I’m sure you will agree that losing weight often proves to be one of the hardest challenges
we face.
Weight loss can really make a powerful and positive impact on your health and your lifestyle.
However, it does require a lot of effort to succeed.
There are so many weight loss schemes, diets, programs, myths and realities.
Do you often wonder where to begin to start losing the weight?
There are many ways to make your lifestyle, work and home environment diet-friendly
as you strive to lose those unwanted pounds.
Here are a few tips to help you reach your goals:
#1. Set Realistic Goals
Make realistic goals to avoid setting yourself up for failure.
One of the things that can sabotage a diet is the thought that you are going to lose all the weight
in a short amount of time.
It probably took quite some time to put on the weight, and it’s going to take some time to work it off.
When people don’t set a goal, they tend to give up and go back to old ways.
By setting an achievable goal, you’ll keep yourself encouraged for the long haul.
#2. Keep a Weight Loss Journal
Keeping an up-to-date food diary is an absolute necessity when trying to lose weight.
Most people lose track of just what goes into their mouths on any given day and can’t remember when
trying to compile a list later.
Record your weight in the journal on a weekly basis to track your progress.
Use a small notebook and pen or a hand-held voice recorder, that can be kept in your pocket at all times,
to record every bit of food and drink consumed and you will have an easier time figuring out why the pounds
aren’t coming off and where you need to cut back.
Seeing your progress in this way can be a great source of motivation.
On the other hand, your journal will also alert you when you are not keeping up with your weight loss
goals so that you can adjust your strategy when needed.
#3. Eat at Home
Home cooked meals are healthier than dining out and are cheaper in the long run.
Fast food and restaurant meals are made to be full of flavor and are proportionally full of calories.
By eating at home, you have more choices and have the ability to add nutritional sides.
#4. Cut Your Appetite
If you want to eat less in a meal, eat an apple a few minutes before you eat your meal.
Apples are good for you and contain a lot of fiber.
These fibers will help you get filled up much faster and stay that way.
You can eat other similar fruits too.
#5. Don’t Confuse Thirst with Hunger
Before giving in and having a snack when you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water to
see if your hunger goes away.
One of the most common mistakes people make when trying to lose weight is confusing
thirst for hunger.
The fact is, many times when you feel hungry, your body is actually trying to signal that
it is thirsty instead.
#6. Eat Your Beans
You can prepare all kinds of healthy and delicious bean dishes.
For example, try eating three bean salad when you are working at losing weight.
You can make a low-calorie version quickly and easily at home.
Simply mix three different kinds of beans and mix them with a light, healthy,
homemade Italian-style dressing.
This will make enough of this high fiber snack for you to munch on all week.
#7. Make Smart Choices
When you’re watching your weight, try to make smart choices at the fast food restaurant.
Luckily, that’s much easier to do now.
Instead of the double veggie burger with cheese, go for a hearty brown rice and steamed vegetable
plate or the veggie wrap sandwich made with cabbage, shredded veggies and hummus.
Also, ask for easy or light sauce, or no sauce at all, which will cut way down on calories.
Order one of the salads, but go easy on the dressing–or better yet, dump the dressing in the lid
and dip your salad into the dressing a forkful at a time.
#8. Limit Those Condiments
If you are trying to limit your calorie intake while maximizing your nutritional benefit, skip or limit
the condiments.
Most salad dressings and sandwich toppings are high in fat, while even low-calorie options such as
ketchup or mustard are high in salt, high fructose corn syrup and other diet-busters.
Limit the condiments you eat to the ones you really need to enjoy your food.
Better yet, make your own from scratch.
#9. Get Your Mind Right
If you want to lose weight, you have to tackle the issue from a mental perspective as well as a
physical one.
Stop making excuses for your weight gain and stop dwelling on what led you to being overweight.
Realize that weight loss is a process and that as long as it took you to put on the excess weight,
it’s going to take just as long to get rid of it.
#10. Don’t Skip Meals
Never skip meals in your quest to lose as much weight as you possibly can.
Skipping meals can starve your body of the nutrients that you need, which can actually harm your body
and hurt your chances of losing weight.
Eat three balanced meals during the course of your day is great advice–although some weight loss
experts suggest 5 or more mini meals throughout the day.
#11. Move to Lose
In order to lose weight, you should be active for at least 30-45 minutes a day.
This is a good start for those who are inactive.
The exercise does not need to be strenuous, just enough to get you up and moving.
You will feel better, digest your food better and have more energy.
