Ninety-five percent of dieters regain 1/3 of their lost weight within one year and almost all of it within five years says the American Council on Exercise. Many people yo-yo diet, or go up and down in their weight, because they "diet" but never employ tools for long-term weight loss. The best tips for weight loss offer you strategies to adopt for a lifetime and help you keep off any pounds you lose.
Be Realistic
Chances are you did not put on your extra weight in a week, it is unrealistic to expect it to come off that quickly. Committing to a reasonable weight loss rate of 1 to 2 lbs. per week is yield long-term success reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Go to a website like MyPyramid.gov and click on the My Pyramid Plan to estimate how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. Aim to eat just 250 calories fewer and add in 250 calories worth of exercise through a brisk walk, a session at the gym or another activity of choice. If you stick to this routine daily, you will lose one pound per week without deprivation and frustration.
Eat at Home
Restaurants meals contain 60 percent more calories than average meals made at home reports the NPD Group, a market research firm in an October 26, 2006 issue of "USA Today." Most meals in restaurants are two to four times larger than recommended portion sizes. Even if you think you are making good choices when eating out, extra sodium, preservatives, saturated and trans fats and added sugars can sabotage your goals. Cook at home more often to save calories and control the ingredients that go into your foods. Stock your pantry with healthy staples like whole grain pasta, low-sodium canned beans, microwavable, frozen, no-sauce vegetables and portioned out pieces of chicken breast or extra lean turkey burgers. If you have the ingredients at home to create a quick, low-calorie meal, you are less likely to stop and spend extra money at the drive-through. It may take an effort at first, but in the long-run, you will learn to prefer the home-cooked meals.
Cut Back on Sugar
Americans eat an average of 22.5 extra teaspoons of sugar daily reports "Circulation" in August 2009, a publication of the American Heart Association. This results in an extra 355 calories consumed daily in non-nutritive calories. Cut back to the recommended 6 teaspoons for women, or 100 extra calories, or 9 tsp for men, or 150 extra calories, and lose ½ pound per week. Soda and other sweetened beverages are one of the most common sources for these extra calories, but cut out candy, cookies and baked goods. In addition, read labels on your cereal boxes, sweetened yogurts and condiments to become aware of sneaky sugar additions that may be hindering your weight loss goals.
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