Useful 10 Weight Loss Tips
Ten easy and effective ways to achieve the weight you want. Follow these ten principles and you will not have to worry about being overweight anymore. It will take about a month to see noticeable results.
1) Eat breakfast with a good dose of fiber and protein. If you eat breakfast you'll be less likely to experience the afternoon crash and hunger pangs that can undo so many weight loss regimes. Oatmeal and a cup of yogurt take less than ten minutes to make and are great fuel for the day.
2) Drink eight 8-ounces glasses of water a day or more. Many models swear by 100 ounces a day. Water will fill you up, boost your metabolism, and flush the toxins you're releasing as you lose weight. It also helps fight fatigue, reduces muscle soreness, and will improve your skin tone and keep all your organs running at optimal performance.
3) Get enough sleep. Being tired makes everything harder -- do not let being sleep-deprived be the thing that breaks your will power. Instead of relaxing on the couch watching TV for an hour before you go to bed, just go to bed. You'll not only get an extra hour of sleep -- you will also skip the late-night snack hour.
4) Find low-calorie nutritious food you like. Carrots? Yogurt? Raspberries? Hard boiled eggs? A big bowl of fresh organic greens? They're all good. Sample the field of healthy foods until you find something you like and even look forward to. If its portable and can be eaten in the car or at your desk, all the better. Sustained weight loss requires a few go-to eating staples so when you're stressed and rushed you have a tasty diet food to keep you out of trouble.
5) Get moving. If you can get yourself to the gym, that's great (keeping a bag of gym clothes in your car at all times might increase your odds of getting there). If you can't do that, start getting creative about moving more. Walking is a fine start, even if its just from the back of a department store parking lot. Climb stairs instead of taking the elevator. Doing ten minutes of jumping jacks in your bedroom when you first wake up will burn 90 calories. It may make you tired at first, but keep with it… in a few weeks you'll be invigorated and want to do more.
6) Build muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat. It will also help you look better even if you are still carrying extra weight. It builds confidence, too. You will feel better, sit up straighter, have more energy and your clothes will start to fit better. Just build up your weightlifting slowly, and do the reps the right way. Push ups and sit-ups -- even just ten a day of each -- are a fine start.
7) Eat enough to be full, and no more. This will take practice. Pay attention as you eat. Eat slower. When you are at the point of just-full-enough-to-stop-and-not-feel-deprived, then stop. Sit with the feeling for a minute or two. If you feel compelled to keep eating, that's OK. Just pay attention. After a few days of trying this, you'll stop eating earlier than you had before. After a few weeks, you'll be surprised at how much less you can eat and still feel completely well-fed. In time, you'll ask for less food. Just go slowly…. It takes time for your stomach and head to agree that they really don't have to overeat to feel OK.
8) Take a multi-vitamin. Yes, the goal is to lose weight, but the vitamin will make you feel better. The better you feel, the less likely you'll be to turn to food to make you feel better, whether it is for an emotional or physical fix.
9) Get enough calcium and protein. Calcium has a proven record of boosting weight loss. Protein will help you feel full, and for many people it can help stabilize your mood. A glass of skim milk is the ideal prescription for both calcium and protein - one little cup will give you a third of your daily recommended calcium and eight grams of protein. All for a wee 86 calories.
10) Go for the greens. Veggies are good. We all need to eat more. And as you try to cut your calories, being able to stuff your gut can really take the dieting edge off. If you're eating out, order at least a side salad before you dig into anything else. Actually, putting a big bowl or greens in front of any main course is a great way to minimize the damage -- even if it is followed by something rich and creamy and "bad". So here's your bonus tip for how to lose weight: almost no food is totally "bad"; we just need to learn to enjoy it in smaller portions, less often.