12 Simple Micro-Habits that are Helping Me Lose Weight

Tips that anyone can implement

I am completely ashamed of how much weight I put on over the last six years. So ashamed, in fact, that my profile pictures for any of my social media accounts were taken 6–8 years ago when I was 30kg lighter.

However, there comes a point where you need to stop blaming external forces for your poor health, and I have decided that 2021 is the year for me.

Now, I find it completely daunting starting a whole new weight loss and health regimen after not looking after myself for such a long time. The thought of going to the gym sends me into anxiety. I also have two kids, a house, two small businesses and a part-time job, so time is not my friend.

This is why I’ve made some very small changes to my daily life since the first of January and, I am proud to say, I’ve lost 6kg in two months. It has been very easy and I want to share my new habits in order to inspire others.

1. Drink a glass of water before every meal

I have read that many people confuse hunger and thirst and, since I honestly don’t drink enough water, I decided to ensure that I drink water before every meal. It ensures I get my water intake, and I also know that I am not simply thirsty and, therefore, I don’t over-consume food.

It turns out that research agrees with me. Studies have shown that middle-aged obese people who drink water before every meal lose 44% more weight than those that don’t.

2. Eat some raw fruit or vegetables with every meal

We all know that we need to consume more fruits and vegetables, with some studies suggesting that up to 10 servings are ideal for optimal health. I personally find it too cumbersome to have to work out portion sizes of all of my fruits and veggies, so, by making my new rule, I’ve found that I am naturally consuming more of the good stuff without putting in too much thought.

I do change up my fruit and vegetables but, for me, this habit generally looks like: blueberries in my morning oatmeal; a small salad with my lunch and dinner; a banana or apple at morning tea; carrot, cucumber and celery sticks for afternoon tea. Even if I am at a birthday party, I always take a piece of fruit before consuming some cake.

I normally cook all of my vegetables when I make my meals, but I’ve recently read that cooking all of my vegetables kills too many nutrients. Hence why I try to ensure that every day includes some raw vegetables too.

3. Prep your raw veggies and snacks as soon as you get home from the shops

Furthermore, the easiest way to ensure I am consuming my raw veggies and healthy snacks is by prepping them as soon as I bring them home. So when I purchase almonds, I’ll immediately divide them up into my portions in ziplock bags for the week. And I always cut up some of my aforementioned carrots, cucumber and celery as soon as I get home from the supermarket. I usually cut up enough for 3 days of vegetables at a time, because I find that it goes bad after that. However, only needing to prep my veggies a couple of days a week simplifies my snacks.

This habit has found me reaching for healthier foods. I use this page here for advice on food prep.

4. Stop finishing your kids’ meals

This is for any of the parents here.

I used to always finish my kids’ meals when there was food left on the plate, which was most meals on most days. Unfortunately, that was just extra calories on top of my already large portion sizes. I was already full before eating the extra food, too, which is not a good habit.

Now, I just make smaller servings for my children with extra vegetable sticks if they are still hungry. If they don’t finish their meals, I just wrap them up and put them in the fridge for them to finish at a later stage.

5. Drink herbal tea in the evenings

One of my bad habits was snacking in the evening before bed. Again, I was never really hungry, but felt bored and tired and just wanted a little something.

This year I switched to drinking herbal tea instead. It satiates me and I’m not eating extra unnecessary calories. Plus, herbal teas have a large number of health benefits, such as reducing inflammation, assisting sleep and improving immune system function.

6. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier

I used to go to bed very late and then wake up extremely tired as a result. But, as it turns out, reduced sleep can actually increase weight gain.

The body produces ghrelin (a hormone that incites hunger) and leptin (a hormone that signals fullness). A study showed that people who have shorter sleep will have higher ghrelin levels and lower leptin levels, than those who have longer sleep.

Besides, I feel more energised and ready to do a workout during the day if I feel well slept.

