If you've ever tried a strict diet to lose weight, you already know why it's so easy to bail on any regimented program: The experience can be flat-out miserable. According to one survey, for instance, two out of five people who opt out of their diet do so within just a week of starting. "You know your body better than anyone, which means you probably know exactly what's made you feel miserable in the past," Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, once explained. "When I ask my clients about this, I tend to hear the same responses over and overtoo few calories and too little carbs seem to be the biggest culprits."

A new report published in the science magazine Discover agrees that the grim experience of dieting is the number one culprit for people quitting them. "Dieting isn't really ideal for living a pleasant life, which will make it harder to keep dieting," Traci Mann, Ph.D., a leading food psychologist at the University of Minnesota and author of Secrets from the Eating Lab, explains to Discover.

If that sounds achingly familiar, you're definitely not alone. But know that the science outlet spoke to a series of weight-loss experts and nutritionists to reveal some of the more successful eating strategies you can try in place of a strict, calorie-counting dietwhich could indeed leave you feeling happier, more fulfilled, and far healthier in the long run. Read them all below. And for more weight loss advice, don't miss this list of Underrated Weight Loss Tricks That Totally Work, According to Experts.

"Resisting food cravings day in and day out is difficult," says Discover. "A better approach is to make tempting food more difficult to grab. If your partner insists on having candy in the house, for example, store those goodies in an opaque container, making them harder to see. When sweets are out of sight, they tend to be out of mind as well."

The latest research backs this up. A study published in theJournal of Marketing found that people are more likely to overeat small treats from transparent packages than from opaque ones. Make it harder to eat bad foods, and you'll eat less bad foods.

RELATED: Sign up for our newsletter for the latest weight-loss advice.

Focus on the larger journey of your overall health, not on the occasional slip-up, Debbie Petitpain, MS, RDN, LDN, a registered dietician and spokesperson for The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Discover. "An occasional splurge meal doesn't negate the healthier choices you've made on a day-to-day basis," says the report.

It's a tactic we've preached for eons at Eat This, Not That!: if there's a food you love to eat, simply find a healthier version of it. Additionally, you should look for easy ways to weave vegetables into your meals. "Try adding salsa to eggs, spinach to smoothies, sliced mushrooms to burgers, or having veggies and hummus instead of chips," says Discover. The idea here is to weave more healthful items into your existing diet and not force yourself into habits that aren't sustainable.

"It's better to think about the overall journey, rather than being so hyper-focused on achieving an endpoint," Petitpain explained. She advises you to take a much deeper look at all of the factors in your life that could be contributing to your weightand consider taking healthier steps in those areas before you start a hardcore diet. "If you don't have the bandwidth right now to tackle an aggressive diet, then don't start one, because it might be worse to try and fail. Focus instead on self-care. Try sleeping better, moving a little bit, eating a little healthier at every meal. These are hard times; you really have to prioritize."

For more amazing tips for helping you along your own weight loss journey, make sure you're aware of The Habits That Drive the Most Weight Loss of All, Say Scientists.

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These Simple Weight Loss Tricks Work Better Than Dieting, Says Report | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Smoothies are widely regarded as a healthy addition to your diet for weight loss because theyre often packed with fruit and vegetables to meet your daily intake of vitamins and minerals. However, if youre just starting your health journey, you may find that youre still struggling with inflammation, discomfort, and even further weight gain, and smoothies may be the culprit for these unfortunate side effects. As you adjust to your new lifestyle, according to dietitians, this is the smoothie ingredient that you should keep an eye on if youre trying to lose weight.

Add this to your diet to help with your skin, bones, and joints

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Protein powders are often integrated into plant based diets in order to supplement for protein youre missing without meat and dairy products. But while protein is good for your overall health, artificial powders and supplements, particularly low quality ones, can actually do more damage than good to your body.

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Registered dietitian Trista Best explains, The issue regarding processed health foods and stalled weight loss is primarily found in those on a vegan or plant-based diet, or a healthy diet that relies on quick meals. When following these diet patterns it is tempting to turn to processed convenience foods that are free of animal products, but are unfortunately still high in fat and sugar which simultaneously increases the product's calories. Protein powders, while high in one macronutrient, are often also high in sugar and calories and are regarded as healthy by default. Instead, they may actually have an inverse effect on your metabolism, slowing weight loss.

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Although protein powders can certainly hold a multitude of health benefits if youve invested in a high-quality product, protein smoothies should not be used as a substitute for a regular meal with a good variety of nutrients. Some individuals use protein powder as a meal replacement, and while this is common, most protein powders do not contain other vital nutrients required in a balanced meal. Anyone living with kidney disease should speak with their healthcare provider before adding protein powders to their diet, Best warns.

