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Dr Clare Morrison

Article by Dr Clare Morrison

Five Easy Changes To Lose Weight


Losing weight can seem like a challenge at the best of times. But just a few, straightforward daily changes can make all the difference. It’s easy to overcomplicate things; in a nutshell, losing weight comes down to not consuming more calories than your body needs. Often, the most successful weight loss plans revolve around making realistic, sustainable changes you can make to your lifestyle.

Successful weight loss is also about determination. Unless you really want to get your weight down, it’s unlikely you’ll succeed!

Here are five easy changes you can make to lose weight…

1.Don’t snack between meals. We’ve all been there. You’ve been eating healthily for a while, get a sugar craving, and before you know it, you’ve eaten two chocolate bars and a doughnut! Such is life. However, unfortunately, these cravings can come at the worst times – like in the middle of the night – when it’s harder to burn off these excess calories. Also, before you know it, unhealthy snacking will become a habit. It’s best to not even think about doing this, until you’ve succeeded in meeting your weight loss goals and maintained them for a while. If you have to snack, it’s best to stick to carrots and celery sticks.

2. Exercise. It’s hard to keep track of how many calories you’re burning off unless you properly measure it. And it’s easiest to do this at the gym. As mentioned above, weight loss comes down to calories in, calories out. Employing a personal trainer to help you keep on top of this is helpful. He/she will also know what type of exercise is best for your body type – be it cardio, weights, biking etc. If you hate the gym (fair enough), you could try functional workouts like running or biking to work.

3. Keep on top of your triggers. There are some times of the day when you’ll be more vulnerable to snacking than others. For example, the middle of the night, after work, after the gym etc. Try to identify these and ensure that you have a way to combat them.

4. Drinking water. Drinking water increases the amount of calories you burn – this is known as ‘resting energy expenditure’. A study of overweight and obese children found a 25 percent increase in resting energy expenditure after drinking cold water. There are also other health benefits – drinking water gives you a glowing complexion and all-round health.

5. Portion control. It may sound obvious, but controlling your portions is key to losing weight. In the modern era, we frequently receive big portions in restaurants and serve them up at home. However, humans can function on much smaller portions, so it’s key to keep them down. You can do this by using smaller plates and advising waiters etc as to your ideal portion size.

So there you are, a few simple ways to keep your weight down. These tricks aren’t too difficult – in fact they’re pretty easy to follow in your everyday life. Weight loss doesn’t have to be hugely complicated – good luck!

MedExpress can help you with your weight loss goals – contact our friendly team today.

Dr Clare Morrison
Dr Clare Morrison
Experienced General Practitioner in Hampshire since 1995, with particular interest in Nutrition, Obesity and Smoking Cessation.
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Originally published August 02 2017, updated July 05 2019