3 Diet and Exercise Hacks to Lose Weight Faster

Diet and Exercise Hacks to Lose Weight Faster

If you just stepped on the scale and wondered what happened to your New Year's resolution to lose weight, you're not alone. Only about 8 percent of people who make New Year's resolutions keep them, according a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Every day you get further from Jan. 1, the chances of giving up on your goal get higher and higher.

So what if you really do want to lose weight? You eat healthy. You drink plenty of water. You make time for exercise. You steer clear of buffet dinners and all-you-can-eat desserts.

And then something happens and all your good intentions go out the window. You hit the drive-thru, polish off a carton of ice cream, and top it off with cookies and soda. Been there, done that?

It happens. But it doesn't mean you're a failure. You just need to get back on track.

Want to know how to lose weight fast? Here are three diet and exercise hacks to help you tip the scale in the right direction:

1. Limit Sugars and Starches

If you're eating a lot of foods high in sugars and starches, you end up consuming extra carbs. If you don't burn off those carbs through diet and exercise, they're stored as fat, which is not what you want. Fortunately, there's an easy fix. Limit sugary and high-starch foods in your diet. When you do this, you'll notice a decrease in appetite, eat fewer calories, burn more fat for energy, and help you get closer to your goal.

2. Eat This: More Protein, Fat and Vegetables

So if sugars and starches are out, what's in? Give your diet a makeover and eat more protein, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables. You'll find plenty of health meals with the right mix of macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbs) on the Low-Carb menu. Eating this way will also help rev up your metabolism to help you lose weight faster.

3. Make Time for Weight Lifting or Resistance Exercise

There's one more ingredient to the three-part recipe to help you lose weight fast. Exercise. But that doesn't mean hours of long, slow, cardio sessions. Carve out a little time three days a week to lift weights or resistance exercise (bodyweight squats, pushups, curl-ups, planks, etc.).

This type of exercise helps keep your metabolism elevated so you're burning extra calories even when you're not working out.

Want to lose weight? Clean up your diet, choose the right foods, and make time for strength training.