Even more tips to lose weight
If you are serious about wanting to lose weight, you must remember that you did not gain that extra weight over night. Just as you have added the weight over a certain period of time, you will have to lose it the same way.
Losing weight slowly is not only healthier to your body, it is also more do-able. Looking in the mirror and feeling all depressed because you have to lose twenty pounds is not going to help you. Writing down the small steps you can take to lose weight is pro-active and can really help you to reach your ideal weight.
It is much easier to focus on a few small changes, than starting with the most severe diet that will have you binging on anything in sight within two days. Here are five tips to lose weight. They are easy to stick to and will help you to get rid of those unwanted pounds.
1. Eat breakfast.
Eating breakfast will help you to get your metabolism started in the morning, raise your blood sugars and keep you satisfied right up to lunch time. Don't have fried sausages and bacon with French fries though. A good example of a proper breakfast is two slices of whole wheat toast, a small, sugar free yoghurt and a piece of fruit. You can also have a bowl of oatmeal porridge with half a glass of milk and a few raisins as sweetener.
2. Drink water.
It often happens that we confuse thirst for hunger. Our bodies need water for a lot of functions so it is important to be well hydrated. It is really not that hard drinking 8 glasses of water if you spread it out during the day. The next time you feel hungry first go and drink a glass of water. If you are still hungry after twenty minutes, drink a cup of sugar less tea. Of course if you feel that you are going to faint, have something to eat,. But make it something healthy, like an apple.
3. No alcohol.
People who are serious about losing weight should try and avoid drinking alcohol, it is just not worth the calories. Added to that, there is no nutrional value in alcohol. The odd glass of wine is okay every once and a while after you have reached your target weight. In the meantime, stick to soda or mineral water with a slice of lemon. You can lose a lot of weight by avoiding alcohol and you will also feel more energetic and alert.
4. Plan a sweet treat.
It is really hard not eating something sweet and delicious when you try to lose weight. Sometimes you just feel that you deserve a piece of chocolate or an ice cream or a slice of cake or a muffin and in the end you have gained weight and not lost it. Know that you are going to crave something and plan for it. You can tell yourself for example, "I am not having anything sweet to eat, but on Sunday morning I will have three blocks of chocolate as a reward for keeping to my diet during the week."
Enjoy your treat without any guilty feelings and make it last. You are not going to have another treat for a whole week. In time you will notice that you are not counting the hours and minutes anymore to have that piece of chocolate.
5. Do not snack in the evening.
A calorie is a calorie and our bodies do not say okay, everything eaten after six o'clock in the evening get turned straight into fat. We are however less active during the evening and our digestive system starts to slow down.
Having a cut off time for eating will help you to plan your meals better and help you sleep more soundly during the night. And honestly, how often does it happen that we do not eat enough during the day. After a light supper and tea or coffee afterwards, go and brush your teeth, and do not eat anything anymore. It is finally time for your stomach to have a rest and your metabolism to get into sleep mode.
Some of these weight loss tips will be easier to carry out than others. Keep in mind that the weight is not going to disappear overnight. If you want to lose weight, you are going to have to work at it.
Losing that first pound will be encouragement to lose the second pound and the second pound will lead it to the third. If you really want to lose the weight, you can and will lose it.