Weight Loss Tips

You know you are experiencing difficult dieting schedule, but do not know how to stop it! Weight Loss Tips It is time to get your balance back.

Loosing Weight doesn't have to be a torture, it has to be a pleasure. The following tips will help you lose weight in a healthy and pleasurable way.

Last Updated -6th July 2006

Tips

Find out how many calories you need BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
(Body Weight (lb) x 15) + (moderate activity (mins/day) x 3.5) = BMR in kcal
Since you wish to lose weight, deduct you BMR by 500 kcal
For instance, you weigh 140 lb and you perform 20 mins of moderate activity every day. BMR of this example = (140 x 15) + (20 x 3.5) = 2100 + 70 = 2800 kcal. BMR minus 500kcal; it would be 2800 - 500 = 2300 kcal. Therefore 2300 kcal is the target in this example to losing 1 lb per week.
Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
Fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial fibers and nutrients. They fill up your stomach fast so you feel full earlier. They are also low in calories and helps to keep your calorie count low.
Watch for Portion Size - One serving of pasta means 1/2 cup of cooked pasta. However, most restaurants serve a pasta dish with 4 servings of pasta!!! You do not need to finish and clean off the plate every time. You can simply ask to take home the leftover.
Do not Skip Meals - Eating small frequent meals help to balance your calorie intake throughout the day and also keeps your blood sugar level balanced. Instead of eating 3 big meals, try to eat 5 - 6 smaller meals throughout the day.
Go for wholesome fresh foods - If possible, purchase fresh foods and avoid package (processed) and convenient foods such as fast food. Packaged and convenient foods are often higher in sodium and fat content. Many people we spoke to are amazed that they can easily lose weight by packing a home-cooked lunch to work instead of eating out.
Don't be overly-restrictive - Everyone has his or her favorite treats. Simply allow yourself a little indulgence, but watch out for the frequency and the quantity. Having a small treat once in a while can be rewarding to your weight loss experience. Cutting too much of your favorite treats usually lead to an early relapse.
Understand Food Claims and Labels - A product labeled with a fat-free claim does not mean that it is low in calories. Similarly a product labeled as low-sugar or low-carb does not mean it is low in fat or calories. Always read the nutrition label on the packaging.
Watch for the sugary drinks - Juices, pop, cream & sugar in your coffee or tea all add up. Opt for drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. In addition to providing hydration to your body, it will also help you feel full.
Keep a food journal - Keeping a food journal helps you pin point your eating pattern and will enable you to easily modify it. If possible, have your Registered Dietitian review your journal.
Exercise - Most authorities recommend 30 - 60 minutes of physical activity a day to stay healthy. Also try adding weight-bearing exercises at least 2 times a week. This will help burn some of the unwanted calories.
Increase your protein intake - When you start losing weight, your body tends to break down muscles to meet its energy requirements. This results in slower metabolism and hence weight loss becomes difficult. But increasing your protein intake will prevent the breakdown of the muscles. Besides, it leads to secretion of glucagon that helps in liberation of the energy stored in the body.
Eat frequently - Smaller meals provide constant flow of nutrients to the body. You will not experience hunger pangs, thus keeping you away from fattening foods. Besides, it prevents the catabolism or breakdown of muscle when your body’s calorie level goes down.
Eat more green leafy vegetables - Increasing your protein intake will make your diet highly acidic. This will make your blood more acidic, which can lead to diseases like gout, arthritis and cardiovascular diseases. To counteract this condition, be sure to include more green leafy vegetables in your diet.
Include starches after your workout - Though foods like green vegetables, fruits and beans should form the major portion of your diet, there is no need to avoid starches like potatoes, rice and pasta. You can eat them after your workout when your body is in need of instant energy.
Include more of nutrient rich foods - Major part of your diet should consist of foods that are rich in nutrients but not calories. These foods will keep you full longer without making you fat. Some examples are Cabbage, spinach, lettuce, and broccoli.
Keep well hydrated - Dehydration tire you out mentally and physically. Besides, your metabolism goes down when you are dehydrated. So ensure you drink at least 2 liters of water daily. Increase your intake if you are either physically active or live in hot, humid climate.
Do not decrease your fat intake below optimum - In weight loss, it is important to decrease your fat intake, but the fats that you should cut down on are the saturated fats found in dairy and animal products. Your intake of polyunsaturated fats obtained from nuts and fish and monounsaturated fats obtained from olive oil should not fall below the recommended levels.
Stay away from unplanned snacks - If you have not made any plans for including a snack in your daily meal plan, avoid it as the calories can pile up very quickly. This can upset your weight loss goals.
Plan your meals in advance - An essential part of any weight loss program is maintenance of food journal. This will help you check your progress so that you can adjust your plan on regular basis. Besides, this will help you in snacking less.
Take adequate amounts of protein - For every pound you weigh, take 1 to 1.25 grams of protein. Besides, being low in calories, it will keep you full for a long time.
Keep your house clean of junk foods - If there are no bad temptations like candies, chips, sugary snacks and other processed foods at home, you will not be tempted to eat them.
Read labels on the food items - While purchasing foods from the supermarket, read the labels very carefully. Besides focusing on the usual ingredients like carbohydrates, fats and proteins, look at the amount of sodium and sugar it contains. Most of these foods have hidden amounts of sodium and sugars like monosodium glutamate and corn starch. These can add more calories to the item.
Get a good night’s sleep - Though it is tempting to stay up late watching all the soaps and movies on television or party late, it is not good for your body. Research indicates that people who get less than 5 hours of sleep daily, tend to store more body fat as compared to people who get their daily quota of full night’s sleep.
Increase your non exercise activities - Simple activities like parking your car a block away from the shop, climbing stairs, getting two stops away from your destination and walking will ensure that your body burns more calories and aid your fat loss.