Weight Loss Tips
As of this year, statistics indicate that approximately 61% of Australian adults are obese or overweight. As this epidemic continues, people are turning to dramatic measures like pills, powders, crash diets, unbalanced diet plans, costly pre-packaged meals, and even surgery. They seem to hope to make their excess weight magically disappear with little or no effort. The problem with these methods is that they don’t work to change the problems and behaviours that cause the weight gain in the first place. There is no real alternative to hard work, dedication, lifestyle changes and smart choices, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be difficult or unpleasant. There are numerous things that anyone can do to help themselves shed the extra kilos.
- All Things in Moderation
Just because you’re trying to lose weight and be healthy doesn’t mean that you can never again enjoy your favourite foods. You can have that macaroni and cheese, roasted chicken with skin or a thick, juicy steak. Just don’t eat more than one serving size worth of it, and be sure that you watch how many calories you’re taking in. Even better, save them as treats for a special occasion. Use them to celebrate something like the completion of a goal, getting a raise or a promotion, special get together or the arrival of the weekend. - Eat More Fruit and Vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are extremely rich in numerous essential nutrients that most people don’t get enough of these days. Many of them are necessary for certain metabolic processes that will help control weight and appetite, and increase energy. Things like magnesium, calcium, vitamin C, the range of B vitamins, and manganese are present in most fruits. Apples contain a significant amount of chromium, which helps to control blood sugar. Besides these important vitamins and minerals, most fruits and vegetables are calorie negative. This means that your body uses more calories to digest them than the foods possess. - Drink Water
When you first get up in the morning, have a few glasses of water. Staying hydrated boosts your metabolism and prevents your body from storing more fat. It’s the liver’s job to metabolize fat, but it also serves as a backup for when the kidneys aren’t working well. If you’re dehydrated, as most people chronically are, your kidneys are overworked and your liver isn’t going to be able to turn your fat into energy as well. Try to drink at least 16 ounces (473.2 ml) of water before all of your meals. The water will take up space in your stomach, which will keep you from consuming as many calories. - Take the Stairs
It’s easy to take the elevator, but it certainly isn’t going to help your weight. It takes your body a lot of effort to ascend even a short flight of stairs, which will do wonders for your metabolism, cardiovascular health, and lean muscle mass. You’ll probably find that, after a short while, you have a much easier time climbing stairs due to increased stamina. - Read the Package
Packaged foods are full of all sorts of mysterious ingredients that may sound harmless, but are actually hidden sources of calories and otherwise harm your ability to lose weight. Things like maltodextrin, dextrose, starches and corn syrup are all forms of simple carbohydrates, basically sugars, that are completely devoid of nutrients and full of unnecessary calories. Look out for clever wording like evaporated cane juice, agave nectar, glucose and malt. - Prepare Your Own Meals
Instead of going out for meals, take a few minutes to make your own. After all, you would probably spend at least as much time waiting at drive through windows and standing in line as it would take you to throw together a salad or sandwich or dish up some leftovers. A smart thing to do would be to invest in a crock pot. Crock pots can be your best ally in the war on your weight. They can be used to make a hot, delicious, healthy meal for you while you’re gone. - Get Plenty of Sleep
With life becoming increasingly busy and stressful, people are sleeping less and sleeping less deeply. The first thing most people do after a bad night’s sleep is reach for a cup of coffee and a pastry for a quick energy boost that quickly fades. A lack of sleep also increases stress, which increases amounts of the stress hormone, cortisol, making you pack on fat. When you go home at night, make sure you don’t bring your job home with you. Instead, focus on relaxing before bed. Read a book or have a cup of herbal tea. Taking a hot bath is also recommended, since it has been proven to enhance sleep quality. - Limit Alcohol Consumption
By itself, most alcohol contains very few calories, but heavy drinking wreaks havoc upon your hormones, which slows down your metabolism and increases fat storage. Besides that, the lack of inhibition that alcohol causes can make you more likely to eat more than you would otherwise. Also, since alcohol depletes your body of nutrients, your desire to eat increases as your body seeks to replace what it has lost. Aside from limiting your consumption, you can avoid mixed drinks, since they tend to contain a lot of sugar. - Lift Weights
Weight lifting is not only makes you look good, but it’s good for your overall health and weight. It causes an increase in human growth hormone and testosterone, both of which play an important role in muscle gain and fat loss. As your lean muscle mass increases, so does your metabolism. Weight bearing exercises that engage your whole body, as opposed to isolated muscle groups, will give you the most benefit. Such exercises are squats, farmer’s walks, push ups and pulling heavy objects. It is important to make sure that you don’t overwork yourself, keeping your workouts to 30 minutes maximum. Working out to excess only serves to lower beneficial hormones and raise cortisol. - Eat to Boost Your Metabolism
