“I’m on a diet”. Do those words sound familiar? It is proven that “diets” do not work for long term weight loss. When you go on a diet, you tend to starve yourself, but your body needs food to produce energy. What you need is a lifestyle change, not a “diet”, to lose weight and keep it off.
Try to weigh yourself only once a week. Your weight is going to fluctuate daily and won’t be as accurate of a measurement as weekly would be. If you see your weight not changing as much or going up from the previous day, you’re likely to get discouraged and quit with your routine before it can take affect.
Have realistic expectations about the weight loss you’re aiming for! Models and movie stars have personal trainers and airbrushing on their side. You should be sure that your goals are feasible. Consider asking your doctor what an ideal weight for your height and sex may be, since everybody is different. You may find you don’t have far to go to get an optimal body composition!
Eat fresh foods instead of foods that can be kept for years. Processed foods are very bad for the body because companies add lots of unnecessary chemicals in order to keep the food preserved. Foods that have a short shelf life are less likely to have these additional unhealthy chemicals. This keeps weight under control.
Eating raw fruit and vegetables can be a huge help when you are trying to lose weight. Not only do these foods fill you up and make great snacks between meals, they contain the vitamins and minerals from the plants in their purest form, since they have not been cooked or modified by heat.
A great way to help you lose weight is to custom order whenever you eat out at a restaurant. For instance, you can ask to have your chicken baked instead of fried, or you can ask to have that rich sauce on the side instead of all over the chicken.
Ignore what your scale says. A lot of people find themselves easily discouraged when their scale does not indicate that they are making immediate progress. If you are exercising and dieting properly, just ignore the scale entirely. Keep up what you are doing. It might take a little while, but eventually you will begin to see results.
When it comes to snacking, try to avoid junk food. instead opt for healthier food options like fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Great choices include celery, tomatoes,dipping sauces made of lowfat yogurt, whole-grain crackers and much more. These will keep you satisfied much longer than any processed foods will until it’s time for your next meal.
To avoid eating more than you should, only eat when you hear your stomach growling. There are many people who eat out of nervousness, boredom, or some feeling other than hunger. Waiting until your stomach is growling is an assurance that you will only be eating when your body needs it.
Trying to lose weight? Blog about it. Everyone seems to have a blog about something these days. Make your site a place to corral all your weight loss tips and share your successes. It will help to keep you on track and you can feel good about helping other people out on their weight loss journeys.
If you are trying to lose weight, get in some exercise anytime you have the opportunity. Even if you have a busy work schedule, you may be able to get in a short walk during lunch or do a few sit-ups or lunges during your coffee break or on your way to the restroom.
To keep your nutritious diet in check, don’t feel that you need to restrict any particular food. By doing that, you are going to crave that food even more and that will throw your diet completely off track. Just eat the not so healthy food in moderation and you will be fine.
If you’re having trouble getting rid of those last few pounds that just won’t seem to come off, try boosting your workout intensity. Get your heart rate up to at least 85 percent of your maximum heart rate to get the most out of your workout and drop those stubborn pounds.
Many people tend to fill up their plate with food, and then finish all of it. If you realize that you are one of these people try using smaller plates. Kid-sized plates are actually the right size for an adult sized meal. It may look small to the naked eye, but you will find that you are just as satisfied eating that amount.
Almost everyone in the weight-loss community knows that your diet and lifestyle motivation has to come via the carrot and the stick. So while you may reward yourself for a job well done, and deservedly so, you should also punish yourself for missing a workout or indulging too much. Eat a meal of nothing but rice cakes as a punishment and you’ll err no more.
Always plan what and where you are going to eat ahead of time. This will prevent you from making bad decisions because you are too hungry. You can bring a nutritious lunch to work with you, or find a restaurant that has healthy menu options for you to choose from.
If you are eating out and you feel like you want to have a dessert, you should stick to those that contain raw fresh fruit. Having a fruit salad or a tart is much more healthy than having something chocolate, or something that is filled with some type of cream.
As you can see, it is important to eat. You need to make a lifestyle change in order to lose weight and keep it off. Food offers nutrients that are important to maintaining your body. No diet will offer you the nutrients your body needs. Only a lifestyle change will give you what your body needs and wants, and will help you lose weight.
