One such tip is to improve your diet quality. Researchers looked at data from more than 15,000 people and found that those who ate the least processed foods had a lower risk of obesity, while those who ate the most had an elevated risk, according to a study published in February 2023 in Nutrición Hospitalaria. The merits of plant-based diets have been particularly well researched. In one study of more than 200 dieters, those who adopted a law-fat plant-based diet for 16 weeks lost significantly more weight compared with a control group, according to results published in October 2022 in Obesity Science & Practice.There are also multiple studies suggesting having strong social support in your weight loss effort can help, whether that comes from family and friends, a coach, or even an app or online community. Participating in an online support group can help increase motivation, according to research published in July 2022 in Digital Health. And a 10-year review of literature on the role of social support in online obesity health communities concluded that such support is associated with better adherence to weight loss behaviors, according to a study published in June 2022 in Review of Communication Research.
Your mindset matters, too, when it comes to weight loss. Research published in February 2022 in the journal Obesity found that those who lost weight and maintained it embraced their setbacks, seeing them as temporary pauses in their plan, rather than as failures.MOST HELPFUL
9 Easy Ways to Make a Healthier Quesadilla
Can Artificial Sweeteners Help With Weight Loss?
8 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight.MENU
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25 Tips for Weight Loss That Actually Work
From savoring your food to prioritizing protein, check out this practical advice for losing weight, courtesy of registered dietitian-nutritionists.
By Lambeth Hochwald and Leslie Barrie
Medically Reviewed by Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Reviewed: April 7, 2023
Medically Reviewed
keeping a food journal
Keeping a food journal may help you hit your goal weight.
Chad Verzosa/Shutterstock
Over the years, you’ve probably heard your fair share of wacky weight loss advice, whether it’s to drink celery juice every day or replace your meals with weight loss “cookies.” Often those tips are promoted by people without any health expertise, so if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But just as there’s a ton of misguided weight loss advice out there to be avoided, there are also a lot of legitimate, research-backed, and expert-approved suggestions for people who are in the right mental health space and have weight loss as a personal goal.
One such tip is to improve your diet quality. Researchers looked at data from more than 15,000 people and found that those who ate the least processed foods had a lower risk of obesity, while those who ate the most had an elevated risk, according to a study published in February 2023 in Nutrición Hospitalaria. The merits of plant-based diets have been particularly well researched. In one study of more than 200 dieters, those who adopted a law-fat plant-based diet for 16 weeks lost significantly more weight compared with a control group, according to results published in October 2022 in Obesity Science & Practice.
There are also multiple studies suggesting having strong social support in your weight loss effort can help, whether that comes from family and friends, a coach, or even an app or online community. Participating in an online support group can help increase motivation, according to research published in July 2022 in Digital Health. And a 10-year review of literature on the role of social support in online obesity health communities concluded that such support is associated with better adherence to weight loss behaviors, according to a study published in June 2022 in Review of Communication Research.
Your mindset matters, too, when it comes to weight loss. Research published in February 2022 in the journal Obesity found that those who lost weight and maintained it embraced their setbacks, seeing them as temporary pauses in their plan, rather than as failures.
MOST HELPFUL
9 Easy Ways to Make a Healthier Quesadilla
Can Artificial Sweeteners Help With Weight Loss?
8 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight
Here are some more expert-approved and science-backed tips that can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Healthy Homemade French Fries
Everyday Health staff nutritionist Kelly Kennedy, RDN, shows you how to make french fries two ways.
1. Eat Slowly
“I have my clients learn how to choose foods they like, really taste each morsel going into their mouths, and chew deliberately. I advise them to chew slowly, swallow only when the food is all chewed up, and repeat. It takes time to know we're full. Eating slowly not only allows us to enjoy our food more but gives us better cues of satiety.”MENU
Everyday Health Logo
NEWSLETTERS
Copy Link
WEIGHT
25 Tips for Weight Loss That Actually Work
From savoring your food to prioritizing protein, check out this practical advice for losing weight, courtesy of registered dietitian-nutritionists.
By Lambeth Hochwald and Leslie Barrie
Medically Reviewed by Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Reviewed: April 7, 2023
Medically Reviewed
keeping a food journal
Keeping a food journal may help you hit your goal weight.
Chad Verzosa/Shutterstock
Over the years, you’ve probably heard your fair share of wacky weight loss advice, whether it’s to drink celery juice every day or replace your meals with weight loss “cookies.” Often those tips are promoted by people without any health expertise, so if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But just as there’s a ton of misguided weight loss advice out there to be avoided, there are also a lot of legitimate, research-backed, and expert-approved suggestions for people who are in the right mental health space and have weight loss as a personal goal.