It is possible to tailor your diet in such a way that it increases your metabolic rate so that your body burns more calories. Fruits and vegetables are a primary example, possessing fewer calories than your body uses to digest them. Protein sources that boost metabolism are beef, poultry, salmon, sardines and tuna. Any fibre rich grains, like a whole grain cereal will also help. If you eat oats, your best bet is to get some steel cut oatmeal. Besides being incredibly nutritious, it provides a significant testosterone boost, which will aid greatly in losing weight for men and for women. - Exercise Regularly
It isn’t terribly difficult to slip some sort of exercise into your day, and every bit counts. Take advantage of every opportunity you can find. If you live near your job, grocery store, library or other destination, walk or ride a bike instead of driving. If you have a large load of groceries to bring inside, take as many as you can possibly handle at once. Take your dog for a walk, go on a bike ride with your child, go swimming or just go for a walk. Cleaning house also offers a good workout. Get on your hands and knees to mop the floor, or find something that needs a good scrubbing. - Eat Slowly
Many people are in a constant rush with everything they do, and eating is no exception. When you eat quickly, you’re more likely to consume far more calories than you need. This is because it takes time for the signals from your stomach to tell your brain that you’ve had enough. During meals, chew your food thoroughly and savor it. Take smaller bites and set your fork or spoon down in between bites. - Walk More, Drive Less
Not only will walking places be better for the environment and your wallet, it’ll also be better for your weight. Many people live within a reasonable walking distance to the places that they visit such as libraries, shops, parks and eateries. Some people are even fortunate enough to live very close to their job. If your destination is only a kilometre or so away, make yourself walk there. It’s not that far, but it’s fantastic exercise. If you destination is much further away, take public transit if it’s available, since it often involves walking to and from stops, and requires you to carry any purchases. - Put Down the Soft Drink
In Australia, the consumption of soft drinks has gone up by an estimated 30 percent in the last decade. If you go into any grocery store and pay attention to what other people are buying, you’ll find that a lot of them are buying soft drinks. In many restaurants, it’s practically automatic to order one, and they’re readily available in vending machines and shops. It may be convenient to reach for a soft drink when you’re feeling sluggish or thirsty, but indulging in sugary drinks are one of the absolute worst things that you can do for your health and your weight. They provide no nutrition, fibre or protein, so the sugar has no buffer to keep it from turning directly into fat. - Eat More Watery Foods
Eat more foods with a high water content, such a tomatoes, melons, mushrooms, grapes and lettuce. Put them in salads, slaws, medleys or snack trays. They will help you get full faster, keep you full longer and give you a metabolism boost while providing essential nutrition. It’s usually better to eat these raw, though, since cooking will draw the water out of them. The only exception to this rule is using them in soup, which is another great food for weight loss. It takes up room in your stomach without giving you many calories. - Fruit, Not Juice
Fruit juice, even when it’s 100 percent juice, is still a very dense source of calories. Though it does still contain some of its minerals and vitamins, it has been stripped of what fibre, enzymes and proteins it contained when it was a whole fruit. Juice is weight gain food, and should be thoroughly avoided by people trying to lose weight. Instead of apple juice, have an apple instead. You’ll reap the benefits of its flavour, sweetness and superior nutrition without all of the calories. If you must have juice, make your own in a juicer. While it still won’t contain as much fibre as the whole fruit, it will still have a significant amount, and will also still possess all of the nutrients, water and enzymes. - Eat Fresh Fruit Instead of Dried
Dried fruit is an excellent source of nutrients, but it’s also an excellent source of calories. When fruit is dried, the vitamins and minerals, as well as the natural sugars, are concentrated and the enzymes killed. You should be aware that a lot of dried fruits like cherries, cranberries, blueberries, pineapple and papaya are coated in sugar to make them more palatable. Most are even sprayed with preservatives that can make them taste funny and cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to sulphites. Fresh fruits are always the best policy, and they contain the exact same nutrition as their dehydrated counterparts. - Don’t Eat Emotionally
Eating is a pleasurable activity that indulges your senses and emotions. People eat when they’re sad, angry, lonely, stressed or just plain bored. People also tend to engage in social eating. Most of the time, when someone else is eating, you want to eat also, lest you feel left out. This is a vestige of group bonding instinct from long ago. Unfortunately, this behaviour also leads to weight problems. If you find that you’re bored, go for a walk, clean something or spend time on a hobby. This will train your brain to stop thinking of food whenever there is a problem. - Make Smarter Snack Choices
