Everyone has heard that to lose weight you simply must eat fewer calories than your burn. While this is scientifically true, it is now well-known that weight loss is influenced by everything from the environment to the biological size of your fat cells to the amount of stress you face each day. This makes losing weight more complicated than what once was believed. The good news is there has been so much research done on losing weight in the last 30 years that scientists have found proven things that can help you finally drop those excess pounds.

Be Strategic About Eating Carbohydrates

Low-carb and keto diets have become extremely popular in recent years. The idea behind these diets is that when you eat carbohydrates, blood sugar levels spike up. The body then releases insulin to help the body use the carbohydrates and blood sugar levels drop. This can cause the body to have severe cravings that can lead to unhealthy food choices. It can also cause weight gain. Insulin prompts the body to hold onto body fat, especially in the stomach area, making weight loss difficult.

You don't have to give up carbohydrates all together to lose weight, though. Eat carbs strategically to fuel your body. Pairing carbohydrates with a protein will help reduce the spike in blood sugar, reducing insulin levels and blood sugar drops.

It's also a good idea to stop eating carbs approximately eight hours before bedtime. This helps your body burn off these calories throughout the day and switches on hormones at night that help you burn fat.

Make Some Simple Swaps

You don't have to overhaul your entire diet to improve your health. Making simple swaps can help you save calories and eat more nutritious foods for your body without forcing you to go without foods that you love.

For example, swap out one can of your favorite full-sugar soda with sparkling water flavored with fruit every day to save over 53,000 calories per year. Switching your mayonnaise in your favorite recipe with Greek yogurt reduces the number of calories by 1,361 per cup, or choose sweet potatoes over Russet. Sweet potatoes are lower on the glycemic index, which means they have less of an impact on your blood sugar.

Make Your Home a Spa

Practicing self-love with yoga, warm baths, scrubs, and a massage is a great way to attend to your emotional and mental needs. Many people overeat due to emotional reasons when they are stressed, frustrated, or sad. Taking time each day for yourself is a great way to fill your emotional needs in ways that don't involve food.

Turn your home into a spa by getting bath salts with essential oils designed for calming, download music that calms you, and stream a yoga session on your phone. A home infrared sauna is also a great way to treat yourself while losing weight. Infrared saunas naturally increase your metabolic rate, heart rate, and cardiac output. This may help you burn extra calories while relaxing.

Keep a Diary

Everyone has heard the idea of keeping a food journal or log to help them lose weight. This has been proven to help people keep track of what they eat and how much they are eating; however, keeping a diary of what you are going through may be just as helpful. A study has found that writing about a personal issue that is on your mind may help you lose weight.

In the study, participants were asked to write about a personal issue that affected them for 15 minutes. Another group was asked to write about something not important to them for the same time frame. At the end of the month, those who wrote about personal issues lost three pounds while the other group gained three. Writing about your feelings and emotions can help you resolve them in healthy ways without emotional eating.

No matter what diet plan you choose to follow and what exercises you choose to do, the most important thing is to love yourself. Nourish your body with healthy foods, exercise regularly, and try these tips as you strive to be the healthiest version of yourself.

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