Losing weight is tough – no matter where you are on the journey.

It shouldn’t be taboo to talk about what we all do as women to try to feel great in our bodies. We’ve spent time trying all the different tricks when we waited too long to prep for a shoot day or vacation. Sometimes they worked, but it was as we got older and started taking care of ourselves that we realized there was a lifestyle shift we can make to make our weight stop fluctuating so easily in the first place.

We still eat to feel good and sometimes more than we meant to – but that is balanced by making good choices that feel good most of the time. We love being warm and cozy and sometimes getting in bed earlier is enough to unblock your fitness goals.

Water

Water is your best friend on your weightloss journey and can help with so many things that could be hindering your results. 

Water will flush out any toxins that could be affecting the efficiency of your body, it will help with inflammation and swelling, will aid in digestion by hydrating your stool and colon, and it will fill you up when your body is having a craving before you actually want to eat. 

Drinking water before a meal can also help to curb your appetite, but try not to drink too much water while eating as it can dilute the enzymes in your stomach and make digestion more challenging for the body. Basically water ALL the time, except when you’re eating! 

We’ve noticed that a waterbottle with a reusable straw makes water intake throughout the day so much easier. Yes, you should get one of those giant cups.

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Sleep

Sleep may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about weight loss, but it’s actually one of the most important factors for a few reasons. 

Sleep duration is directly linked to the body’s production of appetite-regulating hormones. Insufficient sleep is associated with higher levels of the hormone ghrkelin, which increases appetite, and lower levels of the hormone leptin, which leads to feeling less full. 

Lack of sleep also creates more cortisol in the body which leads to high blood pressure, and weight retention in the midsection. Consistently getting 7-8 hours of sleep will help control hormones and hunger. 

Heat

Sweating is SO important for many reasons and one of them is weight loss. 

Not only will you immediately lose water weight, but using heat to raise your heart rate will give you a cardiovascular workout that burns calories. Our favorite ways to sweat are hot yoga, saunas, and at home we use the sauna blanket by @higherdose

EMS

This is our favorite weight loss hack. We all know working out is a big part of sustainable weight loss. 

It burns calories, builds muscle, boosts metabolism, and is the only workout we’ve tried that’s allowed us to lose weight and keep builing muscle. EMS is the secret to changing your body composition in a way that will help you achieve a sustainable lower baseline weight.

In just 1-2 20 minute sessions a week, EMS will challenge your and breakdown muscle to give you the “afterburn” effect. The after burn effect is when our bodies continue to work after a workout is over by building muscles, and thus burning extra calories for up to 48 hours after your workout. 

EMS training uses more muscle fibers than any other workout which will raise your resting metabolic rate and make your body efficient. Improving the efficiency of your metabolism through strength training let you burn more calories even when you’re resting. 

EMS targets all the large muscle groups in the body and when you break down large muscles, your body works over time (burns calories).

 Lastly, while studies have shown that EMS can help with total body weight loss, research has found that it is particularly effective in the abdominal area which can be a major point of focus when trying to lose weight.

Calorie Deficit

Backed by endless science and the answer no one really wants to hear, what you eat is going to be the deciding factor in your weight. 

Some people swear by eating breakfast, some try to just eat more protein, You can use intermittent fasting to limit the hours you’re consuming food, some people choose to count calories throughout the day, our personal favorite way is to just be informed on what you’re putting in your body. 

There are a ton of apps that can help you reach your goals. You can enter your goal weight, log what you’re eating and understand what you put into your body.  We’ve used MyFitnessPal but only recommend using it to become conscious of your habits, not stressing over every single bite you eat. 

At the end of the day, the best way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you are consuming over the long run. That means investing in the changes you can commit to versus trying to change everything you do at once. Using water, heat and sleep to supercharge your weight loss will help you build momentum in your journey and build confidence as you keep showing up. Soon you’ll be eating well and feeling good too. 

There are so many ways to do this but it’s all about finding what works best for you.