There are many tried and true steps to weight loss that, with our day to day lives, we sometimes neglect to follow. It is important to remember that dieting is not a temporary fix for weight control; it is instead a way of life; a way of eating and a way of behaving.
Simple Weight Loss Tips
- Make breakfast your biggest meal of the day. Your body will have more hours to burn the calories that you've taken in. Throughout the day, you are moving around at work or at home and this will literally turn your body into a calorie incinerator.
- Eat more fiber. Your mother was right. Eat your fiber. Having a regular digestive system is key to keeping your weight under control. In addition, you are able to flush toxins more effectively.
- Drink more water. This is understood, but without water, we hold more of it. Allow your body to cleanse from the inside out.
- Park a bit further from the door. Adding walking to your daily routine will produce a double benefit. Not only will you burn more calories, but you will find yourself feeling more exhilarated and accomplished at day's end.
- Cut out sweets. This is not as hard as it sounds. You can get your sweet tooth fix from fruits and naturally sweet vegetables instead of eating refined sugars.
- At mealtime, don't get a second helping. Portion control is paramount in any weight loss plan. Use labels as a guide to how much to eat. For meats, make sure the serving is no bigger than the palm of your hand.
- For at least one week per month, cut out all snacks during the day, including bedtime snacks. The absence of snacks will save an abundance of calories.
- Avoid fried foods. In addition to adding calories, oil-saturated foods can lead to unforeseen health problems.
- Never eat less than 1200 calories (or the amount your doctor recommends for you). Going below 1200 calories can send your body into starvation mode, causing your metabolism to be nearly non-existent and make weight loss a very slow process.
- Cut the fat! Trim visible fat from your meat servings. Think about the old saying, "You are what you eat." If you eat fat...
- Bonus - Keep a food log or diary of everything you eat.
Just following the list for one month will bring about weight reduction from five to ten pounds. The variant factor is based on your current weight, how the tips above differ from your current eating habits, and the amount of time you commit to exercise. Obviously the more you exercise, the more you will lose. It is not necessary to jump from completely sedentary to a fitness guru, but adding just a little activity to your current regimen will produce results.
New Weight Loss Studies
According to a recent study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine, contrary to earlier information, it does not matter whether you are counting calories, carbohydrates, or fats. What matters is that you are counting something. "The lesson, researchers say, is that people lose weight if they lower calories, but it does not matter how." According to Dr. Frank M. Stacks, the study's lead author, it gives dieters more flexibility to choose a diet that works for them personally.
Karen Miller Kovach, Chief Science Officer for Weight Watchers, also added that most of the participants in the study benefited from either attending counseling sessions, which we may not have time to do, or alternately, using one of the many web-based self monitoring tools.
Logging Your Food Online
Online food logs and diaries or computer software are quick and convenient ways to keep records of foods consumed in today's technologically-advanced world. Many Web sites are available for tracking of foods and calories throughout the day, some of which are free simple to use.
The dieter can look up food choices and/or alternative choices in online databases of more than 50,000 foods. Internet-savvy loggers also have an option to keep their journals online. Others may just choose to use these databases as a more convenient way of looking up nutritional value of foods for jotting down by hand. Some free online diaries include:
- www.myfooddiary.com
- www.sparkpeople.com
- www.my-calorie-counter.com
- www.myfitnesspal.com
- www.fitday.com
Free Web sites for searching nutritional information are available; an example is www.calorieking.com. These Web sites may also offer exercise tracking and ideas, support, motivational tips and chat or discussion rooms.
Permanent Weight Loss
It is clear from the list above that we all hold our own secrets or hot buttons to successful weight control. Perhaps we just need simple reminders from time to time. Using the above tips as a rule vs. an exception will lead to continuous weight control; and unlike fad diets or pills, it is guaranteed.
As always, it is imperative to consult your physician before embarking on any weight loss plan, but these simple tips will prove successful for even the most diet resistant. The key is not to diet, but to change your way of thinking about what you eat; thus changing your body. The basis of successful weight loss is simple. You must burn more calories than you ingest. If you follow this rule of thumb, you will always win at weight loss.
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