Obesity has tripled worldwide since 1975. The risks to your health from being overweight are well-documented.

Dropping weight isn’t always easy but it is possible. It’s all about employing the proper strategies.

Looking for some healthy weight loss tips? Then keep on reading. We’re going to show you how to lose weight below.

1. Count Your Calories

If there’s one tip from this list that you’re going to follow, it should be this one: count your calories. Counting calories is important, as it ensures that you aren’t eating too much. If you eat more than your daily maintenance caloric intake, you will gain weight; there are no two ways about it.

Now, of course, this means that you have to find your maintenance intake. The question is: how do you go about doing this? Your best bet is to make use of a caloric intake calculator like this one right here.

Once you’ve input the necessary information, you’ll be provided with a calorie number. If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories than what is indicated in this calorie number.

Every 3,500 calories lost equals around a single pound. So, if you’re trying to lose one pound a week, you’ll need to eat 500 fewer calories than your suggested daily intake indicates.

To assist you in your calorie counting, you’re advised to make use of an app. MyFitnessPal is one of the best, as it enables you to quickly pull up a variety of foods from its massive nutritional database.

2. Do Cardio

When it comes to losing weight, no form of exercise is more important than cardio. Cardio is important not only for its ability to burn calories in real-time but for its ability to speed up the metabolism. Not to mention, it helps to reduce blood pressure.

There are all sorts of cardio that you can take part in. You can walk briskly, you can jog, you can ride a bike, you can play basketball. The more intensive the exercise, the more calories you’ll burn.

Generally speaking, it’s wise to do at least 30 minutes of cardio at least 5 days a week. Ideally, every 30 minutes will occur within one session. The less you break it up, the more calories you’ll go on to burn.

3. Lift Weights

Though you don’t have to lift weights in order to lose weight, you’ll find that doing so is beneficial. Not only does weightlifting burn calories as it’s occurring, but it also revs up the metabolism, helping to burn additional calories over time. Plus, a toned, muscular body tends to carry a greater aesthetic than a flat and flabby one.

You shouldn’t just jump into weightlifting without any guidance. Doing so is a surefire way to hurt yourself. What you should do instead is find either a friend or a trainer who can show you the ropes.

You might consider taking a look at this page as well. It will provide you with a list of weightlifting mistakes that you need to avoid.

4. Take it Easy on the Carbs

You need carbs. In fact, carbs make up a substantial percentage of every healthy person’s diet (they’re our primary source of energy).

That said, there is such a thing as too many carbs. If you consume too many carbs, you will gain weight. As such, if you’re looking to lose weight, you need to keep your carb intake to a minimum.

A good macronutrient split for weight loss looks something like this: 20-35% fat, 35-50% protein, and 25-45% carbs. Just as with counting your calories, you should use a phone app like MyFitnessPal in order to keep track of these metrics.

5. Count Your Steps

While you should be setting aside time for focused exercise sessions, you shouldn’t be limiting all of your physical activity to those sessions. There are plenty of other occasions during which you can burn calories, for instance, while you’re walking from place to place throughout the day.

Depending on where you live, you can walk anywhere from a mile to five miles a day without even noticing. Though you probably don’t think about it, these miles can go a long way in helping you to lose weight.

As such, when attempting to shed pounds, it’s wise to count your steps. By counting your steps with a fitness watch, you can set and work to reach daily goals for yourself. This will inspire you to get supplemental exercise on a daily basis.

6. Snack Throughout the Day

One of the biggest problems that human beings face when trying to lose weight is the problem of overeating. Because they’re trying to lose weight, these individuals will establish exceedingly strict diets.

While these diets may work for a while, at some point, they’ll become too restrictive. The person dieting will grow tired of not eating enough and then will binge food in an effort to satisfy his or her appetite. All of a sudden, three weeks of dieting are negated within three days.

The question is: how do you prevent this from happening? One of the best methods is to snack throughout each day. Instead of eating three large meals, eat six small meals instead.

By doing this, you keep your appetite satisfied. You never get so hungry that you impulsively gorge food. Weight loss is the result.

7. Cheat Your Diet from Time to Time

As was noted above, keeping a strict diet very often ends up being backfiring. Generally speaking, it’s wise to avoid strict diets like the plague. Sure, you want to follow some dietary guidelines, but you don’t want your diet to dominate your life; you’ll eventually be miserable for it and will start eating in excess as a reaction against it.

Instead of religiously maintaining your diet, you’re advised to throw in cheat days from time to time. By indulging in your favorite foods one day every two or three weeks, you can satisfy your culinary vices, and maintain your diet for the long-run.

That said, you don’t want to overeat. You can consume more calories than you do normally, but you don’t want to cancel out earlier progress. On your cheat days, try to eat no more than 150% of your typical caloric intake.

8. Plan Your Meals

When it comes to maintaining a maximum caloric intake number, eating spontaneously poses a huge danger. If you’re not careful, these additional foods can put you over your daily maximum intake very quickly.

In order to maintain an adequate caloric intake, you’re advised to plan your meals. Planning your meals allows you to count calories prior to consuming them. This provides you with ultimate control over your intake, ensuring that you’re not taking in more calories than you’re supposed to.

There are all sorts of meal planning resources out there. Apps like Make My Plate and PlateJoy will simplify the process for you, removing much of the stress.

9. Get Your Sleep

Sleep is not only vital to proper daily functioning, but it’s also hugely important as it pertains to weight loss. You need to make sure that you’re getting adequate sleep each and every night.

The body actually burns calories while it’s asleep; in fact, it burns more calories than it does while it’s awake (unless, of course, you’re engaged in exercise). So, the more sleep you lose, the fewer calories you’ll burn. The more sleep you get, the more calories you’ll burn.

Ideally, you’ll get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. This sleep should be uninterrupted (with the potential exception of a bathroom break) and should take place at around the same time every night.

10. Drink Plenty of Water

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of drinking water. Drinking water is important not only for hydration and mental functioning but for the physical processes of the body as well. The more smoothly the body’s physical processes are facilitated, the more calories it will burn.

There’s also the issue of appetite; water satisfies it. Conversely, dehydration inspires human beings to eat even more food. By keeping yourself hydrated, you’re more likely to stay away from calorie-increasing snacks.

How much water should you be drinking? For most individuals, eight 8-ounce cups of water a day is sufficient. Note, though, that if you’re on the large side, you’ll have to increase your intake.

Take Advantage of These Healthy Weight Loss Tips

If it’s healthy weight loss tips you seek, you needn’t look any further. This article has all of the tips you could ever need. Put them to good use and you’ll be burning fat on a consistent basis.

Seeking other health-related tips? Our website is the place to be. Check out our other articles now!