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While supplements have their place in a healthy lifestyle and can fill any gaps that your diet doesnt naturally cover, protein smoothies should not be relied on as a meal replacement to lose weight. These powders are intended to bolster your protein intake only, but keep in mind they may also be high in calories and sugar which will ultimately work against your weight loss goals if consumed in excess. If you do feel inclined to include a protein powder in your smoothies, make sure youre reaching for a high quality supplement that is low in sugar and doesnt overload your healthy snack with sneaky calories and minimal nutritional value.

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This Is Actually The Worst Thing You Can Add To Your Smoothies For Weight Loss (Its SO Bad For Your Metabolism!) - SheFinds

Does metabolism hold the key to weight management and why some people struggle and others never seem to gain weight? There are conflicting theories on how metabolism works and if it can be boosted to help people lose weight faster. Lets get the facts on whats possible when it comes to weight loss.

What is metabolism?

Metabolism refers to the chemical changes that take place in a cell through which energy and basic components are provided for essential processes, including the synthesis of new molecules and the breakdown and removal of others. In other words, its how your body uses food as energy and then burns that energy to keep your body going.

Do I burn energy if Im not being active?

Yes, even when youre not moving, your body uses energy to perform functions such as breathing and to keep your heart beating. This is known as resting (or basal) metabolic rate.

What determines a persons resting metabolic rate?

Genetics: The hereditary characteristics passed down from your parents and grandparents play a part, but fortunately, there are other factors affecting metabolism which we can control, such as diet and exercise.

Age: For most people, at around age 30 metabolism naturally begins to slow down. According to the National Institutes of Health, it slows by about 5 percent every 10 years after age 40. This is partly a result of muscle loss and an increase in fat that comes with age; therefore, fewer calories are needed to keep our bodies running.

Gender: Women, on average, tend to have slower metabolisms than men. This is because men typically have more muscle, so they burn more calories.

Weight: People who weigh less require less energy (fewer calories) to fuel their bodies. When you lose weight, your metabolism also slows, so it can be harder to lose weight over time and to keep it off.

What can I do to lose weight and maintain it?

It might seem like there are factors working against you, but being aware of the reduced calorie requirement as you age, can help you stay focused on the ones you can control. Here are three more weight loss tips to keep in mind.

Three tips for healthy weight loss

1. Start with a goal of losing 5 to 10 percent of your weight through increased physical activity and healthier eating. The benefits can be dramatic. For example, a person weighing 250 pounds who loses 5 to 10 percent would be shedding 13 to 25 pounds, which could lower his or her risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some forms of cancer. Other benefits you can actually feel sooner may include: having more energy, fewer aches and pains and feeling less winded or out of breath making it that much easier to keep moving.

2. Celebrate your victories at each milestone. When youve reached 5 percent, or start to feel better or notice an increase in energy, give yourself a gold star, do your happy dance, or reward yourself with a favorite activity. Youve earned it and the benefits are only beginning.

3. Slow and steady wins the race! Extreme diets and fitness routines are not sustainable long-term. The saying its a marathon, not a sprint is true. Healthy weight loss and management is about what you can do each day to: move more and eat more fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains, rather than carbs, fried foods and sugar.

Dr. Bridget Gibson is a family medicine physician for Brookwood Baptist Health.

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Dr. Bridget Gibson: The Mystery of Metabolism and How Can I Lose Weight? - Daily Home Online

Its natural the moment you go on a weight loss program to want to see results right away. If youre going about losing weight in a sensible waymeaning youre using a sustainable approach and not a fad diet thats too low on calories and nutrientsyoure probably going to notice some kind of weight loss pretty quickly. At first, you might just feel lighter or less bloated. Then you start noticing more and more places that youre losing weight. That said, it might take other people a moment to catch on.

Even if it feels like its taking a while, you should still see some noticeable defining moments along your weight loss journey that can help you stay motivated toward reaching your goals. Heres what to keep in mind when it comes to what you'll notice:

As a rule of thumb, healthy weight loss is anywhere from 1 to two pounds per week. At this rate, men could lose anywhere from four to eight pounds in one month and eight to 16 pounds in two months, says Ilyse Schapiro MS, RD, CDN.

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One pound of body weight is equivalent to 3,500 calories. So, in order to lose one to two pounds each week, men should aim for reducing their daily caloric intake by 500 calories, she says. If youre losing more weight than that, you may not be meeting your calorie and nutrition needs, and may not be setting yourself up for long-term success.

If you cut carbs, you often lose water weight, and you may feel leaner quickly (although once you add back in the carbs, you get that water back, but by that time, you may have lost actual body weight, too).

