14 Easy Hacks for Losing Weight

Losing weight and getting healthy isn't something that you have to do on your own. Many people find that joining a program, such as Weight Watchers, can help you enact real, practical steps and keep you accountable.

Sure, you might not feel like taking a picture of yourself at the start of your journey, but trust us, you should. On the days you are feeling discouraged, you will have a visual reminder of the progress you are making, even when the changes are too small for you to notice!

Losing weight might be as easy as not necessarily changing what you eat, but when you eat. Intermittment fasting (IF), takes many forms, but it boils down to restricting your eating hours to a certain amount of time.

Some people choose to do full-day fasts every week, while some fast every other day. The most popular version is to restrict eating to a certain time frame, such as a window of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Studies suggest that IF can contribute to weight loss, and may have other health benefits as well, so it's worth looking into and talking with your doctor about to see if it could be right for you.

It may not be the most convenient thing ever, but studies have proven that writing down or tracking what you eat does contribute to weight loss. Whether it helps you to be more mindful about what you're actually consuming or more careful about selecting healthy foods isn't exactly clear, but either way, it works!

You can use old-fashioned pen and paper to track, or use a free app like MyFitnessPal, which includes many foods from restaurants that you can easily select, too.

You've probably heard of this hack before, but have you really incorporated it into your daily routine? Drinking more water sounds like such a simple step that you may overlook actually taking it seriously. But drinking at least 16 ounces of water before eating has been associated with weight loss.

As an added benefit, proper hydration has a lot of other health benefits as well, so drinking more water during the day is certainly a win-win.

Many health advocates promote ditching diets and weight-based goals and, instead, turning to intuitive eating. The awareness-based eating system focuses on learning to recognize your own hunger cues.

One of the most important strategies you can choose for bettering your health is to focus on fat loss, not weight loss. That's because if you focus on weight alone, you might actually burn off muscle instead of fat — and that's probably not something you want.

Eating more protein is associated with not only losing more weight, but also maintaining that lower weight. One study found that aiming for 25 to 30 grams of protein at every meal can have a significant impact on weight loss.

If you're wondering what the heck that amount of protein actually looks like in real life, you could reach that amount by eating a smoothie with protein powder for breakfast, a salad with lots of black beans, tofu, and quinoa for lunch, and a 3-ounce portion of chicken breast for dinner (26 grams).

It's a fact: Strength training, combined with a healthy diet, is the single most effective way to burn off fat and reach a healthy-for-you weight. You can start at home with free YouTube videos and some dumbbells, or join a gym to take advantage of free sessions with a trainer, so you can make sure to have proper form and technique.

There is some evidence that exercise that focuses on high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is actually more effective than longer, cardio-focused exercise. This is good news for people with limited amounts of time, including parents and busy professionals, as you can get a full-body, effective workout in 30 minutes.

Sure, certain exercises might help you lose weight, but do you know what's more important? Finding an activity that gets you moving and having fun. Your health is made up of so much more than your weight, so if weight-lifting or high-impact moves are just not your thing, keep experimenting with exercises until you find something you enjoy. There are so many ways to move your body, from dancing to yoga to simply walking your dog. Find something you love to do — not stuff you dread.

While meal planning can be an effective way to lose weight, it can also be a very tedious and time-consuming process. Instead of strictly focusing on meal planning — especially if you have kids or a busy schedule — you can also try incorporating more food prep into your routine. Taking some time out to prep healthy base ingredients — such as chopped peppers, baked chicken, pre-portioned nuts, or hard-boiled eggs — can go a long way toward helping you reach your weight-loss goals more easily.

If you're trying to stick to a nutrition plan or reach some weight-loss goals, but still want to be sure to get out and enjoy social time, it can be helpful to peruse restaurant menus online ahead of time. That way, you can see all of the offerings, get the full calorie and nutritional information, and feel confident about choosing food that will help you reach your goals before you are tempted by that menu picture of mozarrella sticks.

Skip the impulse purchases when hungry shopping by ordering your groceries online for pickup or delivery. The extra fee may be worth it to help you stick to your meal plan, see exactly what you're ordering, and free up time for you to fit in that workout, too.