This is the year you are going to do it; shed those unwanted pounds for good. You may tell yourself this every January, but with just a few tips to get you started, and keep you going, this really could be the year that makes the difference. The standard way to lose weight: eating less, and moving more is great in theory, but not always easy to do. Yes, if you are to successfully lose weight and keep it off, you will have to burn more calories than you take in. But, to stay successful losing weight, there are other factors you might want to consider. If you want to make a new start, there are five things you can for surefire results.
Drink More Water
One of the best ways to jumpstart any weight reduction program is to begin drinking 64 ounces of water a day. This is equal to eight glasses of water a day. Do not substitute the water with any other beverage, since other beverages could contain caffeine, sugar, or hidden calories you don’t want or need. Water is necessary for your body’s metabolism and keeps it functioning right. By drinking water continuously throughout the day, you will help keep your body hydrated, keep from feeling hungry, and keep your body clear of additional salts that may be holding onto unnecessary fluid.
Eat at Least One Salad a Day
Whether you either substitute an entire meal with a salad, or add a side salad to your meal, eating at least one salad a day (with a small amount of low calorie dressing) will help jumpstart your diet program. First of all, the vegetables in the salad contain fewer calories than another entrée or side dish. Second, because raw vegetables are fibrous, it takes longer to chew them, which gives your brain more time to tell your stomach when it becomes full. Third, the fiber-rich vegetables help you feel full longer since they take longer than processed foods to digest. Plus, you get the added benefits of vitamins and minerals in raw vegetables, which help give you the energy you need for exercise or for physical activities.
Chew Your Food Slower
It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to tell your stomach it has had enough. You can eat a lot of food in 20 minutes, so if you want to eat less, you will eat slower. Eating fast means you take in more air as you eat, which can give you a false sense of fullness, making you feel hungry again soon after a meal is over. This can lead to late night snacking.
Eat Off a Smaller Plate
One of the biggest reasons people gain weight, is because they do not know portion control. The serving size on a recipe or label is usually smaller than we think; therefore, portion control becomes very important, if you want to lose weight or maintain lost weight. One of the easiest ways to make sure you’re eating the right portion or less is to use a smaller plate. The desire to fill the plate can be met without increasing the portion size and for members of The Clean Plate Club, you can eat everything on your plate without fearing you’ve ruined your diet.
Find an Activity You Love and Do It
There are lots of ways to adjust your eating habits, but if you just don’t like going to the gym, or working out, there’s only one way to get around it and that’s to find an activity you love to do, and do it as much as possible. Do you like to dance? You can find a dance studio, or go to a club and dance your heart out. Do you like to swim? You can join a fitness center with a pool, or go to your community pool and swim laps or just tread water. Do you love to walk? Most communities have greenways or parks with walking paths. The point is that you don’t have to be a dedicated gym member or runner or cycler to move enough to burn those extra calories. You just have to move and keep moving to burn enough calories for weight loss. You can do that with whatever activity you already like to do, whether it is Wii Golf, waterskiing, or weight lifting.
A Chinese proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. So, too, your journey to weight loss can begin with a single action. Losing a lot of weight is not something that happens overnight or even in a few days. But, if you begin with these five simple actions and keep in mind the equation of fewer calories plus more exercise equals weight lost, then you will be well on your way to losing weight this year!