If you suddenly find yourself hungry at any point during your day, it can be tempting to grab a doughnut, some candy or a bag of chips. Try replacing these unhealthy foods with things like baby carrots, a handful of nuts, some fruit or a salad. These things are all very nutritious and will tide you over until your next meal, but also contain few calories. Make it easier by getting together a bag of healthy snacks for yourself before you leave home for work, school or trips. Having them right there with you will minimize the chance that you will decide to visit the vending machine or a fast food window. - Eat a Salad with Each Meal
With every meal of the day, eat a huge salad before your other food. It will not only improve your digestion throughout the day, but will take up room in your stomach that would have otherwise been filled with more calorically dense foods. - Keep a Food Diary
Studies have shown that people who keep food diaries consume fewer calories and lose more weight than people who do not. It’s easier to control what you eat and how much you eat when you can actually see all of the information laid out before you. This will require you to measure and weigh your food, so the purchase of a food scale is also a good idea. Write down what you ate, how much of it you ate, and how many calories it contained. You’ll probably be shocked by how easy it is to underestimate the amount of calories you take in. This knowledge will help you to make adjustments to your diet and find alternatives that are more filling but have fewer calories. Coupled with exercise, a food diary is probably one of your best weapons against your weight. - Eat Your Vegetables Fresh
For the most part, vegetables are better for you when they’re still raw. The only exception to this rule is mushrooms, whose full nutritional potential is only unlocked by cooking. When consumed raw, vegetables contain all of their enzymes, which assist in digestion, fight inflammation and are necessary for numerous cellular functions in your body, such as energy synthesis. Cooking also breaks down the nutrients and can warp them into forms that you body will have a difficult time assimilating. - Avoid Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a condition that is caused by a significant drop in blood sugar that is often followed by a large spike. Symptoms can include irritability, anxiety, palpitations, sleepiness, depression, mood swings and an intense craving for sweets. Many people suffer chronically from hypoglycemia, but don’t understand what it is or what causes it. When someone starts to suffer the symptoms, they don’t link it to the cookies, potato chips or soft drink they had just prior. However, that is exactly how hypoglycemia starts, and it tends to be a vicious cycle if left unchecked. The cravings brought on by hypoglycemia are your body’s way of trying to normalize your blood sugar, but if you make poor choices, it will only repeat itself. Instead of more sweets, eat some fruit or vegetables, whole grains or nuts. Better yet, eat and apple. Apples contain a mineral called chromium which acts as a controller for blood sugar, and it will have an immediate stabilizing effect. - Eat on a Schedule
Scheduling your meals and snacks will help you avoid either eating too much, or not eating enough. If you don’t eat enough early on in the day, your energy levels and mood will suffer, you’ll be hungry, and you may even become hypoglycemic. Not eating enough can easily lead to eating too much later, because your body feels deprived of necessary calories. Eating regular meals helps to keep your metabolism up, which will help you lose weight fast. - Eat Only When Hungry
Try to avoid eating emotionally, socially or habitually. Resist things like a huge bowl of popcorn during a movie, compulsive snacking while surfing the internet, and eating out of boredom. Eating when you’re not hungry teaches your brain that you need to eat constantly in order to enjoy anything, as well as bogging down your metabolism and hindering efficient digestion. - Consume Caffeine
Caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea have numerous health benefits, including increased metabolism. Having some coffee before a workout also has a very positive effect. Studies show that ingesting caffeine 30 to 60 minutes before a workout supports better endurance and less exertion and fatigue, as well as speeding recovery times, each by about 30 percent. However, these effects were more profound in people who didn’t consume caffeine regularly. - Drink Plain Coffee or Tea
Avoid loading your coffee and tea with sugar, syrups and fatty creams and whole milk. While these beverages have very few calories on their own, they become extremely high in calories once you alter them in such a way. Try to cultivate a taste for them as they are, instead. If you must have sweetness or creaminess in your tea and coffee, try adding some stevia and powdered skim milk. Stevia, made from an herb, has no calories and the skim milk powder doesn’t have many of its own, but is very nutritious. - Limit or Eliminate Fried Foods
Most oils and fats contain about 160 calories per tablespoon. When you fry foods, it tends to absorb some of this oil. Even when frying otherwise low calorie foods, this causes a dramatic increase in the number of calories consumed, without providing little additional nutrition. As an alternative to frying breaded foods like seafood and poultry, bake them in the oven instead. For vegetables, eat them raw, boil them or steam them. - Don’t Skip Meals
Your body needs a regular supply of calories in order for it to work efficiently. Skipping meals is often thought to be a great way to lose weight, but nothing could be further from the truth. Depriving your body of needed calories will cause your metabolism to slow and encourage your body to store fat. Not only that, but it causes your mood and energy levels to suffer, which can lead to sedentary activities and excessive and unnecessary eating. - Eat Your Breakfast
