Weight loss is more likely to be successful when people change their habits and replace old and unhealthy habits with new healthy behaviors.

Here are 5 ways to make this happen:

  • Physical exercise. Regular physical activity burns calories and builds muscle tissue. These two things help you to see yourself and feel good and not recover the lost weight. Taking the dog for a walk, cycling to school and doing other things that increase your daily activity level can make a difference. If you want to burn more calories, increase the intensity of the training and add some strength exercises to build muscles. The more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you will burn, even when you are not doing physical exercise.
  • Reduce the time before the screen. People who spend a lot of time in front of screens are more likely to be overweight. Set reasonable limits for the amount of time you spend in front of the TV, playing video games and using computers, phones, and tablets without reasons related to school work. Make sure you have enough time to do physical exercise every day and to get enough sleep.
  • Be careful with the distorted portions. Large portions add calories that make you gain weight. Sugar drinks, such as soft drinks, juices, and sports drinks, are empty calories that also contribute to obesity. Therefore, choose smaller portions (or share portions of the restaurant) and opt for water or skim milk instead of soft drinks.
  • Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Fruits and vegetables are much more than just vitamins and minerals. They are also full of fiber, which means they will fill you up. And when you fill up with fruits and vegetables, you are less likely to eat others.
  • Do not skip breakfast. Breakfast starts your metabolism, so you burn calories from the beginning, and it gives you the energy to do more things during the day. People who skip breakfast are usually so hungry that later they eat more. Then, they ingest more calories than they would have ingested if they had had breakfast. In fact, people who skip breakfast often have a BMI higher than the people who eat breakfast.