Losing weight can be a challenge, especially if you have many pounds to shed. You may have tried weight loss programs before but have failed to lose any weight. Everyone is looking for a short cut to lose weight. However, these short cuts never work. You should never crash diet to lose weight because it's a short term approach that will never work. You need to be very patient when it comes to weight loss. But finding the time and resources to lose weight can be a challenge.Many diets don't hold up to all their hype. The true key to losing weight and keeping it off is adopting a sustainable eating plan and then sticking with it. When it comes to weight loss, you have to lose some diet habits which you've grown accustomed to and add some items that may be new to you. You should enjoy it...at least give yourself a chance to learn to. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Become a Vegetarian: This may be a drastic lifestyle change but an effective one nonetheless. Studies have shown that a diet high in red meat consumption is often linked to obesity. If you have been an ardent non-vegetarian then suddenly stopping meat will not help. Start with alternating between meat and vegetarian food until you are comfortable with ditching it completely. If you choose not to become 100% vegetarian, at least limit consumption of red meats.
- Smart Snack: Snack on raw veggies or a handful of nuts rather than potato chips or cookies. Scan the fast food menu for the healthier options such as salads or fruit and yogurt instead of cheese burgers and other fattening products. Make your own delicious snacks like kale chips (plain, cheesy flavor, bbq- can be made vegan with healthy substitutes).
- Adopt a High Fiber Diet: Incorporate more high fiber foods into your diet. Fiber cleanses your body by binding with cholesterol and throwing it out of your system. Eating high fiber foods can help you feel full and reduce your urge to consume empty calorie foods. Fruits, veggies, beans and legumes have plenty of fiber, and you can add in helpers like Glucamannan.
- Don't Completely Ban Food: Some people try the approach of banning their most loved food completely to lose weight. The fact is, in moderation, you can eat what you like. You can eat everything in moderation so that you don't feel deprived and are successful in adopting a healthy weight loss program.
- Never Skip Breakfast: You need breakfast in the morning to get you started. Studies have shown that people who skip breakfast tend to eat more food later in the day leading to excess calories.
- Multiple Small Meals is a Good Idea: Small meals throughout the day help you maintain your sugar levels so you don't get hunger pangs. The idea is to keep a balanced glucose or sugar level, which helps burn fat. Long gaps between meals cause your body to store fat. Keep meals and snacks to 2-3 hours apart.
- Drink Lots of Water: Drink lots of water and fluids as it helps to curb your appetite and keeps you from overeating. It also keeps your body hydrated which leads to effective fat loss. Prefer water over fruit juices because they are high in calories and many juice brands contain added sugar.
- Avoid Processed Food: Stop eating refined flour and white sugar and table salt, because these foods increase insulin levels, which makes it difficult for your body to burn fat reserve. And MSG is toxic to the body...use Himalayan salt (your body needs salt! But not chemically refined table salt...not the same thing).
- Eat a Light Dinner: Eat a light dinner and go to bed at least 3 hours after eating. This way your body gets time to properly absorb and digest the nutrients so your digestive system doesn't have to work so hard when sleeping when it should be working on repairing your body.
Finally, you Must exercise. This doesn't mean you must go tot he gym. But taking a walk, or even cleaning house is a workout. Only diet tips will not get you far health wise. If you do not exercise regularly then you will not see optimal results. Add a moderate exercise routine of 30 minutes to your weight loss program and shed away those pounds.