The old saying about breakfast being the most important meal of the day couldn’t be more true. After going all night without eating, your body needs that meal to fuel it through the day and support a healthy metabolism. People who don’t eat breakfast may feel tired and sluggish, and by lunch time, might resort to binge eating and compulsive munching because their bodies are starving. Just because you need breakfast, however, doesn’t mean that you should eat just anything. The more nutritious your breakfast is, the better it will serve you, and the better you will feel. Things like fresh fruit and vegetables, cereal and eggs are all excellent choices that provide plenty of vitamins, minerals and protein for the day ahead. - Eat Several Smaller Meals
Instead of eating 3 large meals a day, make an effort to break them up into 5 smaller ones while still sticking to a reasonable number of calories. This provides a much more consistent caloric intake that will speed up your metabolism to fuel weight loss. This method of eating may not be right for everyone. Some people may feel like they’re constantly hungry, which can lead to binge eating. - Eat More Fibre
When you eat fibre rich foods, you’re able to get full faster with fewer calories because fibre acts like a sponge, absorbing water and expanding in your stomach. Fibrous foods also take longer to chew, which forces you to eat more slowly, and encourages the production of saliva and stomach acid to assist digestion. Foods high in fibre include all fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Having fibre with every meal and eating fibrous foods first will help you to eat less. - Don’t Weigh Everyday
Weighing yourself every day isn’t a good idea. It takes about 3 weeks for weight changes to begin to show, and there are also other biological factors that may cause very temporary fluctuations in your weight. Water weight gain due to high estrogen and sodium intake can cause increases of several pounds on the scale. Other contributing factors may include fullness of the stomach and bowels and your level of hydration. If you step on the scale an see that you have, albeit superficially, gained several pounds, you may feel discouraged and relapse or give up on your efforts. - Document Your Cravings
Along with your food diary, keep a journal of any and all cravings, even if they’re for something healthy. Write down in detail what you craved, when you craved it, and what made you crave it. Possible things that contribute to cravings are hormonal fluctuations like those during PMS or pregnancy, hypoglycemia, boredom, stress, unpleasant emotions, and malnutrition. Documenting your cravings will help you to identify where you can make adjustments in your behaviour and diet, and give you ideas for possible solutions or alternatives. - Distract Yourself from Cravings
If something you’re craving is unhealthy or high in calories, try to find something to distract yourself. Hobbies, exercise, reading, watching a movie or playing with the kids are all great ways to get your mind off of your cravings. It may take a lot of will at first, but will power is like a muscle. The more you use it, the easier it gets. - Avoid Excess Carbs
Carbohydrates are considered weight gain food. They have a lot of calories and cause a rise in insulin that makes the body store energy as fat, are rapidly digested and aren’t very satisfying. The only people who benefit from high carbohydrate intake are athletes and people who are underweight. Unless you fit into either of those categories, you’ll want to limit your carbohydrate intake, keeping it relatively low. You’ll want to focus more on protein, fibre and fruits and vegetables for your meals. - Enjoy Gelatin
A classic of the dessert world, gelatin is a surprisingly healthy food that can aid you in your weight loss. It is protein sparing, meaning that it prevents the loss of essential lean muscle mass. It also has the added benefit of keeping your joints, hair, skin and nails healthy. Gelatin is fairly filling, takes a while to digest and has very few calories on its own. A gelatin dessert made with 100% fruit juice is a great snack idea, and is simple to make. Take 4 packets of unflavored gelatin and sprinkle it over 1 cup of cold juice. Bring 3 additional cups of juice to a boil and pour it into the container with the gelatin and cold juice. Put it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours, and enjoy! - Limit Sedentary Activities
Peoples’ lifestyles are becoming increasingly sedentary, contributing significantly to the world’s burgeoning weight problems. TV, desk jobs, exhaustion, computers and video games keep many people off their feet and on their seats. Increasing your physical activity is going to be one of the most important things you do to lose weight. Perhaps there’s a TV show you don’t really like that much. When it comes on, get up and go for a walk. Walking a mile only takes about 20 minutes, so you’ll be back in time to watch something you might like better. Making an exercise schedule is also something you can do. At certain times of the day, dedicate yourself to some sort of physical activity for half an hour. - Focus on Health
Many people overly focus on losing weight and burn themselves out in the process. Instead of making your efforts solely about weight loss, make it about being healthy. Remember that being thin doesn’t necessarily mean you’re healthy, and being a bit overweight doesn’t necessarily mean you’re unhealthy. Everyone has different body types, and some people are naturally supposed to have a little more or less weight. This frames things in a more positive light, and makes you less likely to feel like giving up. - Identify Reasons You Overeat
