10 Ways to Start Losing Weight

Christa Sgobba wrote for Silver Sneaker by Tivity Health that you know you want to lose weight, and you have a pretty good idea of what you should do to make it happen. You just need to get started. And unfortunately, that’s often the hardest part.

When motivation is lacking, remember this: Shedding pounds does not require a complete diet-and-exercise overhaul. In fact, starting small is often the best way to meet—and maintain—your weight loss goals, says Tony Gentilcore, C.S.C.S., founder of CORE in Boston. The good habits you adopt can snowball, leading to bigger changes down the line too, he says.

Here are ten ways to start losing weight with minimal effort.

1. Eat Foods That Hydrate You

It may sound counterintuitive, but eating more food can be a key to weight loss—as long as we’re talking about foods with a high water content, says Christine Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., author of Food and Fitness After 50.

Eating water-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, or broth-based soups can fill you up, leaving you less likely to overeat on more calorie-dense foods, she says.

In fact, a study published in the journal Appetite found that when people ate a broth-based vegetable soup 15 minutes before a pasta lunch, they consumed 20 percent fewer calories overall, compared to when they just ate their main meal. The researchers believe the soup slows the rate at which food moves through your digestive tract, which can increase feelings of satiety.

There’s a mental benefit too: Seeing more food in front of you can make you feel less deprived, Rosenbloom says. And that can cut your urge to end your meal with a calorie-rich dessert.

Try starting your meal with a broth-based soup, even if you’re eating at home. Not a soup fan? Look for other ways to include more water-rich foods to your plate. “Add two or three leaves of lettuce or more tomato on your sandwich,” Rosenbloom says.

2. Wake Up to Protein

Eating a protein-rich meal in the morning can set you up for a whole day of healthy eating, Rosenbloom says. That’s because, like hydrating foods, protein boosts satiety. And if you’re feeling satisfied, you’re less likely to graze all morning.

“Aim for 30 grams of protein at breakfast,” she says, adding that most people get less than 15 grams.

Adding a scoop of protein powder to your smoothie is an easy way to pack it in: A single scoop contains roughly 20 to 30 grams, depending on the type you choose. If you prefer solid foods, “think eggs and a whole-grain cereal with filtered milk, like Fairlife, which contains more protein than the regular kind,” Rosenbloom says.

Want more ideas? Check out these seven protein-packed breakfasts that trim your waistline.

3. Give the Sweatpants a Break

One of the perks of retirement is not having to get dressed up every day. But living in yoga pants or sweats might actually be doing your belly a disservice since you’re missing out on the instant feedback of a too-tight waistband, Rosenbloom says.

“It’s a little bit of self-monitoring,” she says. Noticing your go-to pants suddenly feel tight can lead you to make changes to your food or exercise routine—which you may miss if you’re wearing elastic pants that are more forgiving. Your weight may change more significantly before you realize something’s up.

You don’t need to swear off sweatpants for good. Even trying on the same pair of dress pants every Sunday can be enough monitoring, she says.

4. Rearrange Your Fridge

If you’re like most people, the most nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods—think fruits and vegetables—are hidden in your crisper drawer, while the ready-to-eat stuff that tends to be less healthy remains front and center.

So when you pop your head in for a snack, what’s going to catch your eye? Probably not the produce stored in those drawers.

Keep quick, healthy snacks visible on the shelves of your fridge, Rosenbloom says. That means giving prime real estate to those apples or that bag of baby carrots. And use the opposite technique for treats: Store them out of sight so you won’t be tempted as soon as you open the fridge.

5. Pony Up for the Pre-Portioned Snacks

Portion control is key to staving off weight gain—and triggering weight loss. “When you’re just munching from a giant bag of potato chips or pretzels, it’s really easy to overdo it,” Rosenbloom says.

The most budget-conscious solution is to buy the cheaper, family-size package at the store and portion out servings into individual baggies. But if your motivation is lagging, that task will seem like a huge burden.

Instead, start by buying the smaller, single-serving packages at the store, Rosenbloom says. They may be a little pricier, but the built-in portion control is worth it. Once you get used to your eating tweaks and your motivation increases, you can start packaging them out yourself to save some cash.

6. Lowball Your Exercise Routine to Start

Think about how many times per week you want to commit to working out. Then ask yourself how confident you are, on a scale of 1 to 10, that you can hit that number each week, Gentilcore says.

If you give it a 7 or an 8, it’s probably realistic and a good place to start. If you give it a 4, then you need to reassess your plans. There’s no such thing as too small of a goal to start. The key is committing to something you know you can achieve—without question.

Once you come up with a number, mark each day you intend to exercise on a calendar, Gentilcore suggests, so you can actually cross it off. “There is just something magical about checking something off that provides the motivation to continue with it,” he says.

And have fun with it. One SilverSneakers community member uses a glitter sticker for every day she exercises. “I just love to see them add up,” she says.

7. Set a Goal That Has Nothing to Do with Your Weight

Instead of telling yourself you want to lose X number of pounds, challenge yourself to knock X number of points off any lab readings that may be high, like blood pressure or cholesterol levels.

“I like to work with people to focus on their health instead of their weight,” Rosenbloom says. “You start eating a little better for the health issue, and before you know it, a couple of pounds are coming off.”

You can use this trick in the gym too. Simply choose a fitness goal you want to reach, and then work toward meeting it. “Performance-based goals are pretty much the way to go for every population,” Gentilcore says. It could be anything from walking a mile nonstop to performing 10 reps of a bodyweight squat.

“You’re putting in the work toward reaching that goal,” he says. “The aesthetic stuff kind of follows automatically.”

8. Stop Doing Workouts You Hate

We often fall into the comparison game when we’re talking about exercise, Gentilcore says. For instance, if your friend dropped 15 pounds walking on the treadmill for an hour each day, you might think that’s what you should do too.

But if exercising on a treadmill makes you want to claw your eyes out, it’s not going to be a sustainable plan—nor is it going to motivate you to get moving when your couch looks extra-inviting.

“There’s no golden rule that you have to do any one exercise or any one methodology,” Gentilcore says.

Consider swapping the treadmill for a hike outside, or get your blood pumping with racquetball instead of using any cardio machines at all. Don’t like free weights? Stick to machines—or give resistance bands a try.

“Being consistent by doing something—whatever it is—is the determining factor for most people in the long run,” Gentilcore says.

Need some fresh workout ideas? Check out these great resources:

9. Build Your Support Team

A knowledgeable fitness instructor and encouraging exercise buddies can help you feel more confident, have more fun, and stay on track when motivation dips. And with SilverSneakers, you’ll find both types of support, plus:

  • Free gym membership at more than 14,000 gyms and fitness centers across the nation
  • Free gym fitness classes led by certified instructors who specialize in working with older adults
  • Free community fitness classes that range from tai chi to boot camp to yoga
  • Unlimited access to any participating location or class in the SilverSneakers network

Check your eligibility here, and find a location here.

Don’t have SilverSneakers? Stay connected and find great tips on our blog, Facebook page, or YouTube channel. You can also ask family members or friends to be your accountability buddy.

10. Keep Moving—Not Just When You Exercise

Even on days you can’t get to the gym or do a formal workout, there are many opportunities to move and burn calories. And this non-exercise activity thermogenesis (N.E.A.T.) makes a difference. In fact, a 2005 study found that lean people expend 350 more calories per day via N.E.A.T. than overweight people.

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