Sometimes, youll notice weight loss in how your clothes fit first. Looser clothes indicate weight loss, sometimes before the scale does. Be careful of the scale as your only indicator for weight changes, as many factors can affect this number, says Schapiro.

Sodium and water balance, diet and physical activity habits, sleep duration, body temperature, and time of day are all things that can change the readout on the scale.

There is currently no research that pinpoints where men lose weight firstweight loss efforts and success are different for everyone. Some of my patients lose weight in their face first, and some in their belly, and some in other areas, says Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RDN.

One way to keep track of the fact that youre losing is to take a waist circumference and track it over time. Bonus: This measurement is also a good indicator of health (for good health, mens waists should be less than 40 inches in circumference).

Since there are likely more Zoom interactions than physical encounters today, it may be difficult for others to notice your weight loss progress at first if youre not someone who loses weight in your face and neck right away.

If youre lacking positive comments from others, dont let it get in the way of your progress. Instead of focusing on external validation, celebrate your success and know that your personal recognition is worth more than a thousand compliments from others, Kirkpatrick says.

Men can experience weight changes at different times, at different intervals, and for different reasons. Theres no set amount of time it takes to notice weight loss. Sometimes its more important to track how consistent you are with your effortsalways something to celebrate therethan to track what the scale says, which can disappoint you and not completely relate to your efforts.

Stop worrying about how long it takes to notice weight loss and focus on the process of doing it. The weight will come off, without the stress of wishing it would happen faster.

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How Long Does it Take to Notice Weight Loss? - menshealth.com

If you're looking to shed some weight, you'll need the right set of tools, which includes practical diet tips, workouts that get your heart pumping and build muscle, and a positive attitude to get the results you're looking for. We know, it sounds like it can be a lot to take on, which is why you want to start out with easy weight-loss hacks.

Luckily, there are a couple of simple and effective ways to lose weight that dietitians recommend for a safe and healthy weight loss journey that can provide sustainable changes long-term. No "fad diet" tricks here, where you might lose those pounds quickly but then gain them back again (or even some extra pounds too, due to a shift in metabolic burn or eating habits!).

Check out these super easy weight-loss hacks so you can implement them into your daily lifestyle right now, and get your journey started. And while you're making changes, here are The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now you should add to your diet.

Don't go into starvation mode once nighttime hits, thinking you're saving your calories and eating fewer overall. That's just not how it works!

"Not eating enough during the day often causes people to eat excess calories at night, often from processed snacks that are high in calories and sugar," says Maggie Michalczyk, MS, RD. Plus, choosing not to eat can slow your metabolism during the day. And it's obviously harder to burn off calories while you're sleeping compared to when you're able to move about when you're awake.

Simply putyou're going to want to prioritize getting enough sleep in order to have greater success losing weight.

"Sleep is a not so secret weapon when it comes to weight loss," says Michalczyk. Research has shown that lack of sleep can contribute to obesity, too.

"Fewer ZZZ's can cause [you] to feel hungrier and crave carb-rich foods because the body is craving quick energy," she adds.

"Restaurant portions are often much bigger than we would serve ourselves at home, containing more calories, sodium, and sugar," says Michalcyzk.

One study found that people who eat more meals at home consume about 200 fewer calories during meals than those who eat out on a regular basis. Commit to cooking most nights of the week when possible!

And for some meal inspiration, here are 150+ recipe ideas that get you lean for life.

"Place healthy snacks where you can see them and less healthy snacks out of sight, as our environment plays a large role in the choices we make," says Michalczyk. One study actually compared the consumption of apples and popcorn based on proximity and found that subjects actually ate whichever food was closer to them. So clearly, it's a better idea to keep the healthy stuff in an easily accessible location.

Time to say cheese! It's a solid idea to track your weight loss progress with pictures to see the changes, as opposed to just going by the scale.

"One study found that people who took routine photos of themselves as they were trying to lose weight were more likely to finish the weight loss plan vs. the group that didn't take pictures," says Michalczyk.

Using smaller-sized plates may lead to greater weight loss considering those that eat on smaller dishes have reported greater satiety, and as a result, lower caloric intake.

"We have a tendency to eat everything on our plate, so use a smaller plate for smaller portions," says Ilyse Schapiro MS, RD, CDN.

"Prioritizing your water intake is an easy and effective way to stay hydrated, and speed up weight loss," says Schapiro.

Studies show that individuals who increased their daily water intake and replaced caloric beverages with water, as well as drank water before meals, showed greater weight loss achievement than those who did not adapt such drinking habits.

When you're in the mood for something other than water, go ahead and sip on some green tea.

"Green tea is packed with antioxidant compounds, such as catechins, polyphenols, and caffeine and studies have shown that drinking just two cups, or about 100 milligrams of green tea per day, have been linked to greater body fat and body weight reduction," says Schapiro.

