Weight Loss: Rid Your Body Of Those Extra Pounds


The only natural way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. So you have several options: You can eat fewer calories, exercise more, or do both. For most people, combining a healthy diet with an increase in exercise is the way to go. People who make exercise and a healthy diet a regular routine tend to keep weight off longer.

If you're trying to lose weight, a balanced vegetarian diet may be an option for you. Some people find that a vegetarian diet forces them to make healthier choices during meal times. However, beware of consuming too many carbohydrates! Keep your pasta and bread intake moderate, otherwise you'll miss out on the benefits of a vegetarian diet.

Part of weight loss is regular elimination. The more rapidly your body can move food and liquid through your system, the less chance it will have to build up and accumulate pounds. Though chemical laxatives are generally a bad idea, a diet very high in fiber (whole-grain products, lots of fruits, vegetables, and of course, plenty of water) will keep one's digestive tract in good working order, which will assist in your weight loss efforts.

One way to keep your weight down, if you enjoy baked goods, is to look wherever possible for ways to lower fat and raise fiber levels in home-baked products. Applesauce makes a very respectable substitute for oil in many cakes and brownies. You can also substitute whole wheat flour for white flour, up to 100% depending on the recipe (the substitution will be invisible in chocolate brownies, by the way). You'll substantially lower calories without affecting the taste of your favorite baked goodies.

Track steps with a pedometer to help you lose weight. A good goal to have when walking is around 10 K steps. For people who already know the number of steps they take daily, they should challenge themselves to do more. Every step will help you stay in shape and lose weight.

When traveling with a baby or a toddler, you should check and see what items would be available on location. You should check with the hotel to see if they have a crib. You can also look into companies that will allow you to rent what you need for the time you are there. This is nice because then you do not have to bring everything that you need with you.

Reward yourself with a treat. If you have been doing a great job of sticking to your diet and exercising regularly, treat yourself. This can mean buying yourself something or maybe even ordering a slice of cheese cake for dessert. Treat yourself once a week or so, just don't go overboard with it.

A great way to lose weight is to volunteer to cook whenever you're going to a family gathering. By volunteering to cook, you won't feel the pressure of having to resort to eating anything unhealthy, and you'll also be doing your friends and family a favor by making a healthy meal for them.

Don't ignore any cravings you have. It is important not to completely ignore your cravings for snacks like ice cream. It is inevitable that unhealthy cravings creep up on you when dieting and can do serious damage to your weight loss program. Practice willpower if you can, but don't deny yourself everything. Instead, try to satisfy the craving by eating low-calorie alternatives.

Work out for weight loss by not working out. A lot of people freeze and give up when they realize that for true sustained weight loss you need to start exercising. Trick your brain into going along with your exercise by not calling it that. Stay away from the gym and get your "work out" in by washing your car, riding a bike, going on a hike, or any of a million other activities that are exercise without being "exercise".

A great way to help you lose weight is to cut out the bun whenever you eat a burger. By cutting out a little bit of carbohydrates from a meal like this, you'll be taking in fewer calories than you normally would. All you have to do is tell them to hold the bun.

Some fad diets recommend Strategies to Lose Fat Successfully you forsake carbohydrates completely. This may not be the optimal idea. Carbs are very important for your body. The key is to consume complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grains rather than simple carbs in the form of sugar and processed foods.

Snack on veggies that are crunchy rather than potato chips. You can dunk them in low-fat salad dressing you like for extra flavor. You will cut out a large amount of unnecessary fat from your diet and get more nutrition in as well.

Always try to keep sugarless gum available. Chewing gum can help suppress your hungry feeling very easily. In some cases, you actually are not hungry, your mouth is just looking for something to do. If you do not like chewing gum, try finding sugarless hard candy that you can use to keep your mouth occupied.

You must find a way to overcome your cravings. Avoid caving into them. Instead of giving into a craving, try to distract yourself or do something to keep you occupied. Giving your teeth a quick brushing may help reduce your appetite. If nothing else seems to be working, try watching something gross or violent on television to end your cravings.

Learn portion control for successful weight loss! Don't overeat! A 3-ounce piece of meat or fish should be the size of a deck of cards or roughly the size of the palm of your hand. A cup of cold cereal, fruit chunks or berries, and popcorn is about the size of a baseball.

Consider drinking a cup of decaf coffee whenever you have a particular food craving. It is great for curbing those cravings and it is a very low in calories as well so you won't have to worry about how much you drink. Coffee is also a great source of antioxidants.

If you love eating pizza, there is a great way to minimize the calories you eat. Simply blot your pizza with a napkin or paper towel; doing so will soak up all the extra grease.

All that is left to do now is get started. The tips above will provide you with a strong basis on which to start on your way to losing weight. It is not an overnight process, so don't get discouraged if you aren't seeing results as quickly as you would like. Just make sure to get up and do something everyday and keep at it and you will start shedding the pounds.