1. Make a food diary and list out your poor eating habits. Then think of alternatives
that will work best for you. Remember that your daily eating habits contributes
to weight gain. Make small and gradual changes and you will really be surprised
to see the results. Promise yourself not to revert to that old habit again.
2. Set small realistic goals and reward yourself to stay motivated.
When you set big goals and do not meet them you easily get discouraged. Remember
not to reward yourself with a box of cookies or chocolates loaded with fat.
Instead gift a book or some fashion accessory. It will really work wonders
for you.
3. Include exercise in your daily routine. Choose any form that
is convenient for you. For example you may pick up anything among walking,
jogging or swimming. Make it fun by exercising with a friend or even listening
to music. But do not overdo. Over-trained muscles get injured easily and they
feel sore for a considerable time after a workout. The body becomes susceptible
and falls prey to frequent illnesses. Take adequate amount of rest. You should
preferably consult a trained instructor about your schedule.
4. Prepare most of your meals at home and even carry your lunch
to work. Include fresh and healthy stuff like whole grains, fruits and vegetables
as far as possible. When you cook at home you can add the ingredients according
to your body's requirements and also you are sure of the contents. So avoid
eating out often. Remember eating at McDonald's even twice a week can heavily
add to those pounds.
5. Cook as much as is required for your family. In other words
do not keep leftovers. If you make more it is best to keep them aside in the
refrigerator before you sit down to eat. In this way you can avoid indulging
in them.
6. Buy cookies and snack items in single serving packages so that you can restrict
yourself. Take a look at the labels and be sure of the nutrient value before
you purchase them.
7. What you drink during the day can drastically add to your calories. So choose
your drinks carefully. Avoid those that are loaded with useless calories. For
example both soda and alcohol contain useless calories and should be strictly
avoided. Even pure orange or apple juice is bad because they contain lots of
calories. Tea, coffee and diet soft drinks help cut calories. Of course water
is the best bet. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Recent reports recommend
that a healthy person should drink 60+ ounces of water in a day. It is not only
essential for all your bodily functions especially during weight loss but it
will help curb your appetite and make you feel fuller. Carry a bottle of water
with you and drink it frequently throughout the day.
8. Hunger is perhaps the body's strongest stimuli. Do not allow yourself to
be too hungry because the hungrier you are the less control you have over your
eating. Always try to eat some healthy, filling food before you get too hungry.
This may seem ridiculous to one who is trying to cut down on calories. But the
overeating you indulge in when you are hungry is far more damaging to your weight
loss efforts than eating regulated amounts throughout the day.
9. Avoid having three big meals in a day. Instead split it up into five or
six smaller meals. Recent researches indicate that eating smaller and frequent
meals will help you speed up your body's metabolism and you will never have
to worry about those excess pounds again.
10. Your meals should contain a mix of nutrients particularly slow to digest
foods. For example proteins and fats are much slower to digest than carbohydrates.
While carbohydrates leave your stomach in just around two hours, proteins take
approximately four hours and fats as long as six hours to digest.
Page 1 of 1
Recent Articles 
Email 
Discuss  Print
Subscribe
More Stories:
 Slow Down Adulthood Weight Gain
Comfort Foods Made Healthier
The Magic Diet
Understanding Protein
Weight Management
View Complete List of
Articles
|
Get
Your Free Profile Analysis