7 Small Habits That Can Help You Lose Weight

Christian Coulson
Updated: June 14, 2020
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Most people wanting to lose weight focus on eating less and moving more; however, without proper knowledge and a change in habits, this approach is bound to fail in the long-term.

Losing weight is about building sustainable healthy habits so that you can enjoy your life while reaching your fitness goals.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:

7 Small Habits That Can Help You Lose Weight

1. Write Down Your Week’s Meal Plan

A common reason people fail to stick to a weight loss plan is that they don’t have a structured plan.

Knowing which specific foods you’re going to eat during the week is completely different than saying “I’m just going to eat healthy.”

Instead of saying “I’m going to eat healthy this week,” say “I’m going to eat these foods this week.” You need to be specific about your goals.

Planning your meals ahead of time helps you stay on track by not letting you improvise. Plus, people tend to make unhealthy food choices when they’re pressed for time and aren’t prepared.

If you tend to have a hectic schedule, there are a few hacks for busy people you can do to keep losing weight.

My advice to you would be to set a few minutes each week to create your meal plan for the week.

Look for healthy recipes and go grocery shopping so you can have everything ready.

If you’re new to meal prepping, here’s an article I wrote about a few mistakes you might want to avoid.

2. Have an Eating Schedule

Your hunger hormones are influenced by your circadian rhythm and eating patterns.

Basically, if you’re constantly snacking or eating at random times each day, your body will send hunger signals at random times.

Instead, focus on having an eating schedule. For example, you can have breakfast at 7:00 am, lunch at noon, dinner at 6:00 pm, and go to bed at 9:00 pm.

Plan your meal times based on what works best with your schedule.

Changing eating patterns might be tough at the beginning as you might get random hunger attacks, but once your body gets used to it, you’ll be set!

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3. Take a Daily 30-Minute Walk

The power of walking is often underestimated by many, however, it’s one of the best habits to help you lose weight.

Making a 30-minute walk a daily habit will help you burn a few extra calories each week and keep your heart and lungs strong and healthy.

Here are 5 awesome tips to use walking for weight loss.

4. Have a High-Protein Breakfast Instead of a Sugary One

The common breakfast is often high in fast-digesting carbs and sugar.

Foods like pancakes, syrup, cereals, bagels, and white bread are not filling and are digested quickly. This will cause your blood sugar to spike and come down quickly, leaving you sleepy, and lethargic.

To offset this spike in blood sugar, add more protein to your breakfast to slow digestion.

Protein will help you stay full for longer, keep your energy levels stable, and give you a temporary boost in metabolism.

So try adding some high-protein foods, such as plain greek yogurt, whole eggs, egg whites, cheese, whey protein, and lean meats.

If you need more protein, you can even add some whey protein powder.

5. Drink More Water

One of the easiest habits to lose weight is to simply drink more water.

When you feel like snacking, drink a glass of water first, this may help prevent overeating.

In fact, studies (1) have shown that people who drink water before their meals tend to lose more weight than those who don’t.

Here’s a more in-depth article on how drinking more water can help you lose weight.

A good way to remind you of drinking water is to carry a reusable water bottle with you.

6. Brush Your Teeth After Each Meal

Brushing your teeth after each meal can help prevent snacking, which often leads to increased calories, and ultimately weight gain.

Interestingly, studies (2) have shown that the scent of peppermint alone can help reduce cravings and appetite, so consider brushing your teeth with a peppermint-flavored toothpaste.

Here’s a list of 8 natural appetite suppressants for weight loss you can explore.

7. Have a Well-Balanced Plate

A well-balanced plate will ensure that you get enough fiber, vitamins, minerals, help you stay full for longer, and reduce cravings.

Infographic of what your macro ratio should look in your plate.

Here’s a good rule to follow:

  • 40% of the plate should be filled with non-starchy vegetables.
  • 30% should be protein.
  • 15% healthy fats.
  • 15% carbohydrates.

Some non-starchy vegetables include asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. Proteins include tuna, tilapia, whole eggs, steak, beef, turkey, and chicken.

Healthy fats include avocado, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil.

Carbohydrates include sweet potatoes, whole grains, yams, and oats.

You can also explore my article about the 80/20 rule for weight loss.

6 Night Time Habits for Weight Loss

1. Leave Your Breakfast Ready

Mornings can get somewhat chaotic, don’t you think? Especially if you have to get your kids out of bed and make them get ready.

If you find yourself constantly rushing things in the morning consider leaving your breakfast ready the night before.

When pressed for time, it’s very easy to grab the first thing you find in the fridge and eat it, whether it is nutritious or not.

Eating foods low in nutrients, especially sugary foods, can cause you to feel tired and hungry very quickly.

A good night time habit for weight loss is to leave your breakfast ready the night before.

You can leave all the ingredients pre-cut for a veggie and fruit smoothie or do something a little more filling like overnight oats.

Here’s an article on how to plan your morning routine for weight loss.

2. Leave Your Lunch and Snacks Ready

Image of prepped meals.

In addition to leaving your breakfast ready, you may want to prep your lunch and snacks as well.

This will reduce the chances of you eating a high-calorie meal out and save you a few bucks as well, which is great if you’re losing weight on a budget.

When prepping your meals, focus on meals that contain nutrient-dense carbohydrates, at least one serving of green vegetables, and at least 20 grams of protein.

You can also prep healthier snacks, such as carrots, sugar-free jello, string cheese, and bell peppers.

Have leftovers you need to eat? Split them in separate containers at night so you have them ready to go in the morning.

Here is a set of Tupperware similar to the ones I use.

3. Leave Your Gym Bag Ready

If you typically train in the morning, you know how tempting it is to skip that workout, especially if you have to get up, make breakfast, and pick your gym clothes before going.

Instead, pack all your gym gear, and pick the clothes you’re wearing the night before.

It also helps if you already have a workout routine as well, and not going to the gym without a plan.

4. Make Your Mind Before Going to Bed

Another mistake many people make is to go to bed saying, “If I wake up with energy, I’ll go to the gym.”

If you go to bed with that mentality, chances are you won’t feel energized to go to the gym in the morning.

If you lack definite purpose you’ll hit that snooze button and go back to bed.

Instead, make your mind before going to bed, be confident and sure about the fact that you’ll wake up and go workout in the morning.

A tip is to set up your alarm and put it far away from your bed, that way you’ll be forced to get up to turn it off.

Here are 6 mindsets to avoid if you want to lose weight.

5. Meditate About Your Day

Image of a woman meditating.

Think about your food choices of the day, your workout, and everything you did or didn’t achieve that you said you would.

If you constantly find yourself ending your day with a lot of things you wanted to do but didn’t, it will serve as a wake-up call to get on it tomorrow and make change happen.

If, on the other hand, you find yourself accomplishing most of the things you had planned for the day, you’ll find yourself very motivated and building some momentum.

Here are 5 fantastic ways to stay motivated for weight loss.

6. Leave Your Water Ready

People often forget how important staying hydrated is.

Consider getting a water jug, or a water bottle and fill it the night before so it’s ready to go in the morning

Studies (1) have shown that drinking some water before eating can increase your sense of fullness, which can help you snack less, and keep you from overeating and gaining weight.

Aim to get at least 1/2 ounce of liquid per pound of body weight.

For example, a 200-pound person should drink at least 100 ounces of water.

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