“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.
One critical thing people forget to do when trying to lose weight is to eat enough food. This sounds surprising, since weight loss ultimately is about eating less than your body needs to function. However, you must take in enough calories so that your body maintains its normal metabolism. Take in too little food, and your body will go into “starvation mode,” making the most of each calorie. So be sure to eat enough of the right kinds of foods when you’re trying to lose weight.
When dieting to lose weight, be sure to make breakfast part of your daily routine. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast are thinner and healthier than people who do not eat breakfast. Eating breakfast will also help keep you from getting hungry and overeating later in the day.
Don’t avoid the weight machines if you are looking to lose weight. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that cardio is the key to weight loss. Cardio is just half of the equation. Working with weights allows you to build and strengthen muscle. The more muscles you have the more calories you will burn.
If you are attempting to lose weight during the holiday season, it can be difficult with so many parties and gatherings where there are high fat, high calorie, foods and snacks served. To keep yourself on track, eat a healthy and filling meal ahead of time. You can still indulge while you are there, but you will eat less than if you had shown up hungry.
Doing aerobic exercises are a great way to burn calories and lose weight. Not only do aerobic exercises such as cycling, running, and stair stepping help you lose weight while you are performing them, they can help burn calories for hours afterwards. Pick an exercise that you enjoy and get started!
When you eat more often at home, you lose weight quicker. Portion sizes at restaurants are several times larger than a normal portion size at home. It is hard to eat healthy when you are out since the fat, sugar and salt content are so high.
Exercising is the key to changing your metabolism to achieve a weight loss vs. a weight gain. If you can’t afford a gym, there are tons of videos available that you could rent or purchase. Start with the basics for the first few weeks, while your body gets adjusted to this new wonderful lifestyle.
If you are looking to lose weight, then look to your fork. If you eat only what you can fit on a fork, then this limits how much you can eat in one mouthful. Your stomach will then feel full quicker, stopping you from overeating. This also keeps you from wasting food, and could lower your weekly food bill.
Instead of ice cream or popsicles during the summer months, freeze some grapes. They are a sweet snack that you can enjoy anytime to cool you down. No need to de-stem them, just throw directly in the freezer after purchase and pick off a handful or two when you feel the need for a cool snack.
If you are eating out and trying to lose weight, share your dessert. Eating out is a treat, and it is understandable that you would not want to skip the dessert portion of the experience. However, you can cut your fat and calories in half by deciding that you will always share your dessert rather than eat it all yourself.
When exercising to lose weight, listen to music. Studies have shown that people tend to match their pace with the tempo of the song they are listening to. Alternate fast tempo songs with slightly slower songs to give yourself a little relief. Add some slower tempo songs to listen to while you’re cooling down so that your body can restore its natural functioning.
Weight loss and being healthy is more important for its life long positive results. Not only will you be more energetic and happy in your moods, you also reduce your risk for diseases, extend your life in years and will be more productive. Being active and being a healthy weight is important for your future!
Keep at it. No matter how discouraged you get, keep in mind why you want to lose weight and how it will benefit you. This will help you stick with your weight loss plan. Sometimes you may just need to remind yourself the reason you want to lose weight.
Losing weight doesn’t mean you can’t go out to dinner, but it does mean you need to pay attention to what you’re ordering. Restaurant portion sizes are often way bigger than they need to be. When trying to lose weight, see if you can split an entree or else, only eat half and take the rest home.
When trying to lose weight, it is necessary that you treat yourself on occasion. If you are craving chocolate you can try to have diet hot-chocolate packets. If you are in the mood for ice cream, go out and buy small prepacked portions of ice cream bars. Treating yourself once in a while is necessary to keep your motivation up.
Don’t let your friends and family talk you out of weight loss. You may encounter people telling you you don’t need to lose weight, especially when they’re offering you a slice of cake! Avoid these pitfalls by saying you don’t need to lose weight, but you “want” to. If these problems persist, remind well-meaning friends and family that it’s your decision.
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.
