Everyone has a desire to rid themselves of their weight as quickly as they can. Many of you must have wondered out there if you had a magic wand that would help excess fat to be gone forever. But 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 weight loss tips.
Weight Loss Tips #1: Sincerely 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, then stick to it.
A goal does not have to be just about the weight you want to lose. You could write a goal using your body measurements or percentage of body fat lost, or it may be your desirable clothing size. Set your goals in a way that they are attainable. For example, you may want to drop 2 dress sizes by your 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. 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. Whatever it is, stay committed to your weight loss regime.
Weight Loss Tip #2: Keep it in the Kitchen
One 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 or dining area. 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: Add Variety
Variety is the spice of 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 cereals 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 flaxseed 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 #5: 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 #6: 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 clean 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 #7: 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 and 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.