#12. Make Fitness Fun
A great way to lose weight is to stick with a type of exercise you enjoy.
It’s torture to force yourself to do something you don’t enjoy, and when it comes to fitness,
there are endless things you can do.
By doing what you enjoy, you’re more likely to stick with it.
#13. Work Those Weights
In an effective weight-loss program, weight training should not be neglected.
Cardio exercise is the real key to burning fat, but a certain amount of weight training remains vital.
Weight training tones muscles and improves posture, keeping the body efficient and healthy as
it slims down.
It also improves the body’s appearance, so that the exercisers becomes not only slender but
also attractive.
#14. Walk it Off
While often overlooked, walking is one of the most beneficial activities to begin when you are
attempting to lose a few pounds.
The steady pace allows for calories to gradually burn away and increase your metabolic rate.
At the same time, it is also strengthening your bones and joints from the added pressure and energy
consumption.
#15. Clean and Burn
It may sound strange, but cleaning your house thoroughly once a week can help you achieve your
weight loss goals.
When you deep-clean your kitchen or bathroom, you burn a lot more calories than you think.
A half-hour scrub session can burn up to 120 calories, and cleaning your house will take much
longer than that.
Your elbow grease can go a long way toward meeting your weight loss goals.
So, as you see, it is true that weight loss requires research, work and effort to start seeing the
pounds come off.
It is also true that in order to see results that you have to keep at it.
Great tips. I am trying to not eat sugar or bread except on special occasions for the summer!
🙂 AWESOME tips!! I am all about loading up on the protein and cutting back on carbohydrates! Also, no drinking calories and try to eat as little processed foods as possible! 🙂
Great tips! I’m so excited to have a walking Fit Bit again so I can work on walking more! #wowlinkup
These are great tips. I love the don’t mistake thirst for hunger thing. This is so important because I sometimes find that I think I am hungry but after drinking some water, I am fine. #wowlinkup
I love the move to lose tip. #TurnUpTuesday
Ji,
I am so delighted that you hopped by. Since you love to move, you;ll have no problem making fitness a part of your life. Thank you for sharing your comments with me. All the best, Deborah
Some really great tips! Eating at home is a huge one we need to work on lately in our home 🙂
Rachael @ http://www.parentingandhomeschoolinginfaith.com
Hi Rach,
Yes, I agree! It is amazing how much we benefit from cooking and eating at home. We save lots of money and we have more control over what we eat. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with me. I appreciate it!
Great tips for the start of summer! It’s the reasonable, small things that lead to big changes. I lost a lot of weight about 11 years ago and have been able to keep it off with tips like these. I love the idea about keeping a weight-loss journal… something I haven’t done in a long time. It’s such a good reminder of the choices you make.
Hi Catherine,
I am so glad to hear that you were able to lose weight and keep it off. I too love the idea of keeping a weight loss journal. It really keeps me honest. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I appreciate it.
Drinking water is the ultimate way to help with weight loss! I totally enjoyed this article and plan to share it. #wowlinkup
Hi! Thank you for stopping by, and these tips are just what I needed. I’ve been drinking tons of water lately mainly due to the hot weather, but I love really cold water anyway. I also am trying to lose weight. I love all fruit and I don’t buy any canned veggies anymore because they are loaded with sodium. Fresh veggies are tastier anyway. thanks for all the tips & have a great weekend. I hope you stop by next Friday too. Now to follow all your social networks that I can find. 🙂
Awesome, effective tips! Thanks for sharing 🙂 #wowlinkup
Great tips for staying focus and reaching your goal.
Thank you for sharing this awesome article with us at Friendship Friday this week Deborah!
This is truly one of the most useful articles I have seen on the topic!
Congratulations – you are our Featured Blog and Friend of the Week at this week’s Friendship Friday!
Hi,
I am so thrilled to that Urban Naturale’s blog post was featured this week on Friendship Friday! Thank you so much for the support and recognition!
Great post Deborah! I like the healthy tips you have posted. Lately I’m hearing a lot of fad diet things and I’m not a huge fan (paleo for instance). Eating foods we enjoy (like carbs!) can still help us lose weight if we ditch the junk food and eat things in moderation.
“It probably took quite some time to put on the weight, and it’s going to take some time to work it off.”
I always need to remind myself of this one ;p
Excellent advice. I chuckled at your advice about the apple, because I often cut up an apple or carrots to munch on while I prepare a meal. Thanks for the colorful infographic. Pinning.