1. Drink more water

Drinking more water can actually help you lose weight. This is mainly because it helps to boost your metabolism, but obviously if you substitute other drinks like juice or fizzy drinks for water you’ll also be taking a lot of calories out of your diet without having to go hungry.

  1. Lift weights

This is a great way to burn calories, especially if you find cardio related exercises like cycling or running a bit boring. Lifting weights also releases antidepressant chemicals in the brain such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine.

  1. Control what you stock in your house

It’s a bit of a cliche, but you won’t eat it if you don’t keep it in the house! This can be difficult for whoever you live with, but hopefully if they are your significant other they’ll understand.

  1. More veg, less beige carbs

A recent BBC news article outlined a study conducted by Dr Faisal Maassarani which suggested that replacing what he described as ‘beige carbs’ (bread, pasta, potatoes and rice) with foods such as cauliflower rice, celeriac and sweet potatoes can have a wide variety of health benefits that aren’t just limited to preventing weight gain.

  1. Make sure you eat breakfast

It might be tempting to skip breakfast when you’re on a diet and you’ve got a busy day ahead of you, but you’ll probably end up craving all the foods you’re not supposed to eat if you do. Having a decent breakfast will make it easier to resist snacks and fast foods.

  1. Cut down on alcohol

Alcoholic drinks contain more calories than you might think. A bottle of beer contains about 200 calories, and there’s about 190 calories in a large glass of white wine. This equals about two and half digestive biscuits!

  1. Avoid snacking between meals

Sticking to a weekly food plan can help you to avoid snacking in between meals. Knowing what you’re eating and when you’re eating it allows you to build a routine around food.

  1. Find a sport or activity you actually enjoy!

Running can be a drag if you don’t enjoy it, but there are thousands of different things you can do to keep active, so keep looking if you haven’t found one you enjoy yet. Learning a new sport isn’t just good for your body, it’s good for your brain, too. Research has shown exercise can even help prevent some types of age-related cognitive decline including reduced hand-eye coordination and memory loss, leading to increased alertness and focus.

  1. Fit more walking in where you can

Do you use the car when you could walk? Taking public transport or walking to work instead could help radically increase the number of steps you take per week. This study looked at 60,000 workers in 55 countries who aimed to walk 10,000 steps every day for eight months. They ended up losing an average of 10 pounds each!

  1. If you’re having trouble, consider if prescription medication can help

Here at PostMyMeds, we offer Xenical and Orlistat, two similar weight loss medications that can be prescribed to people who have tried to lose weight through diet and exercise but need some extra help. Find out if you’re eligible by completing a quick and easy online consultation on our website. If you want to learn more, visit our weight loss treatments page.

Although all of our content is written and reviewed by healthcare professionals, it should not be substituted for or used as medical advice. If you have any questions about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Authored Jul 18, 2018 by Thomas Hall
Reviewed Dec 20, 2021 by Prabjeet Saundh, MPharm