11/09/2011 – by Jenice Armstead
Here are 10 basic ways to lose weight and maintain your weight in an easy and very real way.
There are many diet and weight lost products available for those struggling to lose weight. The reality, however, is that there is no diet that is better than the other. The key is to manage your weight, eat right and exercise. Here are a few basic guidelines that will help everyone to do just that.
Work Hard, You Can Get Here Too
- Decrease the amount of total fat you eat daily. Fat has more than twice the calories of carbohydrates or protein. Thus, even small amounts of high fat items such as butter, margarine, oil, sauces, and gravies can contain large amounts of calories that will make dieting hard to be successful at. Dietary fat is also the nutrient most easily converted into body pounds. Even if you are using oil to cook with, the best oils to use are olive and grape seed. Much of the carbohydrates and protein we eat are burned up before they can be stored as fat.
- Eat a variety of foods and do not restrict certain foods from the diet. In general, it is not the occasional fatty food that keeps someone from achieving a desired weight; it is what is eaten on a daily basis. The little bits here and there, can add up. For example, limit dessert to one or two times a week instead of after each meal. Trying to force yourself to stay away from “tempting” foods often makes them more desirable, and may undermine weight loss efforts.
- Eat breakfast. It has been said time and time again, but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. For one key reason, breakfast gives your body a jump-start and starts your metabolism to start working. People that eat breakfast are generally more successful at losing weight.
- Try not to eat before going to bed. Although you do burn some calories while sleeping, the fact remains that food eaten at this time of day is often not burned up and is more likely to be stored as fat.
- Eat single portions of food and give the body time to signal that it is full. The stomach is not that different from any other part of your body, it need time to “recognize” a change in any action associated with it. So, if you are watching TV and not paying attention to how much you are eating, you will not realize that you are full unless you are paying attention. Often we eat so fast that the second portion of food is almost gone before the body can signal that it was satisfied after the first.
- Eat foods high in complex carbohydrates. This includes breads, cereals, pasta, rice and other grains, fruits, and vegetables. Although many weight loss diets in the past have limited starchy foods, it is the high fat items that often go with these foods that inhibit weight loss efforts, not the starchy foods themselves.
- Exercise. Aerobic exercise is an excellent way to achieve and maintain a desirable weight. Walking, jogging, biking, and rowing are examples of aerobic activities. Before beginning any exercise program, it is a good idea to consult a physician.
- Do not starve yourself. Low calorie diets may slow a body’s metabolism, making weight loss more difficult. (Not to mention it wrecks you mentally and physically.)
- Lose weight SLOWLY! 1 to 2 pounds per week is a great start. Most people who need to lose weight need to lose excess fat. The body cannot burn off more than a few pounds of fat per week. Faster weight loss is probably due to muscle breakdown.
- Set reasonable weight goals. Despite our society’s obsession with thinness, it is not practical for most of us to expect to have body of a model. Instead, setting a goal which is achievable and maintainable may, over time, result in greater physical and mental health.
As always, stay focused and healthy no matter what routine you decide is best for you and your health. If you have questions, you know where to find me ~ Jenice.