Keep it unsweetened to reap all the best benefits.

Just 10 minutes of exercise each day has been linked to improved weight loss and successful weight maintenance.

"Whether you go for a walk, practice yoga, or take a spin class, any form of daily movement allows your body to 'burn off' the calories you eat, resulting in weight loss," says Schapiro. Making time to move your body can put you in a healthy eating mindset and keep stress low, too. So time to get moving!

Keeping a food journal can hold you accountable and enable better tracking of progress.

"It also can make you aware of habits, where people who journal their food, are more likely to be successful with losing weight," says Schapiro.

While writing in a food log might seem overwhelming, it doesn't have to be. All you have to do is write down the times of day and context for what you eat, how you exercise, and how you're feeling. Right to the point!

Protein is filling and satisfying, and it can rev up your metabolism. So you'll want to make sure you're eating enough of it if you're trying to lose wight the right way.

"Consuming at least 25% of your total daily calorie from protein can reduce obsessive thoughts about food, plus cut down on late-night snacking," says Schapiro. Go for lean meats, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, avocado, and nuts and seeds, as well as fatty fish, like salmon.

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11 Easy Weight-Loss Hacks Proven to Actually Work | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

"Life is really simple," reads the quote famously attributed to the philosopher Confucius, "but we insist on making it complicated." If you trust the health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the same can be said for managing your weight. The public health organization lists a very simple set of guidelines you should follow if you want to keep your weight in check. "The following tips are some of the common characteristics among people who have successfully lost weight and maintained that loss over time," the CDC says, referencing data from the National Weight Control Registry. Curious to know what they are? Read on for the surest ways to keep your weight down, according to the experts at the CDC. And for more amazing weight loss advice you can use immediately, don't miss our complete list of the 12 Foods That Drive the Most Weight Loss of All, According to Experts.

"You have embarked on a healthier lifestyle, now the challenge is maintaining the positive eating habits you've developed along the way," the CDC says. "In studies of people who have lost weight and kept it off for at least a year, most continued to eat a diet lower in calories as compared to their pre-weight loss diet." The organization references a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which tracked long-term weight management of people who have managed to keep weight off for one to five years.

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"Eating breakfast is a common trait among people who have lost weight and kept it off," says the CDC. "Eating a healthful breakfast may help you avoid getting 'over-hungry' and then overeating later in the day." And if you're a morning person, make sure you're aware of The Most Dangerous Way to Drink Your Morning Coffee, According to Science.

"Follow a healthy eating pattern regardless of changes in your routine," says the CDC. "Plan ahead for weekends, vacations, and special occasions. By making a plan, it is more likely you'll have healthy foods on hand for when your routine changes."

"People who have lost weight and kept it off typically engage in 6090 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week while not exceeding calorie needs," says the CDC. "This doesn't necessarily mean 6090 minutes at one time. It might mean 2030 minutes of physical activity three times a day. For example, a brisk walk in the morning, at lunch time, and in the evening. Some people may need to talk to their healthcare provider before participating in this level of physical activity."

RELATED: 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tricks That Actually Work

"Keeping a food and physical activity journal can help you track your progress and spot trends," says the CDC. "For example, you might notice that your weight creeps up during periods when you have a lot of business travel or when you have to work overtime. Recognizing this tendency can be a signal to try different behaviors, such as packing your own healthful food for the plane and making time to use your hotel's exercise facility when you are traveling. Or if working overtime, maybe you can use your breaks for quick walks around the building."

"Check your weight regularly," advises the CDC. "When managing your weight loss, it's a good idea to keep track of your weight so you can plan accordingly and adjust your diet and exercise plan as necessary. If you have gained a few pounds, get back on track quickly."

"People who have successfully lost weight and kept it off often rely on support from others to help them stay on course and get over any 'bumps,'" says the CDC. "Sometimes having a friend or partner who is also losing weight or maintaining a weight loss can help you stay motivated." For more great weight loss advice, be sure to check out our list of the 200 Greatest Ever Ways to Lose Weight!

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Proven Ways to Keep Your Weight Down, According to the CDC | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Working out is a good way of reducing fat and increasing muscle. Keeping in good shape helps the body stay fit and reduces the chance of developing certain health conditions.

Obesity is a rising health concern. Around 66.3% of adults in the United States have obesity or overweight.

This increase in obesity among U.S. adults is leading to a rise in conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Staying physically active can help people maintain a moderate body weight.

Exercise also comes with other physical, mental, and social health benefits that can improve quality of life for people of all ages.

In this article, learn more about how often to work out for weight loss and muscle gain. This article also covers how to choose a workout based on current fitness levels.

