Quickstart to Weight Loss in 7 Easy Steps
June 13, 2011 Healthy Living, Weight Management
You’ll find a plethora of published information about losing weight and getting a healthier, more slender body.
To get a start, there are some straightforward methods that you can do on your own to help you get a slimmer body.
Let’s take a closer look at these simple steps:
1. Do not starve your self.
Our bodies have an instinctual response to drastically reduced food intake. This goes back to our ancestral times, where famines and food shortages were common. The body gets very efficient, and holds onto to stored energy we have (fat) as long as possible. Once you begin eating normally again, the weight you may have lost is gained back quickly. In order to lose weight permanently, quick weight loss diets have proven not to work.
2. Eat Breakfast
Eating breakfast can help you lose more weight. Our busy demanding lifestyles can make it easy for us to skip eating breakfast. If you have a good breakfast it can help to get your metabolism going for the day and help you lose more fat.
3. Graze, eat more frequent smaller meals.
Try eating five much smaller meals each day. You may find that it can keep your energy up and help you burn more calories.
4. Drink lots of water.
You need water for the health of your cells, and to help your metabolism work more efficiently. Water can also help to make you feel fuller for longer, and to help you avoid over eating.
5. Avoid added sugar in your foods.
Focus your nutrition on healthy lean meats and protein rich foods, vegetables and fruits and some whole grains. Processed sweeteners and sugars are best avoided when eating to lose weight. Natural whole fruit is the best choice for sugars.
6. Keep an eye on your fat intake.
Fat is not the culprit to being overweight. You need healthy, natural fats in your diet to keep your weight at the proper level. Fats that need to be avoided are highly processed trans fats and hydrogenated oils. In addition look to get more omega-3 fats in your diet. Most people have insufficient omega-3 fats which come from foods such as tuna, salmon and mackerel.
7. Exercise.
Leave your car if you are only going a few blocks from home, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, cycle or skate. Use these activities and other home chores. Make sure that you do this regularly and you will not even notice that you are already shedding pounds with these every day activities.
These simple strategies can jump start any program to reduce weight.