Do you eat because you’re hungry, or just because the food tastes good and there’s more of it on your plate? Do you tend to eat when you’re sad or stressed out? Do you absolutely have to have a snack while you’re watching your favourite TV show? These are some reasons that people eat more than they need. Think about why you overeat, and work to correct those problems. - Join a Support Group
Weight loss support groups can be found either locally or on the internet, and can provide a great source of inspiration, help, information and encouragement. There’s no better support than that of other people who are in the same situation as you. You may also have a lot to offer to the group, so make an effort to share your tips and ideas, as well as what worked for you. You may find that you’ve helped someone else to achieve their goals! - Exercise With a Friend
It’s always easier to do things when you don’t have to do them alone, and having a friend with you on your weight loss journey can have a profound effect on your likelihood of success. You’ll be there to support, motivate and encourage one another, make exercise fun and help each other stay on the right track. If you find yourself on the verge of eating something you shouldn’t, give your friend a call and talk about it. Friends also make great shopping company for when you finally need a new wardrobe! - Join a Gym
Anyone can work out at home, but some people may benefit more from the structured, dedicated environment that a gym provides. They typically feature a wide variety of equipment that can give a more rounded and complete workout like free weights, weight machines, cardio machines, running tracks and swimming facilities. There is also a benefit to exercising around other people, since it calls to our natural desire to compete. You’re more likely to work harder if you see someone else exercising. - Portion Control
Portion sizes of restaurant and frozen meals have exploded in recent years, and this trend has seemed to find its way to dinner tables. Always look at the packaging of your food to see how much is in a single serving. For things like nuts, it’s 1 ounce. Meat is usually 3 ounces, cereal is 1/2 a cup, and milk and juice are 8 ounces. Watching your portion sizes makes it much easier to keep track of your calories, and helps you to create more balanced meals. - Be Realistic
One of the greatest threats to success is setting unrealistic goals. Not only is losing 5 to 10 pounds in a week incredibly unlikely, it’s also severely unhealthy, as it usually means starving yourself and exercising excessively. People who lose weight that rapidly don’t usually keep it off. They tend to gain it all back, and then some. The real way to lose is to simply eat and exercise reasonably. If you’re not losing as much as you think you should be, keep in mind that some people will lose fat more easily than others, regardless of effort. - Eat Good Fats
Foods like meat, poultry, fish, nuts and seeds are all excellent sources of healthy fats. Fat is absolutely necessary for health, because it is the body’s building block for hormones. Hormones play a role in every bodily process, including energy, weight loss and metabolism. It is always best to get your fats straight from the source, but supplementation with things like fish oil, cod liver oil and red palm oil all provide nutrients that may otherwise be lacking in your diet. Avoid is trans fats, which are present in anything that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. Calorie for calorie, trans fats have been shown to dramatically increase the amount of fat stored in the body. - Make Desserts Occasional
It’s best not to allow desserts to become habitual, saving them for once in a while, instead. Most things that people consider desserts are very high in sugar and calories and very low in nutrients. It’s best not to allow yourself to become reliant on having a dessert every day. - Don’t Deprive Yourself
There’s really no sense in completely depriving yourself of treats. As long as you make sure to work them into your daily calories and don’t eat them often, they shouldn’t be much of a threat to your health or weight. People who try to totally forgo treats tend to have relapses because they feel frustrated by the idea that they’re unable to indulge occasionally. - Avoid empty calories
Common foods like processed juice, sugar, soft drinks and most pre packaged foods are often highly refined and completely stripped of their original wholesomeness. Foods should always be consumed in their most natural form, such as whole, raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains and wholesome sugars like raw honey and molasses. - Low Fat = High Carbs
Consider a cup of low fat or fat free yogurt, and try to think about why it remains pleasing to your palette. After the company removed all of the naturally occurring fat from it, they had to replace it with something, or it’d be water and bland. This is why they add carbohydrates such as maltodextrin, dextrose, starches and other refined sugars. The yogurt would have been better for you and had fewer calories before it had all the fat removed! - Eat Enough
It’s important to make certain that you get enough to eat. Food fuels your body and brain, to a point. If you cut calories too much, you’re far more likely to binge eat and indulge in excessive snacks, which often consist of more calories than is healthy. For the average person trying to lose weight, 1500 calories a day is an ideal target. - Beware of the Snack Pack
