When you're trying to lose some weight, it can be tempting to jump on a juice cleanse, try a trendy diet, or work out like a Victoria's Secret model in November, but sticking to a few basic rules might actually get you better results.
In a recent study, researchers from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab analyzed the lifestyles of 147 people who maintained healthy weights through most of their lives—and it turns out they had several habits in common.
The study authors found that, overall, people with healthy weights focused on their body's hunger cues instead of seriously restricting themselves, which is a strategy that can help you keep weight off for the long haul.
Here are six other simple and seriously effective tips you can steal.
The article "6 Habits People with Healthy Weights Have in Common" originally ran on WomensHealthMag.com.
Don't break up with breakfast
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Don't break up with breakfast
We've all heard this one a thousand times, but the healthiest among us have taken it to heart. According to the study, a whopping 96% of those who maintain a healthy weight eat breakfast every day. Also worth noting: Fruits, veggies, and eggs were mainstays in their first meal of the day. So bust out those kale smoothie and egg-white omelet recipes.
Get drippy
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Get drippy
Not to be all Captain Obvious here, but exercise was a routine fixture for the healthy adults surveyed. Forty-two percent reported exercising at least five times a week. If you can't dedicate that much time to your sweat sessions, you can make the most of your workouts by tweaking them to burn more calories.
Scale in
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Scale in
We've got a little bit of a love/hate relationship with the scale (it's not a totally accurate way to measure your progress), but according to the survey, it's a fixture in the lives of those who stay slim. Half reported weighing themselves at least once a week.
Try using this strategy to track your progress instead of weekly weigh-ins if you're not a fan of those little blinking numbers.
Skip the specific diets
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Skip the specific diets
The healthiest participants weren't fans of dieting, and almost 75% said they never followed a specific diet trend. But that doesn't mean they'll eat everything and anything: 92% said they paid close attention to the foods they ate.
Get reacquainted with your kitchen
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Get reacquainted with your kitchen
Those who stay fit and healthy are more likely to cook at home. A majority of those surveyed eat their veggies with dinner every night and opt for lean meats like chicken. Interestingly, 7% were vegetarian (3.2% of the overall US population is vegetarian).
Listen up
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Listen up
These healthy humans also made a habit of paying attention to what their bodies were telling them. Forty-four percent copped to non-restrictive strategies like listening to their hunger cues and only eating high-quality, non-processed foods.
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