How cool would it be to get on the path to achieving your best body? Summer is just around the corner, and many of my patients are asking me how they can safely lose weight and keep it off without losing their sanity!

If you’re looking to lose weight or get better at maintaining your weight, I have great tips for you. Adopting these easy practices will help you reduce your risk for serious health issues, become more energetic, and seriously boost your mood. The best part? These are realistic goals that you can easily sustain long-term.

Get ready to nourish your body and soul no matter the season.

Here are 10 Ways to Lose Weight Without Starving

1. Control Your Portions to Control Calories

It’s fun to pile your plate high with your favorite foods. But you have to manage how much you’re eating and what you’re eating.

A little cheat now and then isn’t the end of the world (come on, think about holiday temptations; it happens!), but try to master portion control. Instead of eating until you feel stuffed, stop eating once satisfied. Savor the moment and focus on the delicious flavors and textures.

2. Ditch the Soda

We get so focused on what we’re eating that we often overlook what we’re drinking. Sodas are loaded with sugar and calories (yes, even diet!). The sugars and artificial sweeteners lead to dangerous belly fat accumulation and overall weight gain. Reach for water, fresh fruit juice, or a healthy tea instead.

3. Don’t Ditch Breakfast

Eating a healthy breakfast is like fueling up an airplane before takeoff. I don’t know about you, but I’m not heading up into the clouds in a plane with only 1/8 of a gas tank. Food is your energy source. If you’re going to take off and conquer your day, you need the fuel to propel you. Try these healthy and energizing breakfasts.

4. Get Adequate Sleep

Don’t derail your efforts by forgetting the importance of sleep. Sleep deprivation contributes to weight gain and other serious conditions like depression and diabetes. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep to protect your mental and physical health.

5. Plan Meals in Advance

Stocking your kitchen with healthy foods and snacks means you’ll always have something healthy at the ready. You’ll avoid making bad choices (take-out, fast food) that become very tempting when you have nothing else to eat. No post-meal guilt. No derailing your progress. You win.

6. Think Before You Eat

Become a pro at mindful eating. Think before you eat! Will this meal nourish me? How will I feel afterward? Good? Energized? Sluggish? If there isn’t a benefit, eat something else.

7. Shop Smart

Here’s a trick my family and I stick to. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. That’s where the fresh produce, lean proteins, and healthy grains tend to live. The middle aisles tend to be populated by boxed, canned, and processed foods.

We hardly have any foods at my house that come in a box. Maybe some quinoa and low-sodium organic tomatoes, but we stick to fresh, whole, and natural.

8. Consume Natural, Whole Foods & Healthy Fats

I love how easily we can incorporate these healthy foods into our lives! Examples include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, poultry, and eggs. Use extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil to add healthy fats—the less processed the food, the better.

9. Manage Stress for Weight Loss

Stress causes weight gain and other serious issues (depression, heart disease, etc.), so finding your Zen is crucial to losing and maintaining weight. Meditation, yoga, and deep breathing are great stress-busters.

10. Exercise to Shed Fat

Devote 30 minutes every day to movement and exercise to shed fat. Even moderate physical activity like a brisk walk will do the trick. Move with purpose throughout your day and make fitness a habit. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Run around and play with your kids! Ride a bike instead of driving (to run a close errand, go to a friend’s house, etc.) If you’re a senior (or just like the idea!), walk around your local mall to get your blood flowing. Just move as much as you can.

Making positive lifestyle changes can be challenging, but I’m rooting for you! Are you ready to take action? I hope you do because you’ll be on your way to feeling confident and at home in your skin. You’ll transform into a healthier, happier you. You’ll feel nourished, energized, and beautiful inside and out.

Leave a comment below to share your progress, ask a question or encourage the tribe!

Make healthy living a part of every day.

The light in me honors the light in you. Namaste.

Dr. Nandi

Partha’s Rx

• Trust yourself. Losing and maintaining your weight can be tough. Believe that you can do it. Lean on your tribe for support, but know that you can tackle this challenge.
• Be kind to yourself. You are unique, and you’ll progress at your rate. Be patient with yourself, and permit yourself to improve your life at your own pace.
• Be a Health Hero. You’re taking action, and making your well-being a priority makes you a Health Hero! Get excited and celebrate the small successes along the way. You got this!