Many workout types exist, and people use these differently depending on their fitness goals. One example of these types is high intensity interval training. This is a popular method that uses a combination of cardiovascular and strength-based fitness to achieve weight loss and muscle gain.

The benefits of working out overlap, but typically, cardiovascular exercises are better for weight loss, as they burn more overall body fat.

Strength-based exercises target specific muscle groups. These also burn calories, but unlike most cardiovascular techniques, the strength-based movements focus on individual areas of the body.

If a person goes from minimal physical activity to working out, they may find that progress is slow to begin with.

However, once the body gets used to the process, a persons metabolism starts to increase. Having a higher metabolism causes the body to burn more calories, even while it is resting.

Beginning a workout routine after not getting much physical activity for a while can put the body under stress and cause injury if a person starts too quickly. It is, therefore, best to start slowly and gradually increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of workouts.

Also, remember that being physically active will not lead to weight loss by itself. Eating a healthful, balanced diet must accompany an increase in exercise.

In general, losing weight relies on the persons body using more calories than it takes in.

The effect of how often a person works out on the weight they lose will vary based on individual factors, such as metabolism, diet, and the type of exercise they are performing.

A workout of moderate intensity will not burn as many calories as a more vigorously intense workout.

The World Health Organization (WHO) advise that healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 64 years perform 75 minutes of intense exercise or 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week.

The American College of Sports Medicine and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that people perform vigorously intense exercise sessions lasting for at least 20 minutes each on 3 days each week.

They also advise that people perform these vigorously intense sessions in addition to moderately intense exercise sessions that last for over 30 minutes on 5 days each week.

To control body weight, some studies suggest doubling these exercise periods.

This would mean allocating at least 150 minutes each week to intense exercise or 300 minutes to workouts of moderate intensity. When a persons aim is to lose body fat, they should try to increase the amount of time they spend on cardiovascular fitness.

It is difficult to say how often a person should work out for muscle gain, as there are many individual factors involved.

Focusing on only one muscle group will cause muscle gain in that area but may result in a person not focusing as much on other parts of the body. A good exercise program will include all the main muscle groups.

Depending on a persons fitness goals, they can either train these muscle groups individually, using exercises that isolate specific muscles, or at the same time, using full-body exercises.

To increase strength, a person may wish to decrease the number of repetitions they do but increase the intensity of the exercise. For example, this may mean lifting heavier weights but for fewer reps.

Increasing the number of repetitions with a lighter weight will help increase muscular endurance and burn fat in the area, which will make the muscle more visible.

A workout designed to build muscle may space training different muscle groups out over different days. For example, this could mean training the arms on a Monday and the legs on a Wednesday, with at least 48 hours rest between training sessions that target the same muscle group.

Workouts can take place in a gym, but they can also take place at home or outside. A persons individual preference will depend on which option is a more comfortable and motivational environment for them.

Below are some examples of weekly muscle-strengthening workouts that a person can perform anywhere.

Because these workouts target all the major muscle groups of the body, it is best to perform them on 3 or 4 days per week, leaving at least 48 hours rest between sessions.

Warmup:

Full-body workout routine:

Rest for 2 minutes, then repeat the workout routine two more times.

Cool-down:

Stretching at the start and end of each workout can help improve the flexibility necessary for the activity. However, although many people believe that this reduces the risk of injury, some sources suggest that this may not be the case.

Warmup:

Full-body workout routine (resting for 30 seconds between sets):

Rest for 2 minutes, then repeat the workout routine two more times.

Cool-down:

Warmup:

Full-body workout routine (resting for 30 seconds between sets):

Rest for 2 minutes, then repeat the workout routine three more times.

Cool-down:

People cannot just work out for a set number of hours each week and expect to lose weight or gain muscle.

The workouts must be challenging enough to make a difference. Also, working out should accompany a healthful and well-balanced diet.

To lose weight, a persons body should use up more calories than it takes in.

Engaging in physical activity of a low intensity but long duration will target weight loss, while exercise that is more intense will increase muscle strength.

It is important to stick with a workout regimen. Studies suggest that muscle-strengthening exercise programs may take 610 weeks of work before results begin to show.

Also, bear in mind that body weight may not change much if a person is losing fat but replacing it with muscle.

There are many ways to exercise. Find workouts that feel fun and motivating. Push to try new and harder things, but avoid overworking the body; otherwise, injuries may occur.

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How often should you work out for weight loss and muscle gain? - Medical News Today

Daisy May Cooper looks seriously glam in her latest selfie.

The This Country star, 34, embarked on a New Year diet after giving birth to her son Jack in September last year, and the results of all her hard work are clear to see.

