Overhaul your weight loss plan to reach your goals.

In basketball, the term “Cinderella Story” is used to refer to situations in which competitors achieve far greater success than would reasonably have been expected. Are you struggling to lose weight? Do you feel like you’re doing everything right, but you’re not getting the results you want? Maybe it’s time to be your own Cinderella Story. You can succeed. Start with an overhaul of your weight loss plan.

1. Cut Back on Carbs – If you want to slim down, one of first things you should do is reduce your intake of starchy carbs. Avoid white breads and white rice, potatoes, fried foods and processed foods. Aim for more healthy fats like avocados and nuts in small quantities, and increase your intake of fruits and veggies. Try squeezing fresh lemons into your water, too.
2. Change It Up – Your body gets used to the same exercise if you do it every day, and weight loss can be much more effective when you surprise your body once in a while. Change up your workout by increasing the intensity or duration of your exercise or by trying something entirely new. Make sure you’re working up a sweat. Getting your heart rate up revs your metabolism and burns those calories.
3. Reduce Stress – Often overlooked in weight loss, stress can keep you stuck at a certain weight or even cause you to gain. If you’re stressed, your body produces a hormone called cortisol, and if not controlled, your body can increase its fat storage. Plus, you are much more likely to binge eat on your favorite snack when you’re stressed out. Get ahead of your stress and watch as the numbers go down on the scale. Take a walk, get some fresh air, meditate, do something fun, read a book, laugh, call up a friend or seek some alone time. Find ways to reduce your stress and commit to doing a few of those things each week. Managing your stress effectively is an essential component of weight loss.
4. Get More Sleep – Missing sleep increases your stress level and makes you hungrier. With a lack of sleep (less than seven hours a night) your ghrelin level gets off and stimulates your appetite more and your leptin level (responsible for suppressing your appetite) goes down. If you want to lose more fat, get more sleep! Your body will then be able to better function properly.