Everyone has a desire to rid themselves of their weight as quickly as
they can. I wish that I had a magic wand that I could wave over every
obese person out there and his/her excess fat would be gone forever.
This simply is not the case. Here are some easy to follow weight loss
tips to help you slowly and methodically get to your goal. So I hope you
enjoy reading these 9 weight loss tips.
Weight Loss Tips #1: Want It!
In
order to be successful at weight loss you have to want to lose the
weight. You must commit to this want, not just say that you want to lose
the weight. The best way to commit to losing weight is to make a goal,
write it down, then stick to it.
A goal does not have to be
just about the weight you lose or want to lose. You could write a goal
using your body measurements or percentage of body fast lost, or it may
be your desirable clothing size. Set your goals in a way that they are
attainable. For example, I want to lose 15 pounds by Christmas or I want
to drop 2 dress sizes by my sister's wedding.
Once you have set
your larger goals, you need to set smaller ones to make sure you are on
schedule to achieving your long-term goal. Keep track of your goals by
using a weight loss chart, a food journal, or an exercise chart. Keeping
a journal is the best way to track the foods you eat, the amount of
water you take in, the amount of daily exercise, and to daily write out
those goals. You can even track how you are feeling throughout the day.
This will help in knowing whether you are eating because of a particular
mood or not. Keeping a journal is good way to stay committed to your
weight loss.
Weight Loss Tip #2: Keep it in the Kitchen
The
of the worst habits that people have is not eating at the kitchen
table. They are either standing to eat while doing other things or they
are in front of the television. Experts say that generally people who
eat while watching television eat larger servings of food. Our focus is
on what we are watching, not what we are eating.
We need to move
away from our family rooms and back into the kitchen. During this time
eat slowly and spend some time with your family. Talk to the spouse and
children. Pay attention to what you are eating as well as how much you
are eating. When you eat slower, your stomach will have the time needed
to signal you that you are full and you will not have over-eaten and
feel miserable.
Weight Loss Tip #3: Throw Out Temptation
In
order to remain faithful to your weight loss regime, you must remove
all temptation from your cabinets, freezer, and vehicle. Replace the
candy and fatty foods with the right foods. Sugar-free gelatin and
pudding is a wonderful way to take care of that sweet tooth in a correct
portion without adding a lot of calories. Low-fat popcorn or low-fat
flavored popcorn is another wonderful replacement to fatty snacks.
Try
not to eat unhealthy snacks for a couple of weeks. Keep a bag of
crunchy vegetables, like carrots handy to help with hunger. Most crunchy
veggies tend to satisfy you more and are lower in calories.
Weight Loss Tip #4: Find Support
Weight
loss is a challenge alone, but with a partner, it will seem much
easier. Look for a weight loss support group on-line or a forum.
Facebook even has support groups. If you prefer, not to have someone
on-line then start your own support group in your home or someone else's
home. Otherwise, all weight loss companies offer a support group or
sometimes a little one-on-one counseling.
Your support groups can
include family, friends, coworkers or even your neighbors. Your group
could be as large or as small as you like. Ask everyone you know to
support you in your weight loss endeavors with some encouragement.
.
Weight Loss Tip #5: Stop Bad Habits
Most
learned or old habits are hard to break. It's time we make a change. We
do not have to eat everything that is on our plate. Most of grew up
knowing that we must eat everything on our plates because there are
starving children in Africa. It is okay to leave a little food on our
plates every now and again.
We need to listen to our bodies and
stop eating when we are full. We must eat smaller portions of our food.
We need to avoid having seconds. Try to eat 6 small meals instead of
three large ones. Eat breakfast, have a morning snack, eat lunch, have
an afternoon snack, eat dinner, have an evening snack.
When you
eat out at a restaurant either order from the children's menu or ask
when you order for the waitress to bring you a to go box. When the food
arrives, place half or more of the food into the to go box.
Weight Loss Tip #6: Add Variety
You
need a little variety in your life. This goes for food too. You will
get bored eating the same thing week in and week out. Once this boredom
hits, you will slip back into your old habits. Eat a little something
from each of the major food groups, including fruits, vegetables,
protein, dairy, whole grains, and fats.
In order to stay
energized, eat five to six small meals everyday. This also helps your
metabolism. Eat a protein with most meals, including eggs, beans, lean
cuts of meats as well as fish. We need to try to eat a minimum of five
servings and up to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily. If you
are watching your sugars, also watch the amount of fruit you are
consuming. You really need to eat more vegetables than fruit. Also you
need to eat a variety of both fruits and vegetables. Don't just eat the
same foods daily. Remember the key is variety.
The bread, pasta,
and cereal you consume needs to be whole grain. If you have never had
whole grain pasta, then mix with regular pasta and gradually add more
and more whole grains until you are used to it. It holds true for bread
especially if you make your own. The complex carbohydrates and high
fiber in whole grain bread and pasta help to speed up your metabolism.
The dairy products you consume should be low-fat or fat-free.
Also
make sure you are eating good fats, such as olive or safflower oil.
Your body needs a certain amount of the good fats. Make sure that you
read your labels and stay away from foods that have trans-fats.
Trans-fats are extremely bad for you.
Weight Loss Tip #7: Satisfy the Sweet Tooth
On
your weight loss journey there will be times when you will crave
something sweet. If you want it then have a small piece of whatever you
are craving. It is better to have a small piece of it than ignoring your
craving and then bingeing because you have deprived yourself from it
for so long. Don't get into a habit of eating this way daily though. It
is okay to give into the craving from time to time, but not daily.
Weight Loss Tip #8: Watch What You Drink
Of
course the number one choice to drink is water clean of chlorine. You
need a minimum of six glasses of good water. You can also drink green
tea. Consumption of green tea can help with weight loss.
Several
people do not track or think about the amount of calories in their
beverages. A regular flavored cola has more than 100 calories and 10
teaspoons of sugars. Fruit drinks are also high in sugar and calories.
Switch to diet drinks and drink more green tea and water.
Beware
of your alcohol consumption. Most alcoholic drinks have lots of sugar
and are high in calories. Alcohol turns to fat and sugar in your body.
Limit how often you have a drink. Save it for special occasions and try
to consume lower calorie beer or wine.
Weight Loss Tip #9: Get Active
Getting
active is an import key to weight loss. We need to get moving if we
want to lose weight and keep it off. However, sometimes when you start
an exercise program, you go from couch potato to exercise fanatic. You
want to gradually start the exercise regime over time.
Start off
with just walking. Walking takes no special equipment other than a good
pair of shoes. Walk at a pace that is good for you and walk for twenty
minutes, three times a week. As time goes on, walk a little faster and
add more time. You can add strength training twice a week. Start with
something light like two cans of soup then gradually move to light hand
weights.
Exercising will burn excess fat and calories. The
strength training helps build lean muscle mass. The more lean muscle
mass you have the more calories you burn due to your higher metabolic
rate.