She took to her Instagram account on Wednesday afternoon to show off the results of her diet, and her chic new makeover.

In the photo, Daisy May, who is also mum to a daughter called Pip with her husband Will Weston, sported long and curly blonde hair that fell way past her shoulders.

Her makeup had been done with a stylish coat of eyeshadow and a set of false eyelashes, which drew attention to her eyes.

Daisy May was wearing a black star-print jumper with a keyhole design on the chest.

She teamed the look with a delicate silver necklace.

The mum-of-two captioned the photo: "The b**h is back...."

Her followers were wowed by her transformation, with one commenting: "Omg darling Daisy you looks sooo stunning and you are the loveliest person going."

"You. Look. Incredible," another posted.

A third wrote: "Oh Daisy x you look lush all the time but wowzers xx love your hair like that."

Earlier this month Daisy May revealed she had been following the keto diet to lose weight as she showed off her transformation.

She told her Instagram followers: "Anyone else doing keto? My mate Sarah and my da suggested I give it a try and I'm shocked at how quickly weight is dropping off.

"Forgive the s***e mirrors and grey bra and the fact im not standing in the same position so I look like a midget on the right...

"And don't panic... im not going to be promoting any s**t weightloss dvds or products. Pic on the right taken 1st of Jan. Be grateful for any keto tips, only diet I've ever really enjoyed."

But she quickly deleted the post and apologised after she was criticised for using the word "midget".

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Daisy May Cooper looks unrecognisable as she shows off weight loss and glam makeover - Mirror Online

Coffee with too much sugar can be unhealthy and lead to weight gain. Ezra Bailey/Getty Images

Black coffee is a good drink for weight loss, as long as you drink it in moderation and without too many added sugars.

However, coffee can lead to unhealthy weight gain if you don't drink it black, as many popular coffee beverages are loaded with extra sugar and calories.

To drink coffee for weight loss, don't add sugar and try not to have more than four cups per day, or in the several hours leading up to bedtime.

Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more advice.

Coffee is the most popular morning beverage consumed around the world. In fact, the global population consumes over 160 million bags of coffee in a year.

Though the drink is most popular for boosting energy, it can also be healthy and help with your weight loss goals.

"Coffee, when consumed in moderation and without too many added sweeteners, can help with weight loss and be beneficial to your overall health," says Ashley Shaw, RD, a registered dietitian at Preg Appetit.

Here's what you should know about coffee and weight loss, and how much you should drink to lose weight.

Coffee contains nutrients such as niacin, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants - which can improve digestive health, support muscle function, and lead to better heart health. It also contains caffeine, which boosts metabolism, improves energy, and can promote weight loss.

Here are some health and weight loss-related benefits of this energy-boosting drink:

Black coffee is a low-calorie beverage. Weight loss is associated with a calorie deficit, which is when you consume fewer calories than you burn. A popular way to help achieve a calorie deficit is to consume fewer calories than your usual caloric intake.

Black coffee is an ideal beverage to drink for weight loss as it contains less than 5 calories per serving (one 8-0z cup). However, it's only low-calorie if you drink it black.

"While black coffee is low-calorie, it can quickly become high in calories, sugar, and fats when different milks and sugars are added to it," Shaw says.

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Caffeine boosts metabolism. Metabolism is the process in which the body breaks down nutrients and utilizes foods' calories throughout the day. Caffeine, a stimulant found in coffee, is one of few substances that may increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR), also known as the rate at which you burn calories while resting.

A small 2018 study found that participants who drank various measures of coffee over the course of two months had greater metabolites, a product of metabolism. A higher or faster metabolism will allow you to burn more calories at rest or during physical activity, which may help lead to weight loss.

"There is a growing body of research on how coffee consumption is positively associated with BMR, however it's important to keep in mind that we metabolize foods and beverages at different rates. Coffee may increase one person's metabolic rate but not another," Shaw says.

Caffeine may decrease feelings of hunger. Appetite is influenced by a variety of factors, including the type of food you eat, physical activity levels, and hormones. While there is not sufficient research to determine a cause-effect relationship for caffeine reducing appetite, studies have shown that it may reduce levels of ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry.

A small 2014 study found that participants increased feelings of fullness and reduced their food intake just within four weeks of drinking coffee daily based on their ghrelin levels.

"Caffeine also stimulates the satiety hormone peptide YY (PYY). More PYY means you will feel satiated and less hungry," Shaw says.

Coffee has many benefits that promote weight loss, but there are potential drawbacks, Shaw says. Here are some of the downsides of coffee to be mindful when incorporating it in your diet:

Some coffee drinks contain lots of calories and sugar. When drinking coffee for weight loss, it's best to avoid adding calories to your drink. It may be tempting to add milk or sugar into your coffee, but these can quickly add calories to your drink, Shaw says.

