Weight Loss Basics
One of the best ways to take care of
yourself is to lose a little weight. Losing weight helps you look younger,
leaner and healthy. It can be frustrating to start trying to lose weightthough, and there are so many options that you may not know which way to go.
Here are some solid tips to help you slim down.
Exercise can be pretty boring. When
trying to lose weight, make sure you have some entertainment during those long
cardio sessions. Get a book to read or even an audio book to listen to. Create
a music playlist that is fast and high-energy and will keep your body moving.
An often overlooked way to
successfully lower your weight is to eliminate stress. Stress often disrupts
the body’s ability to digest food and process nutrients correctly, so by
eliminating stress you help your body be more efficient. Meditation and yoga
are highly recommended for stress reduction to help return your body and mind
to their optimal states.
To help you lose weight, cut out
carbonated sweet drinks. There is an incredible amount of sugar in pop. This
sugar will easily turn to fat if it is not burned off, resulting in weight
gain. This is probably one of the easiest things you can do to lose weight.
Diet drinks are better, however they still are not good for you for other
reasons.
If you’re trying to lose weight, and
are constantly hungry, you need to arm yourself with healthy, low-fat snack
choices. Carrots and celery are always mentioned, and they’re fine, but what if
you want carbs? Choose healthy carbs such as nonfat (air-popped) popcorn with
no salt. You can pop a huge bag of it, munch away along with a huge glass of
water, and feel nice and full with no damage to your waistline.
If you find that you have stopped
losing weight, start exercising more. Some people might stop or slow down in
losing weight after dieting and exercising for an extended period of time. If
you still have weight you want to lose, consider exercising more. Increasing
your usual exercise routine by just five minutes should kick start your weight
loss again.
Drinking water is an obvious
weight-loss suggestion, but did you know it can also affect your appetite at
mealtime? Next time you’re sitting down to dinner, try drinking a large (16-oz
or more) glass of cool water before you sit down to eat. You may find that your
stomach has less room for food and that you will eat less.
If you are in the mood for something
crunchy, don’t grab the entire potato chip bag and run. Instead, place one or
two handfuls of the snack into a Ziploc bag to control the amount of salt you
will be putting into your body. This is a great way to control portions.
Too busy to exercise? Slip in a few
short workouts here and there. Park further away from the grocery store or
work, and take the stairs whenever possible. Rather than using a leaf blower or
automatic mower, try sweeping your leaves and using a push mower. A few minutes
here and there can really add up!
If you find yourself feeling
especially hungry and can’t differentiate between a craving and actual, real
hunger, try this trick: Instead of starting with whatever junk food you happen
to be craving, head straight for the veggies or fiber-rich fruits. If you are
truly hungry, these foods will satisfy your body’s need for sustenance, and you
will be filling your stomach with good, healthy foods.
Keep a bottle of water right beside
your bed and drink it as soon as you wake up in the morning. This will help to
give your metabolism a boost, and it will also make it more likely that you
will eat less food when it is time for breakfast.
Try filling up on three bean salad
for greater success with weight loss. You can quickly make the low-calorie
version at home. Open three cans of various beans, then mix them in a light
Italian dressing. Choose whole-wheat, high-fiber bread instead of processed
white bread.
In order to effectively lose weight,
it is very important to burn more calories than that which you take into your
body. Excess calories that are not burned are stored as fat and in return makes
the individual gain weight. Exercising on a regular basis will help you burn
more calories daily.
In order to maintain a healthy
immune system and keep your emotions in check, you have to get enough sleep.
Sleep controls restoration to your body, and therefore has everything to do
with your body’s immune system fighting diseases. It also controls your mood
and how well you are able to handle the next day’s activities.
If you have a strong desire to lose
weight, getting enough sleep is a big help. It has been proven that those who
don’t get enough sleep tend to be hungrier throughout the day. Therefore, lack
of sleep can cause people to overeat. Therefore, it is imperative to get at
least eight hours of sleep per night.
As portion sizes have gotten larger,
so have our waistlines. The next time you go out to eat, try sharing a single
entree with someone instead of trying to eat the whole thing yourself. You can
also split the dessert, or even a drink. This way you can still enjoy your meal
without eating so much.
A good way to lose weight would be
to make sure your meals are planned before you eat them. This helps you avoid
spur-of-the moment decisions about what to eat, thus leading to eating the
wrong things. There are many people who lay out weekly meal plans on Sunday
night.
Use these tips to de-mystify losing
weight. The simplest ways to lose weight are often the best. Just remember to
keep going and not to get discouraged when you don’t see the results on the
scale that you want to see. Make sure you stay committed and you WILL start
losing the weight.
