by Jan Ferrante These are methods that I have used personally to lose weight.
Some of these habits are easier than others.
If you are starting out, you may want to add each new habit slowly.
None of these weight loss tips will show results over night. But over time, you will start to see a difference.
You will start to feel a difference even faster.
You will notice first that the bloated feeling you've become accustomed to is gone.
You'll find yourself having more energy and feeling a little more inclined to take on life's challenges because you will feel in control of your self. At least that was my experience Smile
* Drink water every day. Get a water bottle of your own or get in the habit of getting a glass of water and taking it to your desk. And refilling when you get up. If you can't stomach plain water at first, add a bit of your favourite juice. I like to add grape, blueberry or a cranberry blend. Just be sure that it is not a fruit punch that is loaded with sugar, make it pure juice, and aim to wean yourself from it if you can due to the high acid content – and extra calories. Better to get your fruit from real fruit and smoothies or your own freshly juiced fruit and veggie blends.
* Have a structured exercise program – do an intense work out 3 times per week. Interval training is the absolute best way to do this. Walk a minimum of every other day. This not only gets your body moving and the blood circulating, an absolute must for good health – it is a very effective stress reducer and gets you out in nature. The health benefits are huge and you will do some of your best thinking. Or buddy up and have some fun and camaraderie.
* Read the calorie label before you eat. You will be amazed how many times it turns you off of a high calorie snack that you were getting ready to indulge in. And become a label reader when you are grocery shopping. You will be shocked and amazed at what you thought were good food choices.
* Let's not and say we did. Say it out loud. Staring in the cupboard, tempted to eat those cookies that are staring you in the face? In 5 minutes you'll forget you ate them. Walk away now and you will not know the difference in 5 minutes either – but you will know it by your waistline if you do it often enough.
* Cut out dead foods. Eat more live foods. Simple. If it doesn't pack a nutritional punch – don't eat it. You can do this easily by incorporating smoothies into your daily plan. The variety is endless, it doesn't always have to be the same. Also growing your own sprouts and making your own fruit and veggie juice can be a huge boost. Think Salads, Juicing and Smoothies. Holly Rigsby of Fit Yummy Mummy (I bought her program and LOVE it) says be sure to have Protein and Produce at every meal. I totally agree. It's the formula to good eating habits. Be choosy about your carbs. They are necessary but be sure that they are high fibre and nutritious, not empty, processed foods. Watch the condiments, they are an amazingly huge source of calories. Try cutting your favourite salad dressing with plain yogurt, or even a bit of milk.
* Keep a food diary in a small notebook. Record everything you eat, every day. Also have a space for any emotional feelings, thoughts or tips, and a checklist to record if you drank your water and did your exercise/walk. It's not as hard as it sounds and there are a few advantages.
o It's easy to see patterns, both good and bad.
o Sometimes you won't eat too much simply because you don't want to write it down, it is a method of accountability.
o It's fun to check off your accomplishments, and it is easy to see if you are on track and where you need to pick up the pace.
o It helps you to create your own personal plan that you can review anytime you want.
* Get enough rest. If you are tired, not only is your body slowing down, but you are less likely to do what you need to do to stay on track. This includes not only sleep time, but down time. If you are rushing your life away, look at what you can cut out. Seriously.
* Have some fun. Reduce stress. Exercise will help you with this. Better yet, find an activity that you enjoy such as biking or skating and get a double whammy with your leisure time. Did you know that stress releases a hormone that will actually make it harder for you to lose weight.
* Cut down on coffee. Not only does it dehydrate you, which causes your cells to be less effective at processing the fat out, (really!) it causes irritability and stress, which also creates problems – both physically and mentally. Switch to half caff and then cut down on the number of coffees you have in a day. Try switching up for water. Sometimes we go for tea or coffee when we are just thirsty. You might be surprised when the world suddenly seems a better place and you have more energy, not less.
* Prepare your food ahead when possible. Having healthy and low calorie snacks available is half the battle. We usually grab what is easy, why do you think we like cookies so much? Process your groceries when you get home – wash and prepare those veggies, make ahead serving size containers of things like yogurt and cottage cheese You'd think that putting it in a bowl wouldn't be so hard, but watch yourself and you will see that you will almost always go for easy – so make it easy. If all else fails, buy prepared veggies, at least until you get in the habit of snacking on them. There is a great variety out there these days.
* Get a support group. Join a gym or hook up with a group who's purpose is to provide support and community with a common goal. This is one of the major cornerstones to any successful weight loss program, at least it is for me. I know perfectly well what to do, and I am even a person who enjoys exercising. But my success rate goes up 10x or more if I am involved in a group instead of winging it myself. It's just more fun for one thing, and very motivating to see others succeed.
* Weigh or measure yourself weekly. No more than that. If your pant size is steadily falling, you don't even need to do it at all. But you may need to get new pants! Be aware that the scale is not an accurate measure of your progress because muscle weighs more than fat, and you my dear, will be building up that health giving, metabolism boosting muscle!
* Take food supplements. Vitamins can actually load up your liver and elimination systems and many of them off the shelf have already lost some of their effectiveness. Food supplements like green powder or liquid and EFA oils are whole and processed more readily into your body where you need it and work well to supplement were your diet may be lacking. And they are easy to sneak into a smoothie, a big plus when you are trying to get your kids to take them!
* Eliminate alcohol. Not only does it reduce your metabolism, it often results in eating more because food tastes better and you don't have the same judgement and self control. And of course, your body burns it before any food you have eaten, it's like compound interest - in reverse.
* Look at it as a lifestyle change. Changing your habits will allow long term success. This isn't a one shot deal, it's your life.
This list is one that I created while I was having great success in a spring weight loss challenge that I participated in.
I lost 10 stubborn pounds that I had battled with for years.
Each tip works together. I find that neglecting even one reduces my weight loss efforts.
If you want a summarized PRINTABLE COPY to use at a glance, you can get one at the link below.
You can also see more info about Fit Yummy Mummy, the online program I am loving to support me in healthy weight loss and lifestyle.
It truly is a lifestyle. Lots of support, no diets, no gimmicks, just lasting change.
I'm eating lasagna right now, really! (and I've lost 2 inches over the past month!)
Can't beat that. Yumm!
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Contributor's Note
This article was originally written for my Healthy Habits blog inspired by my recent success during another spring fitness challenge - be bikini ready in 12 weeks!
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