Last updated April 4, 2024
Losing weight can be a daunting task—but it really doesn’t have to be that way.
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While it does take some motivation and dedication, there are many different healthy lifestyle habits that you can incorporate into your daily routine to make it easier to maximize your weight loss and shed those pounds a little faster.
Here are my top eight ways to really maximize weight loss.
1. Switch up your exercise routine
Maximizing your workout for weight loss is one of the best and most effective ways to lose weight or shed those last few pounds.
Your exercise routine has a significant impact on your weight loss potential. If you create a larger calorie deficit you are able to lose weight faster. Studies show, however, that once you do the same workout for many weeks your body starts to get used to it so it plateaus.
Make sure to switch things up every so often to keep your body guessing. You could try a new class at the gym or set yourself a brand new workout routine.
2. Track your calorie intake
One of the most useful tools when it comes to weight loss is information and tracking your calorie intake can give you the numbers you need to maximize your weight loss.
It’s difficult to track calories just by trying to read the food labels. I highly suggest downloading a calorie tracker app such as My Fitness Pal, where you can easily record what you eat and keep track of the calorie numbers.
These apps can also help to give you a general idea of how many calories common foods you eat contain.
3. Watch your intake of fruit and starchy vegetables
Yes, starchy vegetables are healthy and they probably won’t be the first culprit of why you’re not losing weight.
If you’re at a place in your weight loss journey where you want to lose those final pounds, starchy vegetables could be something to watch out for.
These vegetables have a high starch content which makes them higher in carbohydrates and calories. They also have higher sugar content, too.
When eating them they will immediately make you feel more energized but due to their high-calorie content, they could be stopping you from maximizing your weight loss.
Some starchy vegetables to look out for are potatoes, corn, carrots, beets, yams and squash.
4. Avoid processed foods
Processed foods contain hidden fats and sugars that are difficult to track and that can hinder your weight loss. Many processed foods contain high GI carbohydrates resulting in increased energy for a few hours followed by a crash a little later.
The healthiest diets are those that are natural and non-processed and when trying to lose weight it’s wholesome, nutritious foods that we should be eating.
By avoiding processed foods not only are you in full control of what you’re eating, but you’re also avoiding many unnecessary chemicals, preservatives and additives that are bad for our health.
5. Plan your snacks
Snacking is a great way to keep your blood sugar levels steady throughout the day but it could also be hindering your weight loss. Excessive, unconscious snacking—the picking-on-nuts-all-day-at-your-desk kind of snacking—can actually be holding you back from achieving your weight loss goals.
While being healthy, snacks like nuts actually have a lot of calories and portion size is much smaller than you might expect. Other snacks like cereal bars can be loaded with sugar.
It’s best to treat snacking like a meal. Prepare yourself a small snack such as carrot sticks with hummus, enjoy it and when it’s gone it’s gone—you won’t be tempted to continue snacking through the afternoon.
6. Beware of drink calories
Drinks like juices, milk-based coffees and alcoholic beverages contain calories that might be keeping you from losing weight.
The average glass of juice, processed or natural, contains about 130 calories—similar to that of a small snack. A glass of wine contains between 150-200 calories. You can see how these might add up to potentially a quarter of your recommended daily calorie intake after just a few glasses.
There are, however, many delicious alternatives that are natural and virtually calorie-free. Herbal teas, kombucha, lemon or fruit-flavored water have few calories and make a fun alternative to just water.
7. Exercise in the morning
Exercise isn’t more effective at a particular time of day but exercising in the morning means that it’s done and dusted before anything else gets in the way.
This is one of my personal favorite hacks to make sure that I don’t skip workouts due to being too tired or too busy at the end of the day. Getting your workouts done consistently means you’ll be able to maximize your weight loss and achieve your goals.
8. Drink more water
You’re not going to lose weight just by drinking a few more glasses per day but water is an essential part of the human body.
Scientific studies have shown that staying hydrated affects the efficiency of how the body works and metabolizes calories. For example, in this 2016 study, research suggests that those who drink a couple of glasses of water before a meal eats less than those who didn’t.
Staying hydrated can help you to decrease appetite, burn fat and stimulate metabolism.
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