As much as you may want to lose weight and change your lifestyle, nothing will happen without a healthy dose of self-motivation, desire and determination. Believe it or not, you must actually do something in order to see any weight loss success. Try the following tips to assist you in reaching your ideal weight.
- Motivation - Tell those around you and close to you your weight loss goals. Not only will this provide some much needed support, but it allows you to be held accountable for your efforts (or lack thereof), lending further motivation to stick to your objectives.
- Eat Regularly - Steer clear of skipping meals. Eating regularly will increase your metabolism, not slow it down. Not eating will trigger “conservation mode” in your body, meaning it will slow down your metabolism in an attempt to preserve calories because it thinks available food is limited.
- Exercise - Yes, that dreaded word highly disliked by so many....but working out and staying active is an integral part of weight loss. How else do you expect to burn those calories and completely get rid of stubborn fat? Find an activity or sport that you actually enjoy, or else you will never stick to an exercise regime. If you enjoying lifting weights or treadmill workouts, join a local gym. Like being outside? Tennis, basketball, soccer, and biking are all great ways to stay active while enjoying the great outdoors.
- Meal Planning - Plan your dinner menus ahead a week or so. This enables you to put thought into a healthy meal rather than trying to quickly throw a meal together to put on the table. Make a list of all the ingredients and products you will need; this way you can stick to the list when you go to the grocery store and reduce the number of sugary, fattening impulse buys.
- Think Positive! Yes, it may sound cheesy, but having an optimistic and cheerful outlook will make you feel good about yourself, making losing weight much easier and quicker.
- Get Support - Join a weight loss support group or find a “buddy” trying to shed pounds, too. This will not only help you stick with your weight loss program, but can allow you to share an experience with an individual that knows exactly what you are going through. You can also consider trying an online group or forum; that factor of anonymity will allow you and other users to be more candid and honest about your experiences.
- Drink Water - Are you drinking the daily recommended eight glasses of water? Replace your sodas, carbonated beverages, and energy drinks for water. Sugary drinks are nothing but empty calories. Water can help curb hunger and actually kickstart your metabolism.
- Weight Loss Supplements - When used in conjunction with healthy eating habits and proper exercise, a weight loss or energy supplement (such as the Zantrex energy pill) can really give you that extra bit of help needed to shed those pounds. However, do not solely rely on one little pill. You must be consistent in your dieting and exercise and be patient! Supplements are meant to aid in weight loss, not be an all-in-one solution.
- Daily Diary - Keep a food journal and record what you eat in it every day. Doing so will enable you to identify eating patterns, figure out where you need to improve in your diet, and see what nutrients you are lacking.
- Avoid Night Snacking - A simple way to curb late night hunger and mindless snacking is to brush your teeth in the early evening as opposed to right before bed. It can help keep you from snacking if you are not truly hungry, but rather eating out of boredom or anxiety.
