Achieving your desired body weight and optimal health can seem daunting as you contemplate about sacrifices that you need to go through. But you need not be discouraged.

The truth is, by just performing small changes to your daily routine, you can already make a huge impact on your transformation and take a step closer towards your goal.

How To Lose Weight Naturally

Never forget your breakfast

Starting your metabolism is an important factor towards your goal to lose weight. People often become hungry even if its hours before lunch. Eating a hearty breakfast would lessen if not stop the hunger pangs.

Consume carbohydrates during the early part of the day

Carbohydrates taken in the morning are more easily digested than those taken later in the day. Carb heavy meals at breakfast will be more helpful in keeping you fit.

Always take the stairs

Little do other people know, taking the stairs in lieu of the escalator and elevator can shrink your waist size by close to 2 percent in 12 weeks.

Understand your cravings

When you’re craving for some chocolate or candy, you might be just craving sugar. To get rid of this, you can eat some fruit instead. Learning what your body really wants will give you a clearer idea on better alternatives.

Eat, don’t drink calories

It’s easy to binge on calorie rich drinks so don’t waste your calories this way. Take note that one of the triggers of satiety is chewing, that’s 15 percent less calories if you eat an apple rather than drinking its juice. If you’re feeling like a sweetened drink, try fruit infused water such as lemon, lime or orange juice.

Always drink water before meals

Thirst can often be mistaken for hunger so before you reach for bread or any food, take first a glass of water. This will also help in your digestion.

Forget about soft drinks, drink green tea instead

Studies made for The Journal of Nutrition found that green tea can decrease a person’s body fat. This is also a great calorie-free alternative to soda if you need to take in caffeine.

Use smaller plates when you eat. Best if they’re blue

If you are prone to overeating, you should use smaller plates to limit the food portions you take to a more appropriate amount. The color blue can help by suppressing your appetite.

Know the content of your salad

A salad can be very deceiving; it is difficult to measure its calorie content by just looking at it. Though it’s true that the majority of its composition can be considered healthy, some optional ingredients like fatty salad dressings, can betray the real purpose of eating it in the first place. As much as possible, try to prepare your own and steer away from fast-food salads which are often smothered in mayonnaise and garnished with fried meat.

Eat at a slower pace

Consuming your food at a slower pace will give your stomach time to digest properly. This will also help you sense how your stomach feels and recognize if you are already full.

Summing Up

There you have it, 10 straightforward tips to help you lose and maintain a healthy weight. Forget about short-term crash dieting and make 2016 your healthiest (and lightest) year in quite some time, without resorting to fad diets!