7. Buy smaller portions of food

Another habit I developed was buying large food portions in the hope that I would save money, but I found that I would need to eat higher quantities so the food wouldn’t go bad and be wasted. For example, I would buy a 2kg pot of my favourite yoghurt because it was cheaper per 100 grams. I wouldn’t get through it, so I would feel compelled to eat large portions just before the ‘used by’ date so that the yoghurt wouldn’t go to waste.

Portion control is very important for weight loss, so now I buy a 6 pack of the individual serves. It is more expensive per 100 grams, but it doesn’t go to waste and I don’t feel compelled to overeat.

That was one example. I would do that with most foods, always favouring the large quantities, thinking I was saving so much money.

8. Avoid the centre aisles at the shops

I have read a few articles which claim that the healthiest, least processed foods are normally found around the perimeter of the supermarket, and the heavily processed foods are in the centre aisles.

While I can’t claim this is true for all supermarkets, I have definitely noticed the trend in all of the supermarkets I have ever shopped. Around the perimeter, I find foods like milk, eggs, bread, fruit, vegetables, fish and meats. As I slowly move into the aisles, I start to find things like tea, coffee, flour, pasta and canned fruit. In the centre few aisles, I find all the highly processed sauces, the instant meals in a box, soda, chocolates and candy.

Obviously, there are unhealthy choices around the perimeter in the bread and fridge section, but I have found by avoiding the very centre aisles, I have fewer temptations.

9. Hang a goal outfit on your bedroom door

I believe in using manifestation to achieve what you want in life and follow the book, The Secret. There is a chapter about weight loss in the book and I highly recommend reading it to get a more detailed understanding, but essentially, in order to lose weight, you need to believe you are already thin. You also need to buy into your dream.

The easiest way for me to buy into my dream was to buy a dress two sizes smaller than my current size. It hangs on my bedroom door and so I see it every day. I tell myself that I’ll be wearing it soon. I imagine myself wearing the dress at parties later in the year.

By wholeheartedly believing in my goal dress size, I feel very positive and motivated every day.

10. Schedule several mini exercise sessions throughout the day

I can find any excuse to not exercise. Even though I used to be a gym and running junkie, I haven’t been enjoying getting back into it after such a long break.

So now I ensure I do mini exercises throughout the day, every day. For example, when I watch TV, I’ll do 10 squats and 10 dips on the couch before I turn it on. When I go to the playground with my kids, I’ll find a piece of equipment with stairs and I’ll step up and step down as fast as I can for a minute when we arrive and again when we leave.

I started the year with only one mini exercise session during the day. I now fit in 5 different mini-sessions every day. Now I know that at least if I can’t do a proper workout, I am still adding in movement throughout the day.

11. Cook larger meals and freeze excess into portions

I sometimes have days where I can’t be bothered cooking, or we’ve run out of food in the fridge and we would really like to eat straight away. In the past, we would just order takeaway on those days.

Now, I always ensure I cook larger meals, and then scoop out the extra portions to freeze in containers. This way, we always have some homemade, healthy meals in the freezer on those days I really don’t feel like cooking.

12. Use a portion control plate

The biggest problem for me, like most other people, has been portion control. I have been known to eat a whole block of cheese or eat a steak the size of my plate.

I bought a portion control divider on amazon and I haven’t looked back. I like knowing that I am eating the right amount of grains and protein. Personally, it took me a while to adjust to the smaller sizes. I think my overeating caused me to lose touch with my body and I couldn’t tell when I was feeling satiated anymore. After two months of sticking with my divider, I can safely say that I have adjusted and feel satisfied with my main meals.

I am really happy with my weight loss so far, especially because these changes were so small, it hasn’t felt like much work at all.

I know what works for me may not work for you, but I highly recommend trialling some of these tips to see if they fit in with you and your lifestyle. Perhaps you might find them to be really easy habits that aid your health goals, too.

Do you have any tips and small habits that have helped you lose weight?

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