight, it can be easy to assume that cutting calories super low, is the best thing to do. However, when you cut calories too low, your body ends up starving and you’ll end up tired, grumpy and lacking any energy. This can then cause you to binge on sugary foods that provide a quick dose of energy. These foods often pack in a lot of calories, which then totally counteracts the good work you’ve been putting in!

Plan your meals
At the end of a long day, it can be easy to grab a quick takeaway for dinner. But processed foods provide little nutrition whilst also being packed with calories. So instead, spend some time at the weekend planning your week of meals. Buy the necessary ingredients and if you can, prepare food in advance and have it ready in the fridge or freezer. When you’re eating out, you might also want to check the menu beforehand and decide which food will be best for your goals. This can help to stop the eyes-bigger-than-stomach scenario which can lead us to order the most calorific (but tasty-looking) meal on the menu!

Don’t forget liquid calories
They’re easy to consume and often, we forget the calorie counts of drinks, but some liquids really do pack in calories. Milk, juices, smoothies, wine, beer and cocktails can all come in high on the calorie count, and may tip us over into a calorie excess, which as we know, over time, can lead to weight gain. A pint of beer can contain over 200 calories, a cup of full fat milk over 100 and a piña colada, over 500 calories!

–Article brought to you by TechnoGym