Making a decision to lose weight can be one of the easiest things to do, but the process of losing weight can be one of the hardest. Maintaining a weight loss routine can be frustrating and tiring, but here are a few weight loss tips to make the entire process easier.
One thing people should do when trying to lose weight is to banish the word “diet” from their vocabulary. “Diet” implies a temporary way of eating, a quick fix that, once your weight-loss goals are reached, can be abandoned. It’s much more helpful to think of weight loss as a different “way of eating.” If you make more conscious choices about your food and choose to view these foods as part of a new way of eating rather than a temporary fix, you will find yourself adapting to them better and ultimately making them part of your new weight-losing routine.
You may be tempted, when trying to lose weight, to cut fat out entirely. But it’s important to remember that fat has a high satiety value in foods, so a little will go a long way. Case in point: baked potato chips may have no fat, but because of that, they don’t trigger your satiety level as quickly as regular or even the “fat-free” Olestra chips do. So, you’re tempted to eat the whole bag. Better, for example, to eat a small amount of high-quality, high-fat food – let’s say, a small high-end dark chocolate bar – then to gorge on large quantities of low- or non-fat foods. You’ll be more satisfied without having to say “No” to treats.
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.
A great way to lose weight is to write down how you feel about yourself and why you want to lose weight. If you struggle when dieting, you can always refer back to what you wrote. It will remind you of why you ventured to lose weight in the first place.
A good tip to lose weight is to eat before going out with friends. After a few drinks or peer pressure, you might become tempted to give into your cravings and eat unhealthy foods. By eating beforehand you won’t have to worry about wrecking your diet, because you won’t be hungry.
When beginning any workout routine, it is best to create a program that you can follow. It’s very easy to say that you’ll exercise, but unless you set aside a specific time, it’s also very easy for that commitment to fall by the wayside. Figure out when you’re able to exercise and be sure not to forget to do it each day.
Because much of weight loss is mental, keeping your confidence boosted will help make your weight loss journey much easier to manage. Remember that weight fluctuates greatly throughout the day based on what you ate and when you ate it. Rather than weighing yourself every single day, weigh in every few days. You will still get an accurate read on your progress and it will keep you from getting discouraged if the day-to-day results tend to get you down.
You can lose weight while watching TV. Walk on a treadmill, do stretches on the floor or dance during the commercials. Short bouts of exercise can add up to the recommended 30 minutes of exercise per day.
Replace your typical movie theater popcorn with low sodium air-popped popcorn to improve your nutrition. Popcorn sold at movie theaters is filled with unnecessary fats, due to the oil its cooked in. Air-popped corn kernels have much less fat, and are a great source of fiber. Get healthy with air-popped popcorn today!
To help achieve more noticeable weight loss, watch the amount of sodium that you eat each day. Eating too much sodium can cause you to retain water which will lead to pounds on the scale. If you do not see your weight go down, you may become discouraged and give up your diet.
Think differently if you are a woman over 40. Your metabolism is slowing, and your hormones could be imbalanced, having negative side effects. Simply eating less won’t provide the results you want. Women over 40 need to consume fewer carbohydrates as they can’t process them as effectively as a younger person. Avoid foods with artificial sweeteners as they can interfere with your body’s ability to metabolize real sugar. It’s not a case of how much you eat, rather what you eat.
Use these weight loss tips to help you keep going on your weight loss journey. It can be difficult at times, but once you start seeing those pounds fall away you’ll want to keep going. Commit to losing weight and don’t stop until you’ve met your goal. It will be worth it in the end.