Most agree but only a few truly understand the impact that nutrition and food choices have in our day-to-day lives. Food choices not only affect our reading on the weighing scale, but other equally important things such as skin and hair texture, brain health, sleep patterns, mood, and even our energy levels throughout the day. These in turn have a profound impact on our confidence and self-esteem \u2013 something that most of us realize at much later stages of our lives. <\/p>\n

Over the years, I have experimented with different things to sustainably lose body fat and maintain long term health. Some worked out in the short term but weren\u2019t sustainable. Others seemed easy but not healthy in the long run. Eventually, I realized that it all boils down to making simple non-negotiable rules that you can live by and lead a healthy lifestyle by design. When I say non-negotiable, it doesn\u2019t mean they are etched in stone, you follow them until they become a habit, and then YOU ARE IN CONTROL!<\/p>\n

Being in a calorie deficit is the key to fat loss, and one can achieve that by simply making sustainable changes to their lifestyle. Here are six lifestyle changes to help you lose fat and improve long-term health. Following even a few of them can make a world of difference to your health and wellbeing. They surely have helped me and my numerous coaching clients.<\/p>\n

#1 DITCH THE CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS<\/h3>\n

As per WHO recommendation, a healthy adult should consume no more than 12 teaspoons (or 50 grams) of \u2018free\u2019 sugar per day to prevent unhealthy weight gain and dental caries.<\/p>\n

What is ‘free’ sugar?<\/h5>\n

For simplicity, let\u2019s say anything that contains sugar but isn\u2019t in its natural form. This includes processed sugar, syrups, sugars that are naturally present in honey, fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates, and even residual fruit sugar in alcoholic beverages. It doesn’t refer to the sugars found in fresh fruits and vegetables or those naturally present in milk.<\/p>\n

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A lot of people relish carbonated soft drinks, but that comes at a cost. They are loaded with ‘free’ sugar and contain almost no essential nutrients – no vitamins, no minerals, and no fiber.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For example, a can of 330 ml soft drink contains about 40 gm of sugar. That\u2019s 80% of your daily intake limit. Drink one of these and you aren\u2019t supposed to consume any more processed food throughout the day. While added sugar in limited quantity is not necessarily “bad” for health, I would certainly diversify my sugar intake. And if fat loss is your goal, reducing free sugar intake would make calorie deficit much easier for you. <\/p>\n\n\n