Weight Loss for Women: You Can Break These 5 Rules and Still Lose Weight

Many women find it difficult and frustrating to lose weight, and it doesn’t help that there is so much conflicting information on the internet, TV advertisements, books and magazines. Sifting through all the information out there can be so overwhelming at times, but it doesn’t have to be. By sticking to basic weight loss strategies, you will be able to take it one step at a time, one pound at a time, and eventually reach your ideal weight in a relatively short amount of time. However, to make this happen, you need to start with an easy-to-follow, realistic fitness and nutrition plan. If you need help with this, you can always seek the expertise of a nutritionist or a personal trainer.

Again, sticking to a basic weight loss plan is your best bet and the least complicated. The basic weight loss strategy involves clean eating and burning more calories than you consume. How can you replicate this process in the easiest way? You can use free app tools like My Fitness Pal or Lose It. Both will show you how to track your calories, your fitness, and find your “sweet spot” with intake, so you can learn to lose weight the healthy way.

To help you lose weight while still enjoying the foods you love, there are rules you can break and still lose weight.

Rule #1: Don’t eat late at night

This is one rule you can break pretty easily and still come out on top.  Remember, it is a simple formula: calories in and calories out. As long as you stick to your calorie limits, those calories can be consumed any time of the day or night as long as you don’t go over. However, you should try to consume most of your calories earlier in the day when you’re more active.

Rule #2: Be a member of the clean plate club!

Yes, your mother preached to you about the starving children in Africa who would gladly eat what you left on your plate. But, if you can’t finish all the food on your plate, it doesn’t mean that it will go to waste. Simply save what is left for later, or save it for another meal during the week. Forcing yourself to eat when you’re not hungry will only create bad eating habits and unwanted weight gain.

Rule #3: Eat at the same time every day

This might work if we stuck to the standard 3 meals per day, but many experts suggest that to stabilize our blood sugar and eliminate insulin spikes, we should divide our intake into 6 smaller meals per day. You can set a schedule if you like, but it is not vital to your weight loss if you don’t. Most people don’t always stick to the standard and occasionally skip meals or eat later, and that is OK because occasional fasting helps your system use up extra calories and lowers your insulin levels.

Rule #4: Restrict all carbohydrates

The low-carb movement introduced us to limiting or cutting out all carbohydrates to induce a state of ketosis where your body burns fat for fuel. While this may work temporarily, it is very hard to stick to this way of eating for very long. You eventually become bored and end up craving the foods you are missing. An alternative for this would be to consume high-water content, nutrient-dense complex carbs like celery, asparagus, cucumbers, kale, spinach, and zucchini, and low-sugar, fiber-rich fruits like apples, melons, pomegranate, and mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries). You can find recipe substitutions for your favorite meals that lower the carb counts without eliminating it completely.

Rule # 5: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

While breakfast can help to boost your metabolism and jump-start your day, it’s good to occasionally shake up your routine. Skipping breakfast on occasion can facilitate fat burning and allow your body to heal. Just don’t fast too often, as it can cause your metabolism to slow and stall your weight loss progress. If you get in the habit of skipping meals or not consuming enough calories, your body will go into starvation mode and begin storing calories as fat for later.  

There are many diet programs out there for women looking to lose weight. Your main goal, however, should be to follow a healthy eating plan that you can stick with for the long-term. Don’t fall for the short-term, quick fix fad diets, which many people find too restricting and ultimately end up derailing their weight loss efforts. Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up all your favorite treats. Life is too short for that, so go ahead and enjoy that piece of chocolate or glass of wine. You’re much more likely to lose weight and keep it off using this approach. Just keep it in moderation and watch the portions!

If you watch television or read things on the internet, you will no doubt understand that there are many myths associated with weight loss. Big diet industry names have capitalized on that to make money from our misunderstanding of the issue. If you follow the tips outlined above, you will lose weight in the easiest way possible and without spending a ton of money. You will be lighter, healthier, and happier in your new lifestyle.