Lifestyle

If weight-loss is a goal of yours, there’s plenty of things you can do to achieve it like adding more veggies in your diet, focusing on strength-building exercises, and being more active. But one of the most important things you can do to reach your goals is to pay attention to what you eat. 

I’m not going to tell you what foods you need to cut out, rather let’s focus on what you can add in. Adding foods into your diet that are nutrient-rich and healthy can significantly promote weight loss.

While there are always certain kitchen staples I keep on hand, the grocery list I made on PopSugar is geared toward losing weight. Some of the things I suggest including on your next grocery store visit are chia seeds, salsa, fruits and veggies, lean meats, fish, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and quinoa.

You can get a more in-depth look here as to why I’ve added those particular items to the list and how they help you lose weight.

When planning out what you’re eating for your meals, it’s important to understand that some foods are better for you than others given the time of day. When thinking about dinner and food you eat before sleeping, there are some foods that will help you achieve a restful night’s sleep, while others that may deter you from that and come in the way of any health and weight-loss goals you may have.

There are six particular types of food and drink to avoid once evening hits: sweets, high-carb foods, soda, coffee, alcohol, and acidic foods. I wrote an article for PopSugar highlighting why it’s beneficial to stay away from these that you can read here!

I always thought that metabolism was based on genes. My friends who ate doughnuts and cookies every day didn’t seem to gain any weight whereas when I’d splurge on the sugar a bit, I could notice it right away.

Then I got older and a bit wiser and understood that metabolism can actually be changed. Sure, some people are blessed with a faster metabolism, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t all get in on a little bit of that action.

It comes down to the types of food you’re consuming. I interviewed both a doctor and registered nutritionist about what types of food would be the absolute best to give your metabolism the boost it needs so that you could benefit from them as well.

Included in the list are things like seaweed, fiber, apple cider vinegar, legumes, water, protein, coffee, and green tea. You can take a look at the article here for more information on each!

By now you may have heard that the target number of steps you should walk in a day is 10,000. But what’s the science behind that and is it backed by relevant studies?

I went to the experts to find out how many steps it takes for a person to lose weight. While the CDC suggests 150 minutes a week of physical activity that’s considered moderate, or 75 minutes a week of more high-intensity activity, in order to lose weight, it greatly depends on your current state.

For example, the numbers will change based on how active or sedentary you are throughout the day, if you’re overweight or underweight, and whether you need to begin increasing your number of steps.

I interviewed both a personal trainer and doctor to find out the recommended number of steps individuals should take in a day, particularly to lose weight. While the consensus was between 6,000 and 10,000, they reveal the reasons behind those numbers as well as when to start increasing your steps. There’s also a difference in the types of steps you’re taking. Brisk? Fast? That’s usually  more important than the actual number of steps. Additionally, taking a look at your diet and what types of food you’re consuming throughout the day also plays a major role in the weight-loss associated with walking a certain number of steps every day. 

You can read more about how  many steps experts recommend taking in a day in this article I wrote for PopSugar.