Many popular coffee drinks are already high in calories, including Starbucks' very own Mocha Frappuccino and Caramel Macchiato which contain 370 and 250 calories, respectively. Consuming more calories than your normal intake prevents you from achieving a calorie deficit for weight loss and instead leads to weight gain, Shaw says.

Caffeine can reduce sleep. Poor sleep is often linked to increased appetite and hunger, specifically for high-calorie foods. Studies have attributed lack of sleep to an increase of ghrelin, the hormone that regulates feelings of hunger, which can result in greater calorie consumption and weight gain.

"The caffeine found in coffee blocks adenosine receptors that bring on drowsiness, causing you to feel more awake. I suggest cutting off your caffeine at least six to seven hours before bedtime for quality sleep and hormone regulation," Shaw says.

To receive the health benefits of coffee and achieve weight loss, Shaw recommends drinking no more than four 8-oz cups of coffee a day, which equates to 400mg of caffeine.

"Four cups of coffee a day allows the benefits of feeling more awake and better fat metabolism while not being too much to impact sleep and hunger," Shaw says. Drinking a cup every couple of hours would be reasonable to feel the lasting effects in each interval, she says.

However, if you like strong coffee, drink fewer cups accordingly to get no more than 400mg of caffeine per day. "Coffee that is identified as 'strong' is higher in caffeine content because there is a greater concentration of coffee per serving of water," Shaw says.

Black coffee is best for weight loss as it does not contain added sugars or fats that can contribute to weight gain, Shaw says. However, if you like your coffee sweet, here are some low-calorie alternative sweeteners to use:

Fruit-based sweeteners like erythritol or monk fruit extract

Plant-based sweeteners like stevia and yacon syrup

Sugar alcohols like xylitol and maltitol

If you are new to drinking black coffee, it may be helpful to reduce your pumps of sweetener until you get used to the bitter taste. If you have a sensitive stomach, it's best to eat food alongside your coffee as this acidic drink may cause gastric distress, says Shaw. Too much stress on your digestive system can cause weight gain, she says.

Overall, coffee is an energy-boosting beverage with numerous health benefits. The few calories and caffeine content in the drink can help with weight loss.

However, it is important to be mindful of what and how much you drink. Consume coffee beverages that are low in calories by minimizing added sugars and fat content in your drink. Make sure you are having no more than 400mg of caffeine a day - and avoid it several hours before bedtime.

Coffee impacts everyone differently. The effect it has on you may not be the effect it has on someone else. To determine the healthiest weight loss plan for your needs, consult your healthcare provider.

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Researchers say that habits account for about 40% of our daily behaviors. That means habits wield a good bit of influence over our lives, for good or bad. When it comes to eating, we're certainly creatures of habit. So, let's examine our evening meal routine. Are you guilty of these unhealthy dinner habits that can impact your health? Read on, and for more healthy tips, be sure to check out our list of 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work.

If you don't have a meal plan, you'll likely end up either ordering out or relying on highly-processed frozen or canned foods. A 2016 Harvard study revealed that people who regularly cooked at home had a lower diabetes risk than those who rarely cooked at home. The study by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health looked at dietary and health data from 100,000 male and female health professions and found that people who ate up to 14 homemade lunches or dinners weekly had a 14% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate six or fewer homecooked meals.

Don't have a meal plan? Get started with one of these 11 Best Meal Planning Apps for Weight Loss.

Making a habit of kicking off every dinner with a cocktail not only preloads your meal with extra calories, but it also stimulates appetite, say researchers who call the phenomenon the "apritif effect." Studies show that even moderate alcohol consumption spurs hunger and a specific desire for savory foods. In one study in the journal Appetite, 24 men were randomly given either a vodka and orange juice or orange juice alone before a meal. It turned out that those given the alcohol consumed 11% more total food than the juice drinkers. What's more, the screwdrivers turned up the volume of fatty foods the men ate by 24%. For more reasons to skip the before-dinner drinks, here are the Ugly Side Effects of Drinking Alcohol Every Day, According to the Mayo Clinic.

Being dehydrated can lead to all sorts of negative outcomes: from headaches to constipation, fatigue to kidney stones, and more. More seriously, being dehydrated can make the outcome of having a stroke much worse, according to a study in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders. Then there's possible weight gain and poor digestion.

Put your own water drinking practices under the microscope. Not only should you be drinking water during every meal, you should drink a glass of water before you take your first bite, says nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein, RD, author of You Can Drop It! How I Dropped 100 Pounds Enjoying Carbs, Cocktails & Chocolateand You Can Too! Drinking water before eating is one of the first principles of her diet plan.

