I see a lot of articles on the internet that start with phrases like 10 Secret Tips You Should Know” etc etc So I tried to think of 10 things about losing weight that I have learned over the years, and here is what I came up with.1 An idea for home is to get yourself some smaller plates. We all like to fill our plates at dinner and the larger the plate, the more we will tend to eat. By having a smaller plate you may be able to train yourself to eat smaller portions of your favorite foods and still feel satisfied.
2 don’t skip breakfast. This can slow down your metabolism and your body will want to store more food as fat. Also you will be starving by lunchtime and will tend to lose any benefit from eating less earlier. Get a variety of high fiber cereals or breakfast bars with low sugar content. This is going to give you more energy, help your digestion and help you feel full until lunch time.
3 Drink lots of water instead of soda or juice. There are no calories in it, it makes you feel full and you won’t be thirsty. In addition water will help you flush toxins from your system and help with weight loss.
4 Get out and exercise even if you are stuck behind a desk. You may not always have time to go to a gym to burn calories but you can take a stretch break every so often and walk around a bit. Try parking farther away from the office and walking to work. This might save on parking fees also. You can do isometric stretches at your desk or a push up or 10 if you have your own space. When you have to move between floors try walking the stairs instead of riding the elevator. I use 3 up and 3 down as a general rule.
5 Because you are on a diet doesn’t have to stop going out. As you look and feel better you will want to go out more anyway. Just make different choices. Try club soda or tonic water instead of a beer. They look like mixed drinks and as the night wears on you will still be more in control of your actions. That’s why it’s called a beer belly isn’t it?
6 Take your own lunch to work. You are then in control of how many calories you have and it will save you from running out and getting a greasy burger and fries when you get hungry.
7 Find a diet and/or exercise partner. It is much easier to stay on target with some support. Like the theory behind AA or OA have their phone number handy and be willing to talk to each other when you feel like breaking your commitment to change the bad eating habits you got into.
8 Many people keep a diary of what they eat and the number of calories. As soon as you finish eating write it all down, keep it for two weeks then divide by 14. When you have a baseline try to reduce it by 10% over the next two weeks. It gives you another way to check your progress. Try it. It might be fun.
9 Make an effort to stay away from canned goods or processed foods. Just because they write healthy on the package, doesn’t always make it nutritious for you. They are usually loaded with salt, fat and calories. If the contents sound appetizing, you can make the same thing at home pretty easily, and from natural ingredients. Homemade almost always tastes better anyway.
10 Try to eat dinner earlier than later. You should not have anything after 8:00 PM because you won’t have time to digest your food properly before bed time. Your metabolism is low when you sleep, and if you are digesting your meal as you sleep your body produces more insulin which causes your body to store food as fat.
And don’t just flop on the couch after dinner. Get in at least a little activity to help digestion along.
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