The low calorie snacking industry has boomed since the advent of the 100 calorie pack. Things like cookies, candy, pretzels and chips can all be found in tidy little packs containing only 100 calories. On the surface, this seems like a good idea, but it may lead people to overindulge. It removes any thought and responsibility from watching one’s diet, and it becomes easy to convince yourself that you’re only eating a tiny amount of calories, at least until that next pack! - Avoid Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are generally considered to be a boon to the dieting world. However, they can actually have a rather negative impact on your efforts to lose weight. In some studies, it was shown that people who ate sugar free snacks tended to underestimate the amount of calories they ate, and instead often ate far more than people who didn’t eat foods with artificial sweeteners. There are also studies suggesting that artificial sweeteners damage the parts of the brain that control appetite, leading to greater weight gain. - Make a Weekly Menu
If you take the time to plan ahead, you’ll have an easier time controlling your impulses and your calories. Plan all of your daily meals for an entire week, at stick to it. It’ll remove the stress of trying to figure out what to make at the last minute, and allow you to control yourself better at the store. - Avoid Samples
When you visit the grocery store, you may occasionally run across little stations set up to offer product samples. Many of these foods are very high in calories, even in such tiny amounts, and should just be avoided outright. Also, after you taste something, you’re more likely to impulsively purchase it. - Beer is Fattening
First off, beer is simply loaded with calories, with a pint of beer containing roughly 170 of them. Secondly, beer has chemical reasons for making your body pack on the fat. Hops, an essential ingredient in all beers, possesses sedative and estrogenic effects. This means that not only does it make you lazy, but the estrogen encourages your body to store fat, mainly around your belly and hips, hence the term “beer belly”. - Don’t Shop Hungry
One of the worst things you can do for both your wallet and your diet is to go to the grocery store hungry. When you shop hungry, you’re far more likely to buy all sorts of things that you probably shouldn’t be eating. Try to have a healthy but satisfying meal before you venture out for groceries. - Have a Shot
Shockingly, drinking small amounts can actually help you lose weight. Having a shot of hard liquor before a carbohydrate rich meal will prevent spikes in blood sugar, and therefore keep your body from storing food as fat. - No Carbs on an Empty Stomach
Eating carbohydrates on an empty stomach not only increases the risk of hypoglycemia, but it will also digest quickly and cause your blood sugar to rise rapidly, causing weight gain. Before you have carbohydrate rich foods, eat some protein like eggs, meat, poultry or fish. The protein will act as a buffer, making the carbs take longer to digest and cause a much smaller impact on blood sugar. - Avoid Soy
Soy, though widely considered to be healthy, is actually a potent endocrine disruptor. Monks in parts of ancient Asia would eat soy to prevent libido, because it lowers testosterone, raises estrogen, and depresses the thyroid. It is this induced malfunction of the thyroid that causes the most damage, since it regulates energy levels, metabolism and the secretion of other hormones involved in weight loss. - Make Exercise Fun
If you paint exercise as a chore in your mind, you’re going to be more likely to find any way to avoid doing it. Try to make exercise something fun. Work out with a friend, go swimming, take dancing lessons, go hiking, or participate in charity walks or runs. - Eliminate Gluten
If you’re having difficulty losing weight despite your best efforts, you may want to consider removing or decreasing wheat from your diet. An increasing number of people are finding out that they have an allergy or sensitivity to gluten, a protein present in wheat. Often times, when these people stop eating gluten, they enjoy rapid weight loss and an increase in mood and energy. - Eat Nutritiously
Instead of eating based upon what’s cheap or what satisfies your cravings, eat based upon what’s healthiest for you. Make sure your meals contain as many fresh, wholesome ingredients as possible, and prepare your meals yourself. - Get Probiotics
Probiotics are good bacteria that live in your digestive system. They help you break down foods and turn vitamins into forms that are more easily used by your body. They also increase energy levels and assist mood by producing serotonin in the gut. - Decrease Stress
Stress is one of the biggest factors that prevent people from losing fat. Stress increases levels of cortisol, the so-called stress hormone, which causes your body to store food as fat. Always make sure to get enough sleep, eat enough food, stay away from things that upset you and take time to relax. - Eat a Balanced Diet
One of the biggest things wrong with most popular diets is that they are nutritionally unbalanced. Some say to eat only protein and avoid all carbs, some say to completely avoid fat, and others say to avoid carbs, animal protein and fat. This is not a healthy way to eat, since excluding any one thing deprives your body of certain vitamins and minerals that are necessary for good energy and metabolism. - Get More Omega 3
Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to healthy weight loss. They control blood sugar, burn fat, enhance energy and metabolism, improve liver function and assist proper blood flow. Unfortunately, due to modern farming practices, there aren’t many sources of omega 3′s found in our food supply anymore. Fish is the most well known source, and one of the best. Free range eggs, grass fed beef and pastured pork also contain large amounts of this important fat. - Don’t Bother with Post Workout Supplements
