Losing weight has become an obsession among all age groups. With celebrities touting skinny bodies and the mindset that you can't be too thin, frustration sets in and creates dissatisfaction with everything. The key to losing weight and keeping it off is to change your lifestyle and attitude toward food. It is your friend, not your enemy. Fad diets may work temporarily, but in the long run, they only make the problem worse. Focus on eating good food and living a healthy lifestyle. With the right balance of nutrition and exercise, the pounds will come off---and stay off.
Don't Starve to Lose Weight
When you drop your daily calorie intake too low, your body is programmed to hold onto fat stores because it's in starvation mode. This causes your metabolism to drop significantly, and the slightest increase in calories will give you the opposite result from what you want. Most people need a minimum of 1,500 calories per day.
Decrease Processed Carbohydrates and Increase Fiber
Decreasing processed carbohydrates means to stop eating most sugar and products made with white flour. Adding natural fiber, including whole wheat, oats, fruits and vegetables to the diet will provide your body with the energy and ability to digest the food you consume.
Stop When Satisfied
When you sit down to a meal and concentrate on each bite, you're less likely to over eat. Relax, chew your food and swallow it before putting another bite into your mouth. It takes approximately 20 minutes for your body to acknowledge satisfaction from a meal, so don't rush it.
Cut Out Unhealthy Drinks
Soda is one of the worst enemies of a healthy diet. Too much soda adds empty calories and leaves you craving more. It is also high in sodium and preservatives, which interfere with your body's ability to function at its highest capacity.
Eating Out
As you order your meal at a restaurant, request a to-go box to arrive with the food. Before you take your first bite, place half of it in the box and set it aside for later. Or even better, request the food to be brought to you this way to avoid temptation. Then relax and enjoy the food in front of you.
Keep Moving
In addition to a fitness plan that includes a half hour per day of exercise, find other ways to keep your body in motion. Park in the farthest spot at the mall or grocery store and walk the distance. When standing in line anywhere, tighten and release muscles for an isometric workout. Stretch often.
Track Your Food
Keep track of your daily intake of food to make sure you get enough but not too much. If you find that you've reached a plateau, increase the intensity of your workout.
Drink More Water
Increase your water consumption to a minimum of eight full glasses a day. Sometimes you may misinterpret thirst for hunger. Water also helps flush toxins from your body.
Don't Deny Yourself
When you start to crave something---even if it isn't good for you---take a small bite or two then walk away. You're better off doing this than denying yourself completely, because this may intensify the craving and tempt you to binge later.
Motivate Yourself
Take pictures of yourself as you lose weight for a morale boost that will keep you on track.
Member Comments