There are literal millions of pieces of advice about losing weight floating around there on the internet. The problem is, so much of it is just hip trends, conspiracy theories, or just plain bad advices. When it comes to losing weight, there are no shortcuts. The same techniques for losing weight now worked 1000 years ago. There’s no fitness genius out there that was inspired and figured out how to make it super easy for everyone. Losing weight takes hard work and dedication, but it’s worth it. Here are some tried and true methods to lose some weight.

Exercise

Many weight loss programs focus too much on the diet side, and not enough on the fitness side. At the end of the day, losing weight is basically math. It may be a bit more complicated, but it boils down to, are you being active enough to burn off the food that you eat. The equation is: What You Eat – What You Do = What You Gain or Lose. A diet alone will not be enough to tip the scales, or, if it is, you might find yourself starving and miserable. Develop a good workout routine to balance out the food that you eat.

Lose Weight Gradually

Some people want immediate results, and drastic ones. They want to get rid of as much weight as possible as quickly as possible, and will sometimes go to some pretty unhealthy lengths in order to achieve that. The problem is, losing a lot of weight at a time isn’t only unhealthy, it’s also counterproductive. If you lose weight too quickly, then you’ll lose bone density, muscle, and water, none of which are good things to lose. And crash diets aren’t sustainable; they may make you skinnier in the immediate future, but you’ll always bounce back. Try to lose around a pound or two a week for a healthy target

Write it Down

Like I said before, losing weight is math. But the differences between people’s metabolism and body chemistries mean that, it’s not the same math for everyone. Try to track how many calories and carbohydrates your eating, as well as keeping track of your exercise output, something most modern exercise machines will record for you. There are also apps you can use to keep track of everything, which is a great option because apps-

Create Accountability

If you just tell yourself you’ll diet and work out, you might find it easier than you think to fall out of line with your weight loss regime. Modern apps provide a way to not only track your weight loss, but to keep you honest with yourself. You’ll be able to look at your progress on the app, and have hard evidence of how well you’ve been performing, and what you need to improve. Even though it’s only an app, creating external expectations is a great way to make sure you keep to a process.

Know Why You Eat

Everybody needs to eat to survive, obviously. But if you are in need of losing weight, it’s likely that you eat for other reasons, too. Some people eat when they’re stressed, anxious, or depressed. Some people wake up in the middle of the night with the inexplicable need to eat. Whatever trap you find yourself falling in mouth first, be aware of it. Know the reasons that you eat, so if you need to hold yourself back in a particular instance, you are aware of your own motivations.

Avoid Fad Diets

Fad diets are the get rich quick schemes of the weight loss world. Each one promises fantastic results, with questionable methodology behind their “science”. Some fad diets may even be dangerous. As a general rule, there doesn’t need to be much modification to the Diet. Eat a healthy variety of foods you enjoy, don’t eat too much, and exercise.

Limit Sugar Intake

Sugar gets added to tons of processed foods and drinks these days in order to enhance the flavor, despite the fact that sugar is the most significant source of weight gain. Find out exactly what you’re eating, and how much sugar is in it. Some products that don’t taste sweet at all would likely surprise you. One of the biggest offenders is soda. A can of soda contains a ludicrous amount of sugar, so if you’re one to drink soda regularly, that’s the first thing to cut out of your diet. Beer, too, has absurd amounts of sugar in it, so that’s another drink to be restricted.

Split Up Your Meals

Studies have shown that five or six small meals a day is healthier than the traditional three large ones. If you eat more regularly and sparsely, your system has an easier time digesting, and does so at a more consistent pace throughout the day.

Eat Healthy, not Lite

Eating healthy doesn’t mean starving yourself, and it definitely doesn’t mean buying products that are fat-free. Fat isn’t actually that bad for you, in moderate quantities, and if something is devoid of fat, it’s likely devoid of nutrients too. You’re allowed to feel full at the end of the meal, just make sure that the foods you’re eating are more conducive to weight loss. Lean meats, whole grains, and produce are all recommended for a healthy diet.

Have Fruits and Veggies Available

Every guy just wants to snack sometime. Unfortunately, the quickest and easiest thing available is usually a bag of chips or something equally unhealthy. Find out what fruits and veggies sate you the most, and always keep them fresh and clean in your fridge. That way, when you do inevitable reach for the snack, you can get something that won’t harm your goals.

Dieting Happens at the Grocery Store

You don’t choose what you eat at your kitchen table, you choose what you’re going to eat at the grocery store. If you can simply stop yourself from stocking up on unhealthy foods, then the temptation is removed.

Cheat

No one wants to deprive you of enjoyment. If you’re out to dinner and the pie just looks outstanding, then order the pie. The whole point of creating a healthy lifestyle is establishing habits, not turning you into a robot. As long as you don’t create a pattern of eating unhealthy foods, then going for that slice of cake or massive stack of waffles won’t ruin your diet.