17 Small Changes You Can Make Every Day To Lose Weight

As a Millennial on the grind, it can be tough to carve out an hour for the gym every day.

Forty hours a week may be what it says in your contract, but when you're expensing dinner to the office at 8:30 pm, well, it doesn't look like you're going to make it to SoulCycle today.

And on the days you're not hanging with the overnight cleaning crew, you don't really want to feel like you're being held captive by the call of a post-work gym session.

It's crowded, you're tired and you'd much rather be catching a drink or simply enjoying the pleasures of sitting on your couch.

But you also don't want a belly and the increased risk of heart disease, right?

Fret not, fellow workaholics and happy hour lovers, because here are 17 little things you can do every day to not only stay in shape -- whatever that means -- but actually lose weight.

Drink black, green or white tea on the regular.

You've heard all about the supposed benefits of tea, but there's actual research to show those who drink tea from real tea leaves have lower body mass indexes (BMI) and less fat.

Eating cayenne pepper will address a whole lot more than just weight loss.

Yes, due to the ingredient capsaicin, cayenne pepper can increase fat burning in your body, but there's a laundry list of other benefits as well.

Cayenne pepper is also an anti-cold and anti-flu agent, a migraine preventer, a joint pain reliever and a digestive aid.

Despite what you may think, fruit is definitely good for you.

You might have heard you need to be careful with some types of fruit because it's high in carbs and sugar, but fruit is always a healthy alternative to whatever else you're shoving into your face in the morning, afternoon or evening.

And taking it a step further, be sure to skip Juice Generation in favor of the corner grocery store.

Eating your fruit as opposed to drinking it gives you more fiber, keeps you fuller longer, saves you extra calories and is a lot cheaper.

A sure-fire way to lose weight is by lifting weights.

For many, it's hard to get to the gym every day. While there are plenty of other things you can do to lose weight, lifting weights remains one of the oldest and most stable methods of fat burning and weight loss.

Remember, twice a week is still a hell of a lot better than zero times a week.

Salads are great, but be careful about what goes into your leafy mix.

Not only do vegetables fill you up with fewer calories than most other meal choices, but they also provide a solid amount of fiber.

There's one caveat, though; do not top your salad with fried chicken and buttermilk ranch dressing.

You're probably not going to be shedding too many pounds if you go this route.

Sorry, omnivores, but eating lean protein is key to weight loss.

Eating vegetables is great, but eating lean protein instead of carbs will not only keep you fuller in between meals, it will increase your metabolism in the process.

F-I-B-E-R is K-I-N-G.

It's simple, really. Adding fiber to your diet fills you up, absorbs water in your body and helps keep you regular.

According to a recent study, women who doubled their fiber intake to 24 grams a day absorbed 90 calories less a day. This act alone could help you lose roughly 10 pounds a year.

I know you want it, but leave the refrigerator door shut after dinner.

It's pretty well known that late-night snacking leads to weight gain.

But, did you know that if you're able to do away with post-dinner munchies on the regular, you could drop an extra five pounds in a week?

Don't cut out the booze, just grab a smaller glass.

Dieting can be tough, and I'm the last one to tell you to cut out booze all together in an effort to lose weight.

Hell, how am I supposed to make it through the week without talking to my roommate, alcohol?

But just hear me out real quick: If you opt for a four-ounce wine glass a few nights a week, instead of the goblet you drink out of daily, you could shed over 20 pounds in a year.

We still cool?

Eating slower really is smarter.

By the time I sit down for dinner, I'm ready to inhale whatever's on my plate. And even if that's as healthy a plate as possible, it's still more beneficial to slow down in between bites.

Eating slower and chewing every bite will result in eating fewer calories at every meal. Eating fewer calories at every meal will lead to weight loss.

Get moving while watching television.

I know it's increasingly rare for people to watch a show that hasn't been recorded, but a great way to lose weight while not really doing anything is by "working out" during commercial breaks.

Jumping jacks, push-ups, whatever you chose to do during that two-minute break could result in an extra 270 calories a day being burned. That's about 28 pounds a year being shredded.

Skip the elevator line and take the stairs.

I know how easy it can be to come into work hungover and opt for an elevator ride instead of sweating the booze out on the stairs, but trust me, it's worth it.

Two to three minutes a day of stair climbing can burn enough calories to offset the average weight gain of one to two pounds a year.

This can't be said enough: Bring lunch from home!

This is one of the easiest ways to not only lose weight, but save cash at the same time.

Instead of paying $12 and taking in a hell of a lot more calories, sodium and fat, you could make lunch at home and slim down your waistline while beefing up your bank account.

Not at all chicken caesar wraps are created equally, remember that.

Fidgeting at your desk can lead to weight loss.

Apparently, your ADHD can help with your desire to shed a few pounds.

It turns out those who fidget more at their desks, and around the office in general, weigh less than their coworkers who stay sedentary.

Change positions, move your laptop around and don't stay seated for too long in any given period.

Laugh your way to the beach body of your dreams.

Well, not exactly, but research shows laughing hard for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn 10 to 40 calories a day.

Laugh every day for a year and, well, that's a good amount of calories.

Sleep your way to a slimmer you.

Working long hours is part of the weekly grind, but you really should do your best to get to bed as early as possible, as often as possible.

A study at the University of Pennsylvania found that after just 11 days, a group of sleep-deprived individuals gained nearly three pounds, compared to a control group that was "well rested."

We all go through ups and downs, there's never a reason to give up entirely.

Sh*t gets hard sometimes, and we fall off a bit.

But, just like in our relationships and careers, it's important to get back on track as soon as possible.

So what if you went on a five-day bender and ate cheeseburgers at 2 am every night? It's never too late to get back on the horse -- just make sure that horse is made of kale.