Whether you’re at the very start of a major weight loss journey or struggling to shift the last few stubborn pounds, slimming down can feel like a real challenge.
There’s a temptation to overhaul your entire life – signing up to daily spin classes and pledging to cut out all your favourite foods – but this kind of promise is notoriously hard to keep.
Rather than drastically changing your lifestyle, many experts advise making small but significant changes.
While rapid weight loss techniques guarantee dramatic results in a matter of weeks, the methods are often unsustainable and, even more importantly, unsafe – think crash diets that deprive your body of essential nutrients.
On the other hand, a slow and steady strategy is more likely to stick, and as we know, maintaining your results is half the weight loss battle.
Fitness coach Laura Coen (@lauracoenfit) took to TikTok to share how people can lose weight in “the easiest, laziest way possible”.
“You do not need to change your entire life to change your life,” she told slimmers.
“It’s about small habits you can stay consistent with, that are ultimately going to make massive changes.”
Water has a myriad of weight loss benefits
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GETTYEncouraging slimmers to up their water intake, the expert explained that H20 is essential for bodily function.
What’s more, it’s not uncommon to mistake thirst for hunger, so reaching for a glass of water before heading to the snack cupboard will often give you a clearer picture of how peckish you are.
Health experts at Medical News Today add that water increases calorie-burning, removes waste from the body, can reduce overall liquid intake, optimises workouts, and is neccessary to burn fat.
You don’t have to embark on an intense fitness regimen – upping your step count is a great start
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GETTYIn the Eatwell Guide, the Government recommends people aim to drink six to eight glasses of fluid a day.
You may need more if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, in a hot environment, physically active for long periods, or ill or recovering from illness.
As well as drinking more water, the expert advised slimmers to implement “bare minimum habits”.
Rather than starting (and swiftly stopping) an intense workout regime that you’ve never done before, simply aim to up your step count.
Ms Coen advised: “Walk to work, maybe get off the bus a stop early and walk the rest of the way. Get up an hour early and go for a walk. Walk to the supermarket and walk back.”
The fitness coach particularly enjoys going for a 10 to 15-minute walk after meals to aid digestion and prevent blood sugar spikes.
Walking is a form of low-intensity, steady-state cardio, which puts you in that “fat-burning zone”, the expert revealed.
It’s free, accessible to almost everyone, and can be done anywhere and at any time, so it’s easy to fit into your day.
For an additional challenge, adding incline, weights, or exploring a different terrain could boost your calorie burn.