Want to lose weight and keep it off? Three things to add to your daily routine now
IF you're trying to shed the pounds, the decisions you make throughout the day are key.
But there are a few things you can add to your daily routine that can really set you up for success - and maximise your weight loss - according to a new study.
Experts analysed almost 5,000 members of WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers, who lost an average of three and a half stone and kept it off for more than three years.
They compared them to a control group of more than 500 people with obesity and who reported not gaining or losing more than half a stone for a period of greater than five years.
And the researchers, from California Polytechnic State University, found three things were key in maximising weight loss in the WW members.
These included making healthy choices, recording what was eaten each day and remaining positive.
Here, we take you through what the researchers found and how to incorporate their tips into your diet...
1. Make healthy choices
Eating a healthy, balanced diet and making sure you're not going overboard on calorie intake is integral to losing weight.
In particular, the new research showed that people who made healthy choices and gave up processed foods and sugar were able to stay on track with their weight loss journey.
Suzanne Phelan, a public health professor who led the study, said: "People who maintained their successful weight loss the longest reported greater frequency and repetition in healthy eating choices.
"Healthier choices also became more automatic the longer people continued to make those choices.
"These findings are encouraging for those working at weight loss maintenance. Over time, weight loss maintenance may become easier, requiring less intentional effort."
2. Track what you eat
The experts found that recording the food you eat is key when it comes to blitzing body fat.
In particular, the WW members who tracked their food daily lose more weight compared to those who didn't.
There are plenty of free apps you can download including MyFitnessPal, which calculates your daily calorie intake and allows you to log what you eat throughout the day from a nutrition database of over six million different foods.
The best weight loss apps to help you shed pounds fast
1. MyFitnessPal - calculates your daily calorie intake and allows you to log what you eat throughout the day from a nutrition database of over six million different foods - including many restaurant dishes that are not always easy to track.
2. LoseIt! - generates your daily calorie needs and a personalised weight loss plan through an analysis of your weight, age and health goals.
3. Edo - helps you better navigate all the different groceries while you're out food shopping.
4. Yummly - analyses your dietary preferences, cooking abilities and favourite food to give you a list of recipes that would fit your taste and lifestyle.
5. Beachbody UK - provides dozens of easy-to-follow meal plans and recipes that you can customise to reach your fitness goals.
6. FitYou - allows you to challenge your mates or family to join in and help your weight-loss journey.
7. Happy Scale - helps you understand why that figure can fluctuate, including hormonal fluctuations and poop habits.
8. Couch to 5K - gets people who have never run before off the sofa and burning calories.
It will also help you understand how the portions of food you eat each day stack up in comparison to one another.
One of MyFitnessPal’s useful features is its barcode scanner, which is a hassle-free way to enter the nutrition information of some packaged foods.
It also has a message board where you can connect with other users to share tips and success stories.
3. Use positive self-talk
Positive thinking and remembering past successes can play a significant role in weight loss efforts, researchers found.
Positive thoughts are particularly motivating while a negative attitude can make losing weight difficult - if not impossible.
Beating yourself up every time you eat the wrong foods, obsessing about what you can’t eat and approaching your exercise routine with a sense of dread are all ways that negative thought patterns can sabotage your weight loss journey.
However, acknowledging those feelings and those thoughts into something more positive can actually help you reach your goals.
Successful weight loss is associated with a variety of health benefits
Suzanne Phelan, California Polytechnic State University professor
WW members are encouraged to keep goals, inspiring images, affirmations and quote cards where you can see them.
They're also told to celebrate every "win" - no matter how small they seem.
So if you said no to a second slice of pizza, or skipped that slice of cake during your lunch break - you need to give yourself the credit you deserve.
There you have it - if you incorporate these three things into your daily routine you're bound to stay on track with your weight loss journey.
As Dr Phelan, lead author of the study, published in the journal Obesity, said: "Successful weight loss is associated with a variety of health benefits.
"The improved quality of life observed among the successful weight losers in this study may serve as an important motivator for people working at long-term weight management."