Experts Reveal Their Top 9 Weight Loss Strategies for 2023

Now that we've entered 2022, New Year's resolutions are on many people's minds. And one of the most popular resolutions among people is to lose weight. But how do you go about losing fat?

"Losing weight can be a daunting goal, and it’s not usually something I like doing," says Jennifer Tishelman, MS, RDN, CDN nutrition therapist, owner of Fitful Nutrition Services in Westport, CT, and fitness blogger. "But with some simple tips here and there, you could start losing weight."

How to Loss Weight With Beginner-Friendly Tips

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Tishelman recommends making this year's resolution a little less stressful as well as encouraging yourself to stay positive. She also suggests keeping your goals small. "It takes time to change the way you think and feel and being consistent can help you reach your goals more easily," she explains.

1. Make an Agenda for Yourself - No matter what you want to achieve

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"Whether you're trying to slim down or just look better in general, the first step is to set a timeline for yourself. Be specific about when and how much weight you want to lose. This helps to keep you focused and to avoid any distractions from other things that might be going on in your life at the time," Tishelman says.

2. Keep Track of  Your Calories

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Tishelman advises starting to track your calories by getting a food journal each day. "This will help to determine how many calories someone ate and how many they consumed versus using caloric counting software," she adds. "By getting a record of everything you eat each day, it's possible to get an overall idea of where you need to cut back on."

3. Eat Healthy Foods That Are Low In Calorie

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"If you're trying to lose weight, focus your diet on eating foods that are low in calories such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, beans and nuts, legumes, and whole dairy foods," Tishelman says. "The lower the calorie content of your meals, the easier it will be to burn them off your body when you exercise."

4. Stay Hydrated Throughout the Day and When You Exercise

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"When exercising, try and drink plenty of water, juice, non-dairy milk, and coffee," Tishelman notes. "Water makes up to 75% of it, and some research shows it may even replace glucose in the bloodstream," she explains.

5. Don't Forget Breakfast

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"You should fuel your metabolism with protein and healthy fats for optimal energy performance during your workout," Tishelman says. While breakfast might be the least important meal of the day, it's still essential to ensure that you have enough energy throughout the day. If you don't eat anything, you'll probably tire more quickly," she continues. If you're looking to lose 10 pounds instead of five, aim for around 2 to 3 small meals per day. One serving of protein can typically provide approximately 25 grams while protein foods that are high in fiber can offer up to 100-200 grams of dietary fiber.

6. Enjoy More Protein At Night-time

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"Eating protein before bedtime will give you additional energy to continue working out later in the evening, but you won't get hungry." It's important to consume all of the macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbs) in your diet and not deprive yourself of your nutritional needs by consuming less protein when you work out because there may be times when you can't complete your planned workouts without a snack," Tishelman says.

7. Get Enough Sleep

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If you're trying to lose weight, you might be surprised to learn that getting enough sleep is just as important as eating healthy and exercising. In fact, getting enough shut-eye is one of the most important things you can do for your weight loss goals.

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8. Drink Plenty Of Water During Exercising

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Hydration is crucial for fat loss, and women can lose up to 15 to 30 inches of muscle by dehydration. Women can also become dehydrated more quickly than men. So be sure to take plenty of water to the gym and other areas of your life when exercising. Aim to drink at least 8 glasses of fluids per day if you want to be physically active, says Tishelman.

9. Add A Little Salt Or Sodium To Meals

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"When you add salt to your meals, you increase the amount of sodium you actually need to process your food, which could leave you feeling hungrier and ultimately cause you to put on more weight," Tishelman adds.

Other Ways to Help Your Lifestyle Goals

So this was quite the year-end reading list! Although in general, staying fit is pretty straightforward, when it comes to losing weight, it gets complicated. Some people find it easy to follow this advice, but others struggle with their own weight loss goals. If this has been an issue for you, be sure to check out our guide to weight loss success.