Various supplements like protein powders and shakes are very popular for use after a workout. However, they’re all quite unnecessary, expensive, and usually contain additives like starch and sugar. They don’t offer any great benefits, since you don’t get anything from them that you couldn’t get from real, wholesome foods. - Zinc
Zinc is an important mineral for weight loss because it regulates appetite and supports proper hormone synthesis and function. Zinc can be bought cheaply in pill form, but the body has an easier time using it when it comes from food sources. Foods that contain a lot of zinc are oysters, avocados, seeds, peanuts and tree nuts and red meat. - Keep it Simple
The harder you make something, the less likely you will be to see it through to the end. Try not to let your weight loss efforts become overly complex, as it can lead to confusion, frustration, and eventually, burnout. - Have Patience
Don’t expect to look like a supermodel a few days after beginning a diet and exercise regimen. Weight loss takes time, usually several weeks, to become noticeable. Slow and steady wins the race. If you persevere, you will eventually meet your goals. - Set Goals
Regardless of whether you’re trying to lose just a few pounds or a few hundred, you’ll be more likely to succeed if you set a goal for yourself. People who have something to aim toward and focus on succeed more often than those who wander aimlessly. If you want to lose a lot of weight, it’s best to set your goals in increments. Try for 10 or 20 pounds at a time, within what you feel is a realistic period of time. - Avoid Refined Foods
Foods like white bread, non whole grain pasta, cake, cookies, white flour, sugar and store-bought juice are all heavily refined, having had most or all of their fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals removed. The only thing that refined foods are a good source of is a lot of useless calories that will eventually lead to weight gain and possibly diabetes, tooth decay, malnutrition and heart disease. On top of that, they’re not terribly filling or satisfying. - Get a Hobby
Having a hobby is a great way to provide a distraction from impulsive or habitual eating, and can keep your mind off of an overactive appetite. Even better if your hobby includes some sort of physical activity like hiking, biking, swimming, dancing or gardening. Hobbies give you something to focus on and look forward to other than eating, and are great for your self esteem and mood. - Walk Whenever Possible
Walking is a good, sustainable form of exercise that can be done anyplace, anytime. Try to go for a walk whenever possible. Walk the dog in the morning, or walk the kids to school. If you have spare time on your lunch hour, go for a short walk then, even if it’s just around your workplace. After you have dinner in the evenings, go for a walk then, too. It’s great for your digestion and will improve your sleep quality. - Don’t Shun Carbs
While carbohydrates are a fairly dense source of calories and should be eaten in moderation, they are still vital. Carbs act as fuel for your brain and body, supplying mental and physical energy as you go about your day. If you don’t have enough, you’ll find yourself feeling tired, unmotivated, grouchy and hungry. - Exercise Shouldn’t be License
Just because you’ve exercised doesn’t mean that you should make it an excuse to overindulge. This is a slippery slope to start on. If you allow yourself to get used to feeling like you deserve treats every time you exercise, you’ll never get anywhere, and will probably just gain weight. - Exercise Does Not Burn Fat
Contrary to what people are led to believe, the idea that you lose fat during exercise is a myth, and a rather damaging one at that. If it worked that way, you could work out for a time and be magically thinner than when you started. What exercise does is increase your metabolism. Metabolism is what burns fat, so making sure that you exercise regularly and do things to further increase metabolism is what is going to help you lose weight. - Dedicate Yourself
When you have developed healthy habits, it is important that you stick to them. When faced with temptation to skip exercise or eat things you shouldn’t, tell yourself no and mean it. Also remember that weight loss isn’t an excuse to slack off! If you don’t keep at it, you will gain it all back. - Steer Clear of Fad Diets
Fad diets are often unhealthy, unbalanced, and tend to villainize entire food groups while promoting unrealistic and unsustainable habits and goals. These diets almost always fail miserably. - Save Some for Later
When you’re eating out and are faced with an overly large portion of food, remember that you don’t have to eat it all at once. Instead of wasting it, however, ask your waiter for a take-home box. Most restaurants will accommodate you in this regard. That way, you can still watch your portion sizes, and you’ll get to enjoy it again later! - Count Calories when Eating Out
Due to increasing demand, more restaurants and fast food chains are making the calories contained in their menu items available upon request. Some of this information may also be found online, allowing you to plan where to go and what to order ahead of time. - Stick to What Works
Everyone is different, and what methods and routines work for one person may not necessarily work for you. Weight loss is not a one size fits all endeavour, and may require some trial and error. Once you find what works for you, stick to it. - Healthy Doesn’t Have to Mean Boring
