Want to lose some extra pounds? Follow our simple tips to try and shift weight faster and more realistically.

Cut back on sugars and carbs

One of the most important steps is cutting back on sugars and carbs. Once you do this, your hunger levels reduce and you’ll eat much fewer calories. What happens is, instead of burning carbs for energy, your body uses stored fat.

Another great thing about eating fewer carbs is that it lowers your insulin levels and helps reduce bloating and water weight. Reducing sugar not only helps with weight loss, but it also decreases inflammation, boost your energy levels, and improves your ability to focus.

Eat protein, fat, and vegetables

Aim to include a protein, fat source, and low carb vegetables in each one of your meals. By doing this, you will bring your carb intake into the recommended daily range of 20 - 50 grams.

Good protein sources are whole eggs with yolk, beef, chicken, pork, lamb, etc., salmon, trout, shrimp, and other seafood. Eating a high-protein diet helps boost metabolism by 80 to 100 calories a day and can also reduce food cravings by up to 60%.

Low-carb vegetables consist of broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, avocadoes, tomatoes, kale, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, Swiss chard, lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans, celery, eggplant, onions, etc. Make sure you load up your plate with plenty of these veggies, they will keep you fuller for longer and you won’t go over your 20 - 50 net carbs per day.

Lastly, try to incorporate good fat sources, such as olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil and butter within your meals.

Exercise daily

Try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Exercising regularly will help you burn more calories, maintain your metabolism, and keep your heart healthy. To get better results, aim to do a cardio workout on most days, and do weight training 2 - 3 times a week. It’s best to choose an activity that you enjoy as you’re more likely to stick to it!

Examples of cardio workouts include walking, running, aerobics, cycling, and swimming.

Don’t skip breakfast

Skipping breakfast won’t make you lose weight. You could miss out on essential nutrients and you may end up snacking more throughout the day because you feel hungry!

Research suggests people who eat breakfast are slimmer because they tend to eat less during the day – particularly fewer high-calorie snacks. For healthy breakfast options, you could try: Apple pie porridge scrambled eggs with wholemeal toast, muesli, fruit, low-fat yogurt, or a smoothie. 

Eat smaller portions

Using smaller plates can help you eat smaller portions. By using smaller plates and bowls, you may be able to gradually get used to eating smaller amounts of food without going hungry. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain it's full, so eat slowly and stop eating before you feel full.

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