Helpful Hints For Weight Loss

You Can Do It!

The best thing to do when you’re thinking about loosing weight is talking to your doctor or a dietitian about a healthy weight loss program.  You can figure what weight is healthy for you and set realistic goals.  Being safe is important when you start your journey towards weight loss.  Too often you see commercials for fad diets that may make you loose weight quickly but can be dangerou to your health and are not proven to keep the weight off in the long run anyway.  Loosing weight is not only about how you appear on the outside but the mental and emotional changes are very profound as well. Also, if you are overweight you have more of a risk for heart disease or high blood pressure, just to name a few conditions, so cutting down on your weight is a very healthy life choice. 

Here are some tips to help you:

Try to start of with small changes, such as shrinking your portion sizes or cutting your soda out of your diet. You would be surprised at how many calories are in sugary drinks.  Taking out just one of those a day can save you between 100-200 calories.  Try and substitute water or other sugar free drinks instead of sodas and drinks like that. 

Don’t starve yourself, studies show-skipping breakfast does not cut out calories it actually can lead to gained weight.  Eating small healthy snacks such as fruits or vegetables can make you eat less during major meals.  This may help you decrease in calories throughout the day without making you feel hungry.  Fruits and vegetables work in two ways, they not only help you loose weight but are good for the overall health of your body.  Five servings a day is the recommended amount.  Also some other tricks to help you cut back the calories are switching your bread and milk.  Changing from white bread to whole wheat and also your milk from whole milk to non-fat milk will help as well. 

Slow down your eating.  They say it takes your brain about 20 minutes to realize that you are full.  Just slowing down your eating my help you put down the fork and not automatically go for that second helping.  Other things may make you eat as well as being sad or boredom.  Try to avoid this type of eating and replace it with another activity such as reading, drawing, or taking a walk.  AFood Diary is helpful to some people.  That way you can notice trends of when you’re eating and why.  This may help you substitute your behaviors with something healthy.  A dietitian would be a very good person to talk to that may help with starting your diary. 

Start exercising.  If you don’t exercise now it is ok, you can start gradually.  Maybe walking around the block a few times or work in your garden, just something to get your level of fitness on the upswing.  Your goal is to work up to having 30 minutes of exercise a day.  Muscle burns more calories then fat so working on this in your exercise routine will be a plus to you and your weight loss.  Try to have a well-rounded workout, include muscle building, aerobics, and stretching. 

Be nice to yourself.  If you fall off the horse just get back on.  Start your weight loss routine again as quickly as you can.  Don’t be too hard on yourself.  Loosing weight is very difficult and won’t always go perfectly.  Just don’t give up!

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