Effective Weight Loss – Your Behavior

The third key to effective weight loss is your behavior. You do have the power to change your behavior. Start making small changes. Experts state that if you do anything for 21 straight days, it becomes habit. Start changing your eating habits today.

Set smart goals … plan on losing 1 – 2 pounds a week. Expect to deviate from your plan. A lot of experts agree that giving your-self “permission to cheat” alleviates all or nothing thinking. It reduces guilt that many people feel when they have deviated from their plan.

Commit Yourself … Know that you’re in this for the long haul. You need to be willing to do whatever it takes to reach your goals. Eating healthy needs to be a lifestyle change.

Track Your Progress … Weight yourself at regular intervals. Keep a journal of what, and when you eat. When you’re writing down what you’re eating, it makes us more aware … and helps us to stay on track.

Reward Yourself … Each time you reach a small goal reward yourself with non-food items. Choose rewards like a long luxurious bubble bath, or a trip to the movies, a massage etc.

Get a Support System … People who have support while losing weight are more successful. Choose someone that you can share your success with as well as tell your secrets too. … Such as I was so mad that I ate the whole gallon of ice cream. Studies have proven that online support systems such as forums at Diet.com and eDiets.com are just as effective as personal support groups.

Leave Food On Your Plate … Get out of the clean plate club. All you’re doing is adding unneeded calories when you eat “just because it’s there.” Adding calories means adding unwanted pounds.

Eat Only When Hungry … Be aware of your body and what it’s telling you. If you’re reaching for food out of boredom, anger, stress, etc … Have an alternative plan. Take a walk, call a friend, clean out your closet etc.

Shop Wisely … Don’t buy foods that you can’t say “No” too. Avoid buying junk foods. Your family doesn’t need the sugar or empty calories any more than you do. If you think your children need sweet snacks daily, ask yourself if you really want them to struggle with their weight their whole lives.

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Effective Weight Loss – How You Eat

You may be wondering what effective weight loss has to do with how you eat. We have 100% complete control of every morsel of food we choose to put in our mouth. It is also our choice of how and when we eat that food.

Eat breakfast. … Getting up and starting your day with out food is like starting your car on empty. Your body has been on a fast for eight to twelve hours. It needs fuel to get up and go.

Eat more often. … Eating small meals or a snack every three hours increases your metabolism. You are keeping your internal “fuel tank” on full for optimal performance. You won’t be starving yourself, so you’re less apt to choose the wrong foods. It’s usually when we feel “starved” that we grab that snickers bar for a quick pick me up.

Eat slowly. … Take smaller bites. It takes up to thirty minutes for your brain to register full. Make the time to sit down and relax to make your meal a pleasurable experience.

Enjoy your food. … Be fully aware of what you are eating. Devour each bite. Take the time to smell and taste your food. You are less likely to truly enjoy your food if you are feeling stressed, depressed angry or experiencing other negative emotions.

Serve food on individual plates. … Serving food “family style” encourages the whole family to overeat. By serving each person on their individual plate you are ensured everyone in your family is getting correct portion sizes.

Eat only at a designated place. … Sit down and appreciate your meal. Make your surroundings as comfortable and peaceful as possible. This will eliminate “closet eating”.

Ambiance. … What’s going on around you? Try to eat with pleasant sounds and activities as often as possible. A pleasant surroundings helps you to relax and enjoy your meal.

Avoid Mindless Eating. … Don’t eat while standing up. Don’t read watch TV, play on your computer or talk on the phone while eating. Abstain from eating while driving as much as possible.

DON’T STARVE yourself. … This does nothing to help you achieve your goal and can actually hurt your efforts. It’s just like running your car on empty. It spits and sputters and does not get you where you want to go. Eat too little and you will lower your metabolism. Food is our energy. We need it to live and to be healthy.

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Keys to Effective Weight Loss – What You Eat

The first key to effective weight loss is to be aware of what you eat. Find foods from each food group that you like. Eat a variety of foods to avoid getting bored eating the same thing day after day.

Choose your weight loss plan carefully. You will not stick to a plan that has you eating foods you don’t like. Nor one that restricts or eliminates foods that you do. You can choose any weight loss program that will help you to obtain your desired weight without sacrificing your health. Be sure to have your physician monitor your health while you are losing weight.

No matter how much we’d like to change it …. The fact is: Eat more calories gain weight – Eat less calories Lose Weight. 3500 calories equals one pound of fat lost (or gained). This is the one common factor in ALL weight loss programs from Atkins to Zone. Decrease your caloric intake by 500 calories per day to lose one pound per week. Calories are the energy in food. Our bodies need this energy to function properly.

What we eat can affect what we think and feel. Protein helps our concentration and our memory. Carbs can make us feel happy and secure.

If you know it’s going to be a while before you eat again choose your meal wisely. Proteins take up to four hours to digest. Fat takes up to six hours to digest. Carbs only take up to two hours.

Unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains help you to feel full while consuming fewer calories. Lean meat and poultry gives our bodies protein. High fiber foods help us to feel full sooner and slow down our digestion rate. One serving of whole grain can be just as filling as two servings of its white counterpart.

Cut down on sugar and refined grains. Refined grains like white rice and bread have most of their fiber stripped away. And like sugar increases our insulin level. This fools our body into thinking that energy is readily available. Our bodies then start storing fat instead of burning it.

Read labels. Be careful of added sugar in soft drinks, tea, coffee etc. Also watch out for “fat free” products, as they are often high in sugar.

Our bodies need protein, fat and carbs to function properly. For effective weight loss you need to learn eat a healthy balance. Learn to incorporate a diet of low calorie foods that fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied. Eat a variety of foods to keep your diet from becoming tedious and boring.

Bottom line; learn to fill up on great tasting low calorie foods. Cut down on refined grains and sugars. Cut down on high calorie foods. This can be easily accomplished by saying “no thanks” to that second helping, by skipping that morning latte, eating a salad instead of that high calorie hamburger at your favorite fast food joint. The secret is to cut-down, not eliminate.

DO NOT DEPRIVE YOURSELF. Eating should be an enjoyable experience. Don’t get hung up on foods that are allowed or disallowed. You can eat anything in moderation to achieve and maintain your desired weight.

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