When we think of weight loss, we think of a diet full of restrictions, leaving out certain food groups from our diet chart and thinking that this will do the trick. Unfortunately, that is not how it works. We have several myths regarding dieting and losing weight, and unless these tips are backed up by science, there’s no point in incorporating them into your daily lifestyle. Apart from exercising daily and following a nutritious diet, there are some other changes that we need to make in order to ensure that we lose the right amount of weight. What are these changes, you ask? Read on!

Get 7 to 9 Hours of Sleep

Are you a night owl? Well, you are in for trouble then. Experts recommend 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night so that the body can repair and get it ready for the next day. This is critical especially when you are working out daily. Our muscles need ample recuperation as much as the rest of the organs, and hence catching those zzz’s is a must. Getting enough sleep also helps in balancing the hormones. Research has shown that if we miss our sleep, then there is a rise in ghrelin (which controls our hunger) and fall in leptin (which controls our fullness) levels. So, we tend to feel hungrier and eat more. Another study indicated that sleeping a lot helps in lowering our BMI or fat mass.

Drink Plenty of Water

Keeping yourself hydrated all the time is the key to good health and aids in weight loss, too. Lack of water makes us fatigued and lethargic. Not only do we miss our workout sessions because of that but also reach out for high-calorie fast food. But most of us are clueless as to how much we should be drinking in a day, but here is one simple way. You can divide your body weight in half and that’s the amount in ounce that you should be having daily. In case you fail to drink enough, a good way to start is by cutting the amount in half and trying to have that amount by lunch and the other half by dinner. Sounds doable?

Set Small Goals

This is true for pretty much anything we do. Setting small goals keeps our hopes alive and helps us stay motivated in our journey. Hence, when you want to lose weight, always aim for smaller goals. Once you reach your goals, aim for something a bit higher. This will give a huge boost to your confidence level and also help you stay motivated. Similarly, keep your deadlines smaller as well. If you want to lose 20 pounds, aim for one pound every week.

Don’t Expect Things To Happen Overnight

Nothing happens overnight. Just like how your extra weight won’t be shed overnight, your habits will also take longer to go away. Do not change things forcefully as it will only increase your cravings for that particular food that you have shunned from your palate. For example, if soda is your poison and you have more than one can a day, try to restrict it to one first and then slowly try to not have it altogether. You need to maintain this as well. If you start having it again within a week, then you have not been successful. Remember that slow and steady wins the race here, too.

Increase Your Non-Exercise Activities

We already know that standing helps burn calories. If you can utilize these times and make the most of it then you will be able to lose calories that way. For example, instead of driving, walking, or cycling to your gym. Do the household chores, park far from office entrance, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk while talking on the phone, get up to walk every one hour – these will help you burn calories and help you lose weight faster.

These are some of the most basic and simple rules of weight loss, yet often, we forget to follow them and end up wondering what are we doing wrong. So, now you know. Sometimes, it is not enough to just eat right and exercise; you also need to do a few other things rightly. Only then, you will see some result.