Tips To Lose Weight

Write down what you eat for one week and you will lose weight

1. Studies found that people who keep food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who dont. Watch out for weekends: A University of North Carolina study found people tend to consume an extra 115 calories per weekend day, primarily from alcohol and fat. Then cut out or down calories from spreads, dressings, sauces, condiments, drinks, and snacks; they could make the difference between weight gain and loss. .....

Add 10 percent to the amount of daily calories you think youre eating

2. If you think youre consuming 1,700 calories a day and dont understand why youre not losing weight, add another 170 calories to your guesstimate. Chances are, the new number is more accurate. Adjust your eating habits accordingly. .....

Get an online weight loss buddy to lose more weight

3. A University of Vermont study found that online weight loss buddies help you keep the weight off. The researchers followed volunteers for 18 months. Those assigned to an Internet based weight maintenance program sustained their weight loss better than those who met face to face in a support group. .....

Get a mantra

4. Youve heard of a self fulfilling prophecy? If you keep focusing on things you cant do, like resisting junk food or getting out the door for a daily walk, chances are you wont do them. Instead (whether you believe it or not) repeat positive thoughts to yourself. I can lose weight. I will get out for my walk today. I know I can resist the pastry cart after dinner. Repeat these phrases and before too long, they will become true for you. .....

After breakfast stick to water

5. At breakfast, go ahead and drink orange juice. But throughout the rest of the day, focus on water instead of juice or soda. The average American consumes an extra 245 calories a day from soft drinks. Thats nearly 90,000 calories a year or 25 pounds! And research shows that despite the calories, sugary drinks dont trigger a sense of fullness the way that food does. .....

Eat three fewer bites of your meal

6. one less treat a day, or one less glass of orange juice. Doing any of these can save you about 100 calories a day, and that alone is enough to prevent you from gaining the two pounds most people mindlessly pack on each year. .....

Watch one less hour of TV

7. A study of 76 undergraduate students found the more they watched television, the more often they ate and the more they ate overall. Sacrifice one program (theres probably one you dont really want to watch anyway) and go for a walk instead. .....

Wash something thoroughly once a week

8. Whether thats a floor, a couple of windows, the shower stall, bathroom tile, or your car, a 150 pound person will burn about four calories for every minute spent cleaning. Scrub for 30 minutes and you could work off approximately 120 calories, the same number in a half cup of vanilla frozen yogurt. .....

Wait until your stomach rumbles before you reach for food

9. Its stunning how often we eat out of boredom, nervousness, habit, or frustration so often, in fact, that many of us have actually forgotten what physical hunger feels like. If youre hankering for a specific food, its probably a craving, not hunger. If youd eat anything you could get your hands on, chances are youre truly hungry. Find ways other than eating to express love, tame stress, and relieve boredom. .....

Sniff a banana an apple or a peppermint when you feel hungry

10. You might feel silly, but it works. When Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, tried this with 3,000 volunteers, he found that the more frequently people sniffed, the less hungry they were and the more weight they lost an average of 30 pounds each. One theory is that sniffing the food tricks the brain into thinking youre actually eating it. .....

The color blue suppresses appetites

11. Theres a good reason you wont see many fast food restaurants decorated in blue: it functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating. .....

Eat in front of mirrors and youll lose weight

12. One study found that eating in front of mirrors slashed the amount people ate by nearly one third. Having to look yourself in the eye reflects back some of your own inner standards and goals, and reminds you of why youre trying to lose weight in the first place. .....

Spend 10 minutes a day walking up and down stairs

13. The Centers for Disease Control says thats all it takes to help you shed as much as 10 pounds a year (assuming you dont start eating more). .....

Walk five minutes for at least every two hours

14. Stuck at a desk all day? A brisk five minute walk every two hours will parlay into an extra 20 minute walk by the end of the day. And getting a break will make you less likely to reach for snacks out of antsiness. .....

Youll lose weight and fat if you walk 45 minutes a day not 30

15. The reason were suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that a Duke University study found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300 calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how much youre ea .....

Dont buy any prepared food

16. that lists sugar, fructose, or corn syrup among the first four ingredients on the label. You should be able to find a lower sugar version of the same type of food. If you cant, grab a piece of fruit instead! Look for sugar free varieties of foods such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and salad dressing. Also, avoid partially hydrogenated foods, and look for more than two grams of fiber per 100 calories in all grain products. Finally, a short ingredient li .....

Put your fork or spoon down between every bite

17. At the table, sip water frequently. Intersperse your eating with stories for your dining partner of the amusing things that happened during your day. Your brain lags your stomach by about 20 minutes when it comes to satiety (fullness) signals. If you eat slowly enough, your brain will catch up to tell you that you are no longer in need of food. .....