One such tip is to improve your diet quality. Researchers looked at data from more than 15,000 people and found that those who ate the least processed foods had a lower risk of obesity, while those who ate the most had an elevated risk, according to a study published in February 2023 in Nutrición Hospitalaria. The merits of plant-based diets have been particularly well researched. In one study of more than 200 dieters, those who adopted a law-fat plant-based diet for 16 weeks lost significantly more weight compared with a control group, according to results published in October 2022 in Obesity Science & Practice.
There are also multiple studies suggesting having strong social support in your weight loss effort can help, whether that comes from family and friends, a coach, or even an app or online community. Participating in an online support group can help increase motivation, according to research published in July 2022 in Digital Health. And a 10-year review of literature on the role of social support in online obesity health communities concluded that such support is associated with better adherence to weight loss behaviors, according to a study published in June 2022 in Review of Communication Research.
Your mindset matters, too, when it comes to weight loss. Research published in February 2022 in the journal Obesity found that those who lost weight and maintained it embraced their setbacks, seeing them as temporary pauses in their plan, rather than as failures.
MOST HELPFUL
9 Easy Ways to Make a Healthier Quesadilla
Can Artificial Sweeteners Help With Weight Loss?
8 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight
Here are some more expert-approved and science-backed tips that can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Healthy Homemade French Fries
Everyday Health staff nutritionist Kelly Kennedy, RDN, shows you how to make french fries two ways.
1. Eat Slowly
“I have my clients learn how to choose foods they like, really taste each morsel going into their mouths, and chew deliberately. I advise them to chew slowly, swallow only when the food is all chewed up, and repeat. It takes time to know we're full. Eating slowly not only allows us to enjoy our food more but gives us better cues of satiety.”
— Janet Zinn, a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in private practice in New York City
2. Enjoy the Food You Eat
“So often we’re told what to eat, and then when we don’t like that specific food, we’re less apt to create long-term healthy habits. Try new fruits and vegetables. Find out how to prepare new dishes that provide variety and flavor. Add herbs and spices to elevate flavor. Or if you prefer, savor the sweetness of fruit and the depth of raw and steamed vegetables. There’s no reason that your relationship with food can’t be pleasurable .”
3. Keep a Daily Gratit
“Our eating habits are sometimes connected to our emotions, whether we realize it or not. When we're stressed, we may use food to help cope with the stress. I work with clients on keeping a daily journal of things they're grateful for — or even just a journal to write in when stressed — so that they're better prepared to cope with the stress by acknowledging it and utilizing other tools, rather than reaching for food as a coping mechanism.”
4. Batch Cook and Prep
“Every Sunday I batch cook enough chicken for the week. I cut off the fat, bake it with seasoning, measure 3.5 ounces, and put that much into a container with some mustard and frozen veggies, so I can grab one a day to bring to work. I also take the time to divvy up in individual containers ¼ cup of rolled oats, 1 tablespoon each of natural peanut butter and ground flax, and a pinch each of protein powder and cinnamon to sweeten. So when I’m a zombie in the morning, all I need to do is add water and microwave!”
5. Don’t Forget the Weights
“Make sure you are lifting weights two or three times a week. Using moderate to heavy weights — three or four sets of 10 to 15 reps with weights that challenge you — helps increase your muscle mass. When you have more muscle on your body, the food you eat is more likely to be utilized as fuel, rather than be stored as fat.”
— Williams
6. Get Enough Z’s
“A lack of sleep increases your hunger hormone, ghrelin, and decreases your satisfaction hormone, leptin, which can contribute to weight gain. When we are sleep deprived, we crave more salty and sweet foods. Why? Because anytime you feel more intense hunger, your cravings for higher energy — aka higher calorie — foods intensify. We also know that the way we think and process our emotions is affected by inadequate sleep, so it’s easy to connect this with an impaired ability to make reasonable choices in many areas of life, including with food. If we flip the coin, we can safely assume that when we are well rested, our bodies work better. When it comes to eating, that would mean that we would eat when we are truly hungry and eat just until satisfied. Our hormones are also going to be better balanced because our bodies got the time needed to sleep, repair, and refresh.”
7. Don’t Skip Meals
“Remember, our body's ultimate goal is to stay alive. As soon as we are being kept from calories, which are literally the life energy for our bodies, it will do things to survive. Our body knows what foods are higher in energy density, and we will crave those more. Honor your hunger and don’t allow your body to think it's being starved. This goes against many of the dieting tactics, but those tactics truly don't work well for people in the long term. I generally recommend eating every four hours.”
— Lemond
8. Stay Hydrated
“Research has found that people who drank two glasses of water before a meal lost more weight than people who didn’t drink water before meals — and they kept it off. This simple tip works in two ways. Thirst can mask itself as hunger, causing you to eat more. And water makes you feel fuller, causing you to eat less during a meal.”
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