Every woman hopes to hear those three magical words one day, "You’ve lost weight."  We’re locked in a constant battle with the weighing scale, chocolates and delicious, unhealthy food while coveting model figures.  With fashion these days and the festive season already upon us most women want to drop the last, pesky five pounds or attain a flat tummy to fit into that sexy new choli she just ordered. Of course a toned body is only attainable with proper exercise and if the thought of sweating out calories on a treadmill makes you nauseous (literally, because your heart and muscles are so unused to exercise!) but you’re still looking to lose some weight, read on to discover simple lifestyle and routine changes that can help you shed up to five pounds in two weeks.

Water, water everywhere

Your body already comprises of 70 per cent water, how much more could you possibly need? Turns out, A LOT. The benefits to staying hydrated through-out the day are so many that we could still be listing them in 2020. Start your day with a big glass of room temperature water with a lemon squeezed in it. No salt, no sugar. This flushes your system clean, giving your body a head start on the day. The antioxidant properties of lemon water also help in clearing up acne prone skin. Keep a water bottle with you at all times and keep sipping from it all day long. You should aim to consume around 2 liters of water each day. What most people don’t realize is that headaches (especially ones triggered around the evening when you’re just about wrapping up work) lethargy and drowsiness are symptoms of thirst and dehydration. Dehydration also manifests itself as hunger, so that mid afternoon meal you think you’re craving is just your body’s way of asking for water, not food. One last little trick will help you battle bloating and water retention: never drink water with your meal. Have one glass of water 15 minutes prior to eating and a glass of water 15 minutes after you’ve eaten. This not only helps bring your appetite in check but also prevents bloating and unnecessary water weight.

Make breakfast your best friend

Your body needs nutrition in the morning when you wake up. After 6-8 hours of sleep you to need to kick-start your metabolism with breakfast. Start your day with a glass of milk, oats, fibrous cereal (Cocopops and Fruits Loops don’t count), eggs or anything else that strikes your fancy but eat within one hour of waking up. This keeps your metabolism running and also prevents your body from going into starvation mode which causes it to store fat instead of burning it for energy. Eating a proper breakfast in the morning also keeps the unhealthy sugar cravings at bay, giving you the will power to say no to that chocolate bar you know you shouldn’t be eating.

The more you eat, the less you weigh

Eating at regular intervals keeps your metabolism active, helping you digest food quicker instead of storing it as fat. Most dietitians recommend eating at two hour intervals. These mini-meals keep your energy levels up through-out the day and ensure you don’t feel like pigging out at mid-night (which is, by the way, your body’s unhealthy way of meeting its nutritional needs). Fruits and vegetables make for great snacks. Who doesn’t love carrot and cucumber sticks with Greek yogurt or a fresh fruit salad? Nutritious, delicious and you can eat as much without feeling guilty.

9 PM Curfew

As the day progresses your meals should get lighter and lighter. Breakfast like a king, lunch like a merchant and dinner like a pauper should be your motto for meals. Your final meal for the day should be by 9 pm at night, no later. If you’re a night owl and hunger strikes in the dark of the night, reach out for dates or a hand full of nuts. This will prevent you from sleeping on a full stomach which leads to weight gain.

Try these 4 simple lifestyle changes and you’ll be noticing the difference in just two weeks.