The Best Tips for Every Stage of Your Weight-Loss Journey

The best weight-loss tips are grounded in the tried-and-true tenets of eat less, move more. But others may surprise you.

Weight loss ultimately comes down to burning more calories than you take in. But if you've ever tried losing weight, you also know that this seemingly simple formula isn't always easy to put into practice. And that can be downright frustrating.

Of course, weight-loss tips are everywhere you look, but how do you know which are safe, legit and will actually move the number on the scale? You could spend days researching and still not be totally sure — so we went ahead and did the legwork for you.

Here's what you need to know about weight loss, including all the research-backed advice that really works.

The Science Behind Successful Weight Loss

       Knowing the facts about weight loss will help you develop a plan that delivers results.

To start, you're going to need to separate the facts from the heard-it-through-the-grapevine fodder. What worked for someone else — or even a group of people — may not be your ideal approach, and for many different reasons. But having a good grip on the basics, such as knowing exactly how to calculate and track your daily calories, will help you spot a fad from a mile away and create a personalized weight-loss regimen that delivers results.

Here's what's actually happening in your body when you lose weight — and how to get started.

What to Know About Short-Term Weight Loss

        "Crash" diets may yield quick results, but they're usually not sustainable — or safe.

With their promise of lightning-fast results, fad or "crash" diets may be tempting, but they often do more harm than good by slowing your metabolism and causing you to lose lean muscle mass (which makes it harder to both maintain the weight lost and to drop pounds down the road). While it is possible to lose pounds fast, there's definitely a right and a wrong approach. The best way? It starts with setting a realistic goal weight.

All About Overeating

       If you have trouble stopping yourself from overeating, there's a good chance you're noshing from a place of emotion rather than true   hunger.

When it comes to common roadblocks on the weight-loss journey, overeating is one of the biggies. Even if you know all about serving sizes and portion control, it can sometimes be a challenge to get your eating under control and stick to a calorie count that will result in weight loss. The good news? It's probably all in your head (hello, emotional eating) — and there are concrete steps you can take to tame this bad habit.

                                             

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