The only natural way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. So you have several options: You can eat fewer calories, exercise more, or do both. For most people, combining a healthy diet with an increase in exercise is the way to go. People who make exercise and a healthy diet a regular routine tend to keep weight off longer.
When attempting to lose weight, it’s generally a good idea to get a physical. When you get a physical, your doctor will let you know if there are any medical conditions you need to be aware of, or if they’ll restrict you. It’s also important to get your thyroid checked.
Who’s coming to dinner tonight? Did you know that research has provided that either gender eats more food when around a woman than they do a man? The reasons haven’t been determined, but going out with your girlfriends could tempt your overeating habit, so being aware of this could help you retain more self-control.
Eat less on your diet while tricking your mind into thinking you are eating more, simply by downsizing to an 8″ salad plate for your main meals. Smaller servings can seem pretty skimpy when sitting on a larger dinner plate and might signal deprivation to your brain. Switch those same servings to a cozy salad plate and you have the sense of enjoying a more robust meal. If you can convince your mind that you just had a normal meal, then your stomach won’t be too far behind!
Keep a list of the benefits you will gain from losing weight and being healthier. This will help you to remain focused on your goals and remind you why you are dieting. If you keep this list where you can see it each day, you will have a constant reminder of why you’re doing this.
A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats or other pure protein sources will help you feel satisfied while losing weight. By avoiding fad diets or costly, special diet foods, you can change your eating habits, become generally healthier, save money, reach your target weight, and maintain it easily.
In any weight-loss scheme, the canny dieter will learn to do their own cooking. Turning healthy ingredients into healthy meals is a vital skill for losing weight – and for maintaining a healthy lifestyle after the weight is lost. Even pre-packaged foods that claim to be “healthy”, cannot be nearly as healthy as a well-planned meal made from fresh ingredients.
Losing weight not only means eating healthy, it also means working out. Buying a pedometer will help you keep track of how much exercise you’re doing throughout the day. Not only will seeing a big set of numbers at the end of the day encourage you, being active will make you feel better and more accomplished.
To get to your optimal weight, you need to get on a workout schedule. In order to do this, you must plan what muscle groups you will be working out each day. You should target maybe two or three muscle groups, tops and allow about three days rest before working those groups again.
Try joining a weight loss program to make it easier for you to lose weight. Many people find that they have much more success sticking to their decision to lose weight if they have a support group around them. Try becoming a member of a group in your area, like Weight Watchers, TOPS or Jenny Craig.
Keep a visual record of how your body is changing for motivation. Take a picture a week of your body and you will see the results a lot quicker than you will see them on the scale. These pictures will be a important tool for keeping you on the right track.
Are you trying to lose weight in order to fit back into a special pair of pants or dress? Inspire yourself to get back into that outfit by hanging it up somewhere where you will see it. Next time you are tempted to overeat, the visual reminder of the goal you are working toward, will help you stay on track.
If you have a child who is facing obesity, follow the lifestyle and eating habits you would like for them to follow. If your child sees you eating healthy and participating in exercise, they are more likely to do the same. You are, after all, your child’s number one role model.
Make sure to drink plenty of water every day. It is vital that you do not allow yourself to become dehydrated. Our bodies have a way of mistaking thirstiness for hunger, and that would lead to you eating when in fact you should be trying to quench your thirst.
Instead of drinking a lot of very sweet drinks you should switch to unsweetened green tea. This is better because it has no calories at all unless you had sugar and it can be consumed hot or cold. Green tea is also a natural fat burner.
Increasing the amount of exercise you do each day will not only help you lose weight, it will help you improve your overall health. Muscles are the only things in the world that get stronger the more they are used. A healthy diet will increase your energy and improve the mechanisms of your body.
