by Pamela Kay

Created on: August 18, 2008   Last Updated: September 11, 2008

Health experts have been telling us for years how to lose weight fast: eat right, exercise, and reduce stress. What exactly does this mean? Read on to learn how each of these affect your weight and why all three are important. Then, get started on the three steps to a slimmer, healthier, more vibrant you!

STEP 1-EATING RIGHT

Eating right is a very important part of losing weight fast. Knowing what you are eating is important too. Learn to read labels and avoid the additives to food that are causing you to gain weight. Here are a few tips for eating right.

*Drinking water keeps your body flushed and hydrated, replaces sugar-based beverages and makes you fill full so you eat less. The body stores toxins in fat cells and when you flush these toxins out with water and exercise, the fat will follow.

*Never, skip breakfast! Breakfast is the time to break the long fast since you last ate with foods that allow your body to function at its peak performance. Enjoy a hearty breakfast that includes protein and fiber, which will keep you feeling full until time for a morning snack of fruit or nuts.

*Avoid Low Calorie Diets! Eating an extremely low number of calories will cause the body to lower your metabolism, to conserve energy, and require you to exercise even more with fewer results. The more muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate.

*Choose Your Carbohydrates Carefully! Which carbohydrates you eat are far more important that how many you eat. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta will cause a spike in your blood sugar.

*Cut Down On Fat Consumption! Try baking, broiling in place of frying, but when you do fry, pat excess grease from the food or use cooking spray. Trim the fat from meats and skin chicken before cooking. Switch to 2% milk and low-fat yogurt, margarine, cheese and sour cream.

*Cut Down On Sugar Consumption! Before your body can start burning fat, it must first burn the sugar in your system. Use honey to sweeten your coffee and tea. For snacks and desserts use naturally sweet fruits and vegetables.

STEP 2-EXERCISE

Exercising burns calories, builds muscle, increases your metabolism and doesn't require joining a gym. It does require putting more movement in your day-to-day life, like taking stairs instead of the elevator and parking further from an entrance, requiring you to walk further.

*Find active ways to have fun such as a trampoline, dancing, jumping rope, biking, skateboarding, skating, swimming, hiking, jogging and running. If these are too

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