Throw out your fat clothes for good

18. Once youve started losing weight, throw out or give away every piece of clothing that doesnt fit. The idea of having to buy a whole new wardrobe if you gain the weight back will serve as a strong incentive to stay fit. .....

Close the kitchen for 12 hours

19. After dinner, wash all the dishes, wipe down the counters, turn out the light, and, if necessary, tape closed the cabinets and refrigerator. Late evening eating significantly increases the overall number of calories you eat, a University of Texas study found. Stopping late night snacking can save 300 or more calories a day, or 31 pounds a year. .....

Walk before dinner and youll cut calories AND your appetite

20. In a study of 10 obese women conducted at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, 20 minutes of walking reduced appetite and increased sensations of fullness as effectively as a light meal. .....

Make one social outing this week an active one

21. Pass on the movies and screen the views of a local park instead. Not only will you sit less, but youll be saving calories because you wont chow down on that bucket of popcorn. Other active ideas: a tennis match, a guided nature or city walk (check your local listings), a bike ride, or bowling. .....

Put less food out and youll take less in

22. Conversely, the more food in front of you, the more youll eat regardless of how hungry you are. So instead of using regular dinner plates that range these days from 10 to 14 inches (making them look empty if theyre not heaped with food), serve your main course on salad plates (about 7 to 9 inches wide). Instead of 16 ounce glasses and oversized coffee mugs, return to the old days of 8 ounce glasses and 6 ounce coffee cups. .....

Eat 90 percent of your meals at home

23. Youre more likely to eat more and eat more high fat, high calorie foods when you eat out than when you eat at home. Restaurants today serve such large portions that many have switched to larger plates and tables to accommodate them. .....

Serve food on your plate instead of on platters

24. If you eat your dinner restaurant style on your plate rather than family style, helping yourself from bowls and platters on the table, youll lose weight. Most of us tend to eat an average of 150 percent more calories in the evening than in the morning. Youll avoid that now because when your plate is empty, youre finished; theres no reaching for seconds. .....

Dont eat with a large group

25. A study published in the Journal of Physiological Behavior found that we tend to eat more when we eat with other people, most likely because we spend more time at the table. But eating with your significant other or your family, and using table time for talking in between chewing, can help cut down on calories. .....

Order the smallest portion of everything

26. If youre out and ordering a sub, get the 6 inch sandwich. Buy a small popcorn, a small salad, a small hamburger. Again, studies find we tend to eat whats in front of us, even though wed feel just as full on less. .....

Eat water rich foods and youll eat fewer calories overall

27. A body of research out of Pennsylvania State University finds that eating water rich foods such as zucchini, tomatoes, and cucumbers during meals reduces your overall calorie consumption. Other water rich foods include soups and salads. You wont get the same benefits by just drinking your water, though. Because the body processes hunger and thirst through different mechanisms, it simply doesnt register a sense of fullness with water (or soda, tea .....

Bulk up your meals with veggies

28. You can eat twice as much pasta salad loaded with veggies like broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes for the same calories as a pasta salad sporting just mayonnaise. Same goes for stir fries, omelets, and other veggie friendly dishes. If you eat a 1:1 ratio of grains to veggies, the high fiber veggies will help satisfy your hunger before you overeat the grains. .....

Avoid white foods

29. There is some scientific legitimacy to todays lower carb diets: Large amounts of simple carbohydrates from white flour and added sugar can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and lead to weight gain. While avoiding sugar, white rice, and white flour, however, you should eat plenty of whole grain breads and brown rice. One Harvard study of 74,000 women found that those who ate more than two daily servings of whole grains were 49 percent less likely to .....

Switch to ordinary coffee

30. Fancy coffee drinks from trendy coffee joints often pack several hundred calories, thanks to whole milk, whipped cream, sugar, and sugary syrups. A cup of regular coffee with skim milk has just a small fraction of those calories. And when brewed with good beans, it tastes just as great. You can also try nonfat powdered milk in coffee. Youll get the nutritional benefits of skim milk, which is high in calcium and low in calories. And, because the w .....

If youre going to indulge choose fat releasing foods

31. They should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher calorie foods. For instance: honey has just 64 fat releasing calories in one tablespoon. Eggs have just 70 calories in one hard boiled egg, loaded with fat releasing protein. Part skim ricotta cheese has just 39 calories in one ounce, packed with fat releasing calcium. Dark chocolate has about 168 calories in a one ounce square, but its packed with fat releasers. And a Universi .....

Here s how to enjoy high calorie foods

32. Make a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown. Cut down on the chips by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling fresh salsa, suggests Jeff Novick, director of nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Florida. Balance a little cheese with a lot of fruit or salad. .....

Eat cereal for breakfast five days a week

33. Studies find that people who eat cereal for breakfast every day are significantly less likely to be obese and have diabetes than those who dont. They also consume more fiber and calcium and less fat than those who eat other breakfast foods. Make oatmeal, or pour out a high fiber, low sugar cereal like Total or Grape Nuts. .....