"Water First is all about taking advantage of the simplest-yet perhaps the most powerfula form of nutrition we have and the secret weapon for dropping pounds," says Muhlstein.

Here's What Happens To Your Skin When You Drink Water Every Day.

If you make a habit of wrapping your food in plastic wrap or placing it in plastic containers and then microwaving it to heat, you could end up ingesting unhealthy chemicals. Non-microwave safe plastic containers, including takeout containers, may leach BPA and phthalates into the food, especially if the food is fatty, like meats and cheeses. BPA (bisphenol A) and phthalates are suspected "endocrine disruptors," which mimic hormones and may disrupt healthy cells.

"Even though single exposures to a specific chemical are small, if they occur repeatedly over long periods of time, their effects may add up, leading to a variety of adverse health outcomes down the road," Harvard professor of reproductive physiology Dr. Russ Hauser told Harvard Health Publishing. "Furthermore, and most importantly, we are exposed to many chemicals simultaneously (i.e., chemical mixtures) that may have additive adverse effects."

Maybe you never reach for the salt shaker. But if you make a habit of eating out or having a lot of prepared foods for dinner, you're probably consuming way too much sodium. More than 70% of dietary sodium comes from eating packaged and prepared foods, not from salt added to food when home cooking or eating, says the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. High sodium intake can raise blood pressure, one of the leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the leading risk factor for global disease, according to the World Health Organization.

Here's a related heart disease-promoting habit to kick: Fried Foods. To find out why, read Dangerous Side Effects of Eating Fried Foods, According to Science.

Take a look at your dinner plate tonight. What do you see? If you don't notice an abundance of vegetables and fruits, you could be seeing cardiovascular problems in your future, research suggests.

Consider a study presented at the American Society for Nutrition's annual conference in 2019, which analyzed diet data from 113 countries alongside research on causes of death. The researchers found that each year nearly 1 in 7 people worldwide die from heart disease and stroke caused by not eating enough fruit and about 1 in 12 die from cardiovascular disease from not consuming adequate amounts of vegetables. When you fill your plate with fruits and vegetables, the good-for-you stuff tends to elbow out less healthful fare like red meats and low-fiber starches. The American Heart Association recommends eating 4 servings of fruitsand 5 servings of vegetables every day.

You can make better choices at dinner by following these simple guidelines.

Pasta every night might be easy, but it doesn't provide you with the 50 to 175 grams of protein most of us need daily to build and maintain muscle and keep our appetites in check. Many studies have demonstrated that protein is more satiating than either carbohydrate or fat. One analysis of 10 studies by researchers at Purdue University, for example, found that subjects whose meals included inadequate amounts of protein became hungrier and ended up eating more than when their meals included the recommended amount or more of protein. The results suggest that dinners lacking protein may lead to increased hunger after dinner and eating late at night, which, in turn, could result in significant weight gain.

Wolfing down your dinner may make you fat and even harm your heart, according to research presented at an American Heart Association scientific conference in 2017.

Japanese researchers evaluated 642 people by their eating speed and found that the fast eaters were 11.6% more like to have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of disorders including high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides, than normal and slow eaters. Fast eating was also associated with more weight gain.

Fast eating and not chewing adequately can also affect the number of nutrients you're getting from even healthy food.

"When we eat too quickly, we may not be able to absorb and assimilate nutrients," says nutritionist Cassidy Gunderson, PhD, owner of Spiro Health & Wellness in Salt Lake City. "Our mouths are very smart; the mastication process is incredibly important. One study found that chewing almonds 40 times versus 10 times significantly increased absorption of nutrients."

A little something sweet after dinner may provide enough of a psychological reward to keep you motivated to stick to a healthy eating plan. It has worked for many dieters because they don't feel as if they are depriving themselves. But it doesn't take a degree in nutrition to know that it can be difficult to limit bites of luscious cake or scoops of ice cream. And many desserts are loaded with calories, sugar, and saturated fat. Eating hefty, sugary desserts every night can pack on pounds, leading to obesity and diabetes. Saturated fats can raise LDL cholesterol and lead to heart disease. In a 2014 JAMA Internal Medicine study following people for 15 years, Harvard researchers found an association between a high-sugar diet and 38% greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

Instead, opt for healthier options like one of these76 Best Dessert Recipes for Weight Loss.

A study by the American Cancer Society published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2018 linked sitting for long periods of leisure time and a higher risk of death from 14 common causes of death. The study, which followed 127,554 people who had no chronic diseases for 21 years, showed that those who reported the most leisure time sitting had a higher risk of death from cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, suicide, lung disease, liver disease, peptic ulcer and other digestive diseases, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, nervous disorders, and musculoskeletal disorders.

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