A lot of people, at some point in their lives, somehow pick up the idea that healthy food is bland or tastes bad. This deals many otherwise delicious foods a grave injustice. There are hundreds of spices, seasoning, sauces and condiments with an infinite number of possible combinations. The same goes for the foods themselves. For example, things like broccoli, carrots, peas, cabbage and chicken can be combined with spices and sauces for a delicious and very healthy stir fry. - Don’t Worry About It
While it’s important to maintain your efforts, try not to worry obsessively about your weight. Worrying won’t make you lose weight any faster, and can actually end up sabotaging it. Worry promotes stress, stress increases cortisol, and cortisol makes your body store energy as fat. It can also lead to emotional eating, which only compounds the problem. - Pregnancy Doesn’t Mean Eating for Two
This common misconception has helped countless pregnant women to pack on the pounds, and left them wondering why. If you’re pregnant and trying to lose weight, or if you plan to become pregnant, it is very important to remember that eating for two does not mean that you need twice the amount of calories as the average adult. A forming baby only requires about 300 extra calories a day! - The Psychology of Colour
Have you ever wondered why so many restaurant signs are red, orange and yellow? Most people aren’t aware that psychology has found these colours to promote appetite. Those companies are using little-known psychology to brainwash you into wanting food in the hopes that you’ll spend your money there. The colours blue and green, on the other hand, promote relaxation and suppress appetite. You can use this to your advantage by surrounding yourself with these colours in key places, like the kitchen and living room. - Use Smaller Dinner Plates
Studies have shown that people who used larger plates ate more food, while people who used smaller ones ate less. A small plate looks fuller with less food, and tricks your brain into thinking that you’re getting more food when you’re really not. - Watch Your Blood Sugar
Both high blood sugar and low blood sugar can cause you to gain weight, but by different mechanisms. When your blood sugar is high, it puts your body into fat storage mode. When it’s low, you may feel the need to eat excessively. Keeping your blood sugar within a reasonable range can be achieved by being selective with the foods you eat. Avoid carbohydrates on an empty stomach, get plenty of fibre and protein, avoid sugary foods and eat regularly. - Eat With Another Person
If you’re eating with someone, there’s likely to be some conversation. If you’re busy talking to someone, it forces you to eat more slowly, allowing your brain time to tell you you’ve had enough. You may notice that you needed to eat less food than you thought you did. - Encourage Yourself
Self-encouragement can easily become a self fulfilling prophecy. If you hear something often enough, you’re more likely to start believing it. Give yourself pep talks to strengthen your resolve and tell yourself that you can do it. - Find Alternatives
Instead of using heavy sauces, gravies, meat drippings and loads of butter to dress up your food and add flavour, try experimenting with different spices and condiments for a more low calorie approach. - Salad Dressing
When having a salad, avoid thick dressings, as these are often very high in calories. Substitute those dressings for a vinaigrette, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar, a bit of cheese, or a sprinkling of fruit. - Eat By Caloric Density
Eating your least calorically dense foods first takes up room in your stomach, making you require less of your carbohydrates and protein, and possibly making you too full for dessert when you’re finished. - Smaller Portion Sizes
If you’re eating out, always order the smallest portion of something available, like side dishes or appetizers. Ask your waiter how big the portion sizes are, and if they seem big, ask for a half order. Many restaurants will be happy to accommodate your request. - Conserve Calories
When you go out to eat, ask that your food be brought to you with dressing, sauce, butter, sour cream, cheese or gravy on the side. This way, you can control exactly how much goes onto your meal. - Little Things Count
It’s easy to overlook the little things you do to your food. Even people who count their calories can easily disregard condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and relish, and may also forget to consider what they cooked their food in, like oil or broth. Pay attention to your drinks, too. Liquids are another big thing that many people overlook. - Dress Nice
Wearing nice clothes makes you feel good about yourself, and may garner compliments from others. If you feel good about yourself, you’re more likely to continue your efforts to lose weight so you can feel even better. - Spicy Hot Foods
Spicy foods are not only tasty, but they can also help you lose weight. Cayenne, ginger and hot peppers are all thermogenic, meaning that they increase your body temperature. A nice little side effect of thermogenesis is the metabolism boost. It causes an increase of about 8 percent lasting for several hours. Having something spicy before you work out will compound the benefits greatly. - Don’t Resort to Surgery
Unless you are obese to the point of immediate danger and disability, there is no need to resort to risky surgeries like liposuction or stomach stapling’s. These procedures are intended for people in the most dire of situations. If you don’t make efforts to acquire healthy habits, it is extremely likely that you will only gain the weight back.