If you're tired of dieting and depriving yourself of your favorite foods in order to lose weight, don't despair. Making small but permanent changes in your eating habits is a lot more effective to lose weight and keep it off. This works especially well if you also start a regular exercise program to go along with it, but even becoming more active can prove beneficial.
Step 1
Eat more of the good stuff. Rather than worrying about the things you have to give up, concentrate on eating larger amounts of the ones that are healthy. Foods such as fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, so you'll feel full without eating too many calories. Add lean proteins and whole grains to the mix. By eating more non-fattening food, you'll be less hungry and not as likely to crave the high-calorie stuff.
Step 2
Clean your cupboards. Get rid of fried and sugary snacks, baked products and highly processed items. Replace with foods that are closer to their natural state, such as oats and bran flakes instead of sugar-covered cereals. Keep plain popcorn, nuts, whole rye crackers and pretzels around instead of chips or cookies. Make sure you eat small snacks in between your meals to keep your blood sugar steady and avoid cravings.
Step 3
Try acupuncture. Acupuncture can help lower stress (which can cause overeating), aid digestion and control appetite. It can also help speed up metabolism. Often, certified acupuncturists also have knowledge of Chinese herbs, many of which can be used in conjunction with acupuncture to increase the body's ability to burn fat better.
Step 4
Sleep more. Lack of sleep triggers cortisol production, which leads to increased stress and can make you overeat. Insulin, which the body produces to control cortisol, causes excess calories to be stored as fat around your midsection. This means that lack of sleep can not only make losing weight more difficult, but can, in fact, increase your weight.
Step 5
Do something active for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. Ride your bike to work, walk your dog (or volunteer at a shelter and walk orphan dogs) or simply add more steps to your day. If you have a sedentary job, find ways to move more during the day by pacing around while you talk on the phone or by taking the stairs to get to your office rather than riding the elevator.
Step 6
Control portion size. Even reducing your portions by 10 or 20 percent can pay off in the long run. To control how much you're eating, never have food directly from a bag or package. Instead, pour yourself a portion into a bowl or plate, so you know exactly how much you're eating. Also, don't pick food from the pot or pan while cooking. Instead, wait until ready and then serve yourself a plate and sit down to eat it.
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