If you change your lifestyle including diet, exercise and bad habits, you’ll find that your weight will drop off and it will stay off. It sounds extreme, but if you’re really dedicated to change you will find it comes a lot faster than you expected. Here are some ideas to help you on your journey:
Eat your breakfast! This makes sure your metabolism is regulated well and reduces snacks later. When your body gets to start the day with breakfast, then it knows it can burn energy instead of storing fat.
Find a non-food way to reward your efforts. Instead of treating yourself to a hot fudge sundae for reaching a weight-loss or fitness goal, treat yourself to a new workout outfit, a round of mini-golf or a spa treatment. This will train your brain to associate success with these kinds of activities, rather than food.
Listen to your body’s cravings. There is no denying that certain types of junk food are tasty. When you engage in a diet, these cravings can be greater. Try not to cave, but don’t completely ignore these cravings either. Instead, come up with a healthier alternative.
If your goal is to lose weight in general, you should avoid eating a diet that’s high in protein. Muscle growth is weight gain. Unless you actually want larger muscles, remember that protein is the fuel that builds them. High-protein diets are great for weight trainers, but people who need to lose overall weight shouldn’t ingest too much protein.
If you enjoy snacking but do not want to pack on the pounds, remember that you should stay active after a snack. If you sneak a candy bar here and there, it’s not the end of the world. Just remember to get out and mow the lawn, take the dog for a walk, ride your bike a few miles, or any other activity that helps you make use of those calories.
Like life a little spicier? Lose weight by incorporating hot peppers into your diet. It is easy as adding some slices to a garden salad or throwing diced peppers into your pasta sauce. Studies show that capsaicin, the “spicy” ingredient in peppers, helps reduce cravings and overall appetite. Plus, they add a kick of flavor to healthy dishes.
You will have a much easier time losing unwanted pounds if you put some thought into planning what you are going to eat. This is easier said than done for the more impulsive among us, but it’s essential to know what you will be having to eat on a given day in order to avoid being caught out with no plans and no options other than to run to the nearest fast-food joint and “grab something quick.” Take the time to prepare your foods, bring them into work, and feel good knowing you’re in complete control of what you’re eating.
When you’re on a diet, try to eat lots of healthy foods. Many people focus on low calorie items and do not get enough of what they need from their food. You might shed some pounds, but your health will suffer.
Being overweight can cause extreme frustration with some people. It can make you want to punch something! Well, use this frustration to actually lose the weight and literally punch something. Boxing is a great, fun exercise that will help you lose weight. Just make sure you’re punching a soft surface.
Consult with a dietician if you want to learn the most about losing weight. Dietitians help teach you how to eat food that is good for your body. Although diet and exercise go hand in hand, maintaining a healthy diet is responsible for a huge portion of sustained weight loss.
In order to increase your chances of success at weight loss, consider keeping a food diary. By keeping track of what you eat and when, you are better able to see food consumption habits and trends that could be potentially sabotaging your efforts. Additionally, by knowing that you will be recording everything you eat, you make yourself accountable for every food choice. This accountability can have a very powerful motivating effect on your weight loss efforts.
To make cutting down on your portions easier, use smaller plates and bowls. Perception means everything. When you use a smaller plate, those smaller portions suddenly look like a large meal. Most homes have overly-large dinnerware that only ends up encouraging over-eating. Purchase a smaller set to make potion control easy for the whole family.
In order to help control your hunger when losing weight, try drinking a glass of water before each meal. This helps fill your stomach, leaving less room for food and eliminating the temptation to overeat. Water is also essential in helping to move food and nutrients through your digestive system.
Avoid the temptation at restaurants to enjoy the chips and breads that are commonly served while you wait for your meal. You are surely going to get enough food in your meal to satisfy your hunger and those snacks and breads are going to load you with empty carbohydrates and leave you not as hungry for the healthy food.
Keep track of how many steps you are taking each day. You should be taking at least 10,000 steps each day. You can keep track of this by investing a little money into a pedometer. There are very cheap ones available or there are more sophisticated ones that will cost a bit more.
Try not to become obsessed with losing weight. Focusing too much on making the scale go down can lead to a dangerous situation where one is willing to try almost anything. Instead, focus on making better choices in the areas of food and exercise. Over time you will become a healthier and slimmer individual.
When you’re changing your lifestyle to lose weight you need all the support in the world. What we’ve included here is only a jumping off point, it’s up to you to make other changes that you feel comfortable with to increase your weight loss until your goal is met.
