10 Tips to Prevent Excess Weight Gain
How are you feeling about your health and fitness lately? Do you want to improve your overall wellness, but don’t know where to start? No matter what your reasons are for wanting to get healthier, it’s never too late to start! Make sure you take advantage of the following 10 tips to prevent excess weight gain that will keep you on track and help you reach your goals faster.
1) Eat 1,000 calories less than you need
Reducing your caloric intake by just 1,000 calories can help you lose a healthy and safe amount of weight. It might seem like a lot, but most people don’t need that many calories in order to maintain their weight. Work with your doctor or a registered dietitian to determine how many calories you should eat each day based on your lifestyle and activity level.
2) Exercise Every Day
You might have been thinking, How many times per week should I exercise? The answer depends on your goal, but it also depends on your health and fitness levels. If you’re just starting out, stick with every other day. Once you get more fit and have a few weeks under your belt, advance to three days per week. If you’re already pretty fit and looking for a challenge, try four or five days of exercise.
3) Track your Calories/Exercise
If you find that your weight is creeping up, don’t panic. Instead, try to figure out why it’s happening—and get back on track by getting a handle on your diet and exercise levels. To prevent too much weight gain, keep a log of how many calories you consume and how many steps you take each day; if necessary, make some small changes in what and how much you eat or in how much you exercise.
4) Drink Lots of Water
Your body is made up of a large percentage of water. Water flushes toxins from your body, maintains an even temperature, and even helps prevent muscle cramps. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day for best results. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to stay properly hydrated at all times.
5) Sleep 7–8 Hours
One of body boss’s (your) main responsibilities is regulating your body’s internal clock. Lack of sleep throws off your circadian rhythm, which can lead to weight gain. Aim for seven to eight hours a night, though even if you hit six, you should still be in good shape. And remember: sleep quality is more important than quantity—if it takes you an hour and a half to fall asleep at night instead of 15 minutes, so be it.
6) Figure Out What Works For You
Rather than just mindlessly following a general workout, spend time figuring out what’s best for you. Your body is your boss, so listen to it—and give it what it needs.
7) Keep a Journal
Whether you’re a gym rat or a couch potato, it can be helpful to keep a journal of your fitness activities. Start by jotting down how often you exercise and what exercises you do each day. Over time, these notes will show that consistency is one of the most important components of successful weight management—and will give you a great sense of pride as well!
8) Consume Fewer Carbohydrates
When you consume too many carbohydrates, your body has trouble utilizing all of them. This leads to a buildup of glucose, which then turns into fat in your body’s adipose tissue. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s a good idea to reduce carbohydrate intake and consume more protein in its place. Research has shown that people who eat less carbs have better long-term body composition results.
9) Avoid Overeating Sugar/Starch
If you’re trying to avoid excess weight gain, it’s helpful to monitor your intake of sugar and starch. Typically, sugar and refined carbs have little or no nutritional value, so if you eat too much, they can put a drain on your body.
10) Avoid Snacking
If you’re trying to prevent excess weight gain, it’s best not to go overboard with snacking. Snacking is often a habit we fall into by accident—we get hungry and seek out food without even realizing we’re doing so—and before we know it, we’ve eaten our way through an entire bag of chips.