Hot sauce salsa and Cajun seasonings

34. provide lots of flavor with no fat and few calories plus they turn up your digestive fires causing your body to temporarily burn more calories. Choose them over butter and creamy or sugary sauces. .....

Eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juice

35. For the calories in one kid size box of apple juice, you can enjoy an apple, orange, and a slice of watermelon. These whole foods will keep you satisfied much longer than that box of apple juice, so youll eat less overall. .....

Drop your milk type and you cut calories by about 20 percent

36. If you drink regular, go to 2%. If you already drink 2%, go down another notch to 1% or skim milk. Each step downward cuts the calories by about 20 percent. Once you train your taste buds to enjoy skim milk, youll have cut the calories in the whole milk by about half and trimmed the fat by more than 95 percent. .....

Snack on a small handful of nuts

37. Studies have found that overweight people who ate a moderate fat diet containing almonds lost more weight than a control group that didnt eat nuts. Snacking once or twice a day helps stave off hunger and keeps your metabolism stoked. You can also pack up baby carrots or your own trail mix with nuts, raisins, seeds, and dried fruit. .....

Get most of your calories before noon

38. Studies find that the more you eat in the morning, the less youll eat in the evening. And you have more opportunities to burn off those early day calories than you do to burn off dinner calories. .....

Brush your teeth after every meal especially dinner

39. That clean, minty freshness will serve as a cue to your body and brain that mealtime is over. .....

Eat When Hungry

40. Dont be hungry. The most common mistake when starting a low carb diet: Reducing carb intake while still being afraid of fat. The problem is that carbs and fat are the bodys two main energy sources. It needs at least one. .....

Eat Real Food

41. Another common mistake when eating a low carb diet is getting fooled by the creative marketing of special low carb products. Remember: An effective low carb diet for weight loss should be based on real food. .....

Men Avoid Drinking Beer

42. This applies to women too, but men drink more beer on average. Beer contains rapidly digested carbs that shut down fat burning. Thats why beer is sometimes referred to as liquid bread . Theres a good reason for the term beer belly. .....

Review Any Medications

43. Many prescription drugs can stall your weight loss. Discuss any change in treatment with your doctor. Here are the worst three Insulin injections, especially at higher doses,are probably the worst obstacle for weight loss. There are three ways to reduce your need for insulin A. Eat less carbs, which makes it a easier to lose weight. The less carbs you eat the less insulin you need. Remember to lower your doses if you can. B. If this isnt enough, .....

Supplement vitamins and minerals

44. Your body needs a certain amount of essential vitamins and minerals to function properly. What happens when you dont get enough of them? What happens when you eat too little food, or when the food you eat isnt sufficiently nutritious? Perhaps our bodies catch on and reply by increasing hunger levels. After all if we eat more, we increase the chances of consuming enough of whatever nutrient we are lacking. On the other hand, reliable access to v .....

Get Your Hormones Checked

45. So youve followed the previous tips, implemented major lifestyle changes and established that neither medication nor vitamin deficiency is an issue. Youve even tried being in optimal ketosis for a while (ensuring low insulin levels). And you still cant hit the normal weight mark?If this applies to you, its high time to consider the possibility that hormonal imbalances are the cause of your troubles. There are three common problem areas. .....

Exercise smart

46. Do you wonder why this weight loss tip doesnt show up until number 13 on the list? Its because few things are so overrated for weight loss as exercise is.Have you ever watched The Biggest Loser ? The participants take leave from their jobs (and family) for months. They are allowed only small portions of food, and work out as though it was their full time job 40 hours a week, sometimes more. This method is clearly unsustainable for your average .....

Eat less dairy products and nuts

47. Can one eat as much as one likes, and still lose weight? Yes, it tends to work just fine with a low carbohydrate diet, as appetite regulation happens effortlessly.However, despite the fact that a low carbohydrate diet generally makes it easy to eat just enough, there are foods classified as low carb which become a problem in larger quantities. If you find yourself having a hard time losing weight on a low carb diet, you could try to be more caref .....

Women Avoid Eating Fruit

48. This is a tip that goes for men as well, of course, but eating fruit is a more common obstacle for women trying to lose weight. This advice is controversial as fruit has an almost magical health aura today. People may believe that fruit is nutritious but unfortunately fruit contains a lot of sugar around 10% by weight (the rest is mostly water). Just taste an orange or a grape. Sweet, right? Five servings of fruit per day is equivalent to the a .....

Be Patient

49. It usually takes years or decades to gain a lot of weight. Trying to lose it all as quickly as possible by starving yourself rarely works well long term, thats just the recipe for yo yo dieting . To succeed you need something that works long term. .....