Some people are naturally thin, and never have to worry about what they eat, or how much. And then there the rest of us. Those that are forever on a diet, yo-yoing our way up and down the scale with minimal success. Let’s face it, losing weight is hard work. But through perseverance, and the right mindset, you can lose weight the healthy way. No pills, no diets, no starving. Start with these ten tips to be on your way to achieving healthy weight loss.
Change Your Lifestyle
Your first error in the past was probably your mindset. You were probably on a “diet.” Am I right? Well, repeat this….”Diets don’t work.” How many people do you know that have tried some fad diet, lost weight, and actually kept the weight off? Dieting only provided short-term weight loss followed by weight gain.
So, if you are not on a “diet,” what are you on?
A lifestyle change.
If you are one of those people who have suffered with being overweight, and you are truly ready to do something about it, the first thing you need to realize is you are in this for the rest of your life. There is no magic pill. No genie in a bottle. Sorry!
Instead, you have to put in the work. You have to make good choices about what you eat, and how you treat your body. You must change your habits, and your thinking about trying a healthy weight loss method instead of a quick fix that will not keep the weight off.
Keep a Food Diary
You probably do not realize how much food you can put away in a day. Keeping a food diary will help you track, organize, and plan what and how much you eat. You can do this online through free programs like fitday.com, or through paid programs like Weight Watchers® Online Etools. You need to count everything you put in your mouth. No matter how insignificant or little you think the serving was. A handful of M & M’s might not seem like much but probably punches in at 50 or more calories.
Find a Support Group
Going it alone is not how you want to do this. You need to find folks who are going through, or have been through the same experience. You can find these groups online as well in weight loss forums. Or you can attend your local Weight Loss support meeting like TOPS or Weight Watchers®. Whatever you do, it is important to share stories, recipes, frustrations and successes with those that truly understand what you are going through.
Read Your Labels
Instead of throwing just anything in your cart, become savvy to the nutrition labels. Especially the sodium, calorie, fat and fiber content. The lower the calorie, sodium and fat, and the higher the fiber, the better the food will be for you.
Are you thinking that foods like that probably don’t taste good? You would be surprised. Tons of low fat and low calorie substitutes are at your supermarket these days. And many have no loss in flavor.
Shop the Perimeter of the Supermarket
Fresh is best. Produce, lean meat, low fat dairy, and low fat grains are all found along the perimeter of a store. These are the best foods for you to eat in order to achieve healthy weight loss.
Those foods along the aisles on the inside are chalked full of sugar, sodium, and preservatives. Although they may be how the “old” you ate, they need to be kept out of your cart. Don’t tempt yourself. Stock your pantry with good things to eat.
Find an Exercise You Can Live With
Not everyone likes to exercise. If you do, that’s great. If you don’t, getting your body moving to burn up calories can be a huge deterrent.
So, what to do? Find something fun. Maybe it is walking your dog, or dancing to your favorite song for 10 minutes. For some, it might be playing Frisbee with your kids, or gardening. Anything that gets you up off the couch and moving is considered activity. Activity burns calories. You don’t necessarily have to log 60 minutes on the treadmill everyday, but you do need to do some kind of activity every day. Get moving!
Set Realistic Goals
When you are looking at the challenge ahead of you, it can seem pretty daunting. Whether it is 10 pounds or 100 pounds, the challenge might seem unobtainable. You might be tempted to quit before you start.
What can you do?
Break it up into smaller, more obtainable goals. Instead of 100 pounds to lose, think of the first five pounds, or the first two pounds. Say to yourself, “I’m gonna lose two pounds over the next two weeks.” Then when you achieve that goal, set a new one.
Each two pounds you lose is two pounds off your ultimate goal. Small successes bring big rewards in the long run.
Portion Control
Buy measuring cups and spoons and use them. Get a diet scale and use that. If the serving size is ½ cup, measure out ½ cup and that’s it.
If you are feeling like your serving sizes are skimpy and not enough to fill out your plate, buy smaller plates. You will be surprised that your brain will be tricked and you will feel better about eating less!
Take Your Measurements
Sometimes, you might not see success on the scale. But you probably will see success in inches lost. Measure your upper arms, chest, hips, waist, thighs and calves. Every 6 weeks, re-measure. You will be astounded at how many inches you have lost.
Plan Ahead when Dining Out
One of the biggest challenges to losing weight is what to do in a restaurant. Portions are huge. You don’t know what the ingredients are.
To overcome this obstacle, look up what you are going to eat before you get there. Sites like healthydiningfinder.com will allow you to plug in your address and give you restaurants and nutritional info so you can plan a healthy meal that fits into your healthy weight loss program.
Although these changes you are making to your lifestyle may seem difficult at first, in time, it will become your norm. You have to believe in yourself and know that your outcome is going to be worth it. Healthy weight loss versus yo-yo dieting, is definitely the way to reach your ultimate weight loss goal.