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There’s a lot of advice online about losing weight. So much, in fact, that if you’re just starting out, you’re likely to give up because you have no clue how to actually begin. Every diet seems complex and every workout sounds excruciating. But here’s the thing – it doesn’t have to be this hard.
It’s actually quite simple. If you want a sustainable way to lose weight and get fit, you don’t have to miserably transition to keto and give up bread and pasta forever. Nor do you have to spend two hours a day in the gym lifting weights. Instead, all you have to do is focus on these three things.
Eat less carbs & sugar
So it turns out those folks on keto definitely have the right idea. Lowering your carbs will definitely help you lose weight – but if you like sugary and starchy foods, quitting carbs cold turkey is next to impossible. And that’s why it’s so hard to stick to.
Instead, ease yourself into lowering your carb intake daily by grabbing one less slice of bread, replacing pasta and rice with whole grain versions, and opting for less pasta or potatoes with your dinner. Sugar is also a huge source of carbs, so skipping dessert and sodas go a long way too.
Basically, any small move you can make towards reducing carbs will work for you, as long as you keep at it consistently and reduce more and more as time goes.
Eat more protein & vegetables
Without even reducing the size of your meals, trading up carbs and replacing them with protein and vegetables will help you lose weight. Protein not only preserves muscles, it can help you feel fuller longer, so you miss carbs less. And vegetables have so few calories that you can eat larger portions without having much impact on your overall goals.
The more organic you can go when it comes to protein and vegetables, the better. Otherwise, you might be stuck with a highly processed version that is laden with sugar to be more appealing. And don’t forget that protein isn’t just meat. Eggs, dairy, beans and nuts are also great options.
Exercise regularly
Finally, there’s exercise. You don’t absolutely need exercise to lose weight if you’re dieting, but it certainly helps and it provides other psychological benefits as well. And while you don’t have to be pumping iron for 2 hours a day in the gym, getting started with just a few minutes a day can work wonders for your body.
If it’s your first time exercising, just 10-15 minutes a day of aerobic exercise is a great start. As you get more comfortable and it gets easier, you can go longer and start weight training. If you feel comfortable going to a gym, then do so. Otherwise, you can still get great results at home with online workout programs and a few key pieces of equipment.
1% better everyday
It’s really easy to get sucked into the idea that you have to go on a strict diet and stick to a crazy workout regime to get fit, but it’s simply not true. All you have to do is work at getting yourself 1% better every day.
Most importantly, don’t beat yourself up if you indulge in a burger one day instead of the salad you had in mind, or skipped exercising because you were busy or tired. Just commit to getting back to it the next day or as soon as you possibly can. And feel free to invest in a few good tools to help make breaking the habit harder the next time around.
Changing your body and habits take time, but if you stick to it, you’ll look back a year from now and see how far you’ve come. Good luck on your journey!
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