Losing weight is a process no matter how you look at it. It is more than just eating less, but you are going to have to do that as well.
Making a few small changes by following these healthy weight loss tips can mean the difference between living a healthy life and always trying to lose a few pounds to feel better.
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If you take care of the small things now, you may be fortunate enough to not have to embark on a major weight loss journey that will take months.
Having to spend a year trying to get your health under control will be a huge challenge, especially if it requires a large weight loss. Make this year the year you create a routine that you can commit to a lifestyle by following these tips.
Healthy Weight Loss Tips
These 10 tips are by no means all-inclusive, but they are a good start to losing weight and living healthy. If you have no weight to lose, these tips are still a great road map for living a healthy and balanced life.
Stay Positive
In order to lose weight, you have keep a positive mindset. There will be setbacks as well as times when nothing happens (plateaus). Anything worth having is not always going to be easy.
But the reward makes it all worth it. Making healthy changes is a process. And you will have to make adjustments along the way.
Staying positive no matter what happens will allow you to adapt and adjust to get back on track when the journey takes a temporary detour.
With your health, you are running a marathon rather than a sprint. Your plan should be something you can manage of years and not something that will have you miserable after the first week.
Be Flexible with Dieting
The thing about dieting is it is not a one size fits all kind of program. Today’s weight loss programs vary considerably from one end of the spectrum to the other.
Just the word “diet” tends to bring up thoughts of rigidity. The ultimate goal here is to take in fewer calories than you need to maintain your current weight.
There is such a variety of weight loss food plans, you should be able to select a plan that suits your personality and will allow you to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week.
There are plans that range from protein shakes to prepackaged meals for the person who does not like to cook. Additionally, there are many plans that include recipes for healthy, nutritious meals that include whole foods that are full of color.
Slow It Down
I understand being on a deadline. It seems everyone is rushing somewhere. Although I must admit, that has changed in the past few months and many of us have been forced to slow down.
The thing about always having a lot of tasks on your plate and rushing to meet deadlines, it causes a lot of stress. That stress can be a cause for eating when you are not hungry.
People find a lot of comfort in food. Take a look at your eating and evaluate how much eating you do to calm feelings that are overwhelming. It could be as simple as slowing down and taking time to smell the roses.
Eat Breakfast
Eating breakfast is a great way to boost your energy level as well as your brainpower. Even if it is only a 200 calorie breakfast it will get the juices flowing.
There are a lot of different philosophies on the value of breakfast in recent years. Personally, I tend to stick with small and no-carb whenever possible, but you are going to have to figure out what works for you.
Some people feel this should be your largest meal of the day and the size of your meals should decrease as the day goes on. Breakfast has to work for you. In my opinion, there should be no hard rules for eating. It should be what is right for you.
Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body, mind and spirit. Even if exercise burned zero calories, I would still find it worth it just because of the way it makes me feel.
Yes…exercising burns calories, but there are other benefits that far outweigh the calories burned, such as; boosting your mood, increasing your ability to sleep, decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety and it can decrease your stress level.
This list really just scratches the surface. Regular exercise and losing 5% – 10% of your body weight can go a long way in reducing medications you are taking as well as aches and pains you might be dealing with. Time to put on a pair of tennis shoes can go for a walk.
Regular Weigh Ins
There are some interesting perspectives on weighing yourself regularly also. I think it is possible to become obsessed with weighing yourself. But on the other hand, you do not want to bury your head in the sand either.
I have seen successful people (at losing weight and keeping it off) weigh themselves everyday. I guess if you know you have gained a pound or two or five, you are ahead of the game if you are trying to stay within a certain range.
I have seen weight loss counselors and personal trainers recommend their clients wait from one week to two months before weighing themselves after beginning a weight loss program. I don’t think there is any right or wrong amount of time that should pass between weigh ins.
You want to avoid delaying weighing in because you think you have gained weight. Additionally, a favorable weigh-in should not be an excuse to go off the rails and binge.
Put Limits on Sugar
It seems like everything has sugar added to it now. And sugar also has incognito names, such as; fructose, sucrose, dextrose, glucose and several others. So, just because the label does not have to say “sugar” does not mean there is not another form of sugar in the food.
Be sure to read the labels carefully and know what you are looking at. Besides being high in calories, sugar has many other undesirable “side effects” if you will.
Since living a healthy life is about moderation, there is no need to eliminate sugar from your diet. But just know that its benefits are limited and its side effects far outweigh the benefits.
Honey can be substituted for sugar in some cases. There are also sugar substitutes that can provide a sweet flavor. Fruit can be a great natural food that satisfy the craving for sweet dessert.
Stay Consistent
You are going to have days that do not go perfectly. But as long as you can put it behind you and look at each day as a new day, you can achieve your goal.
The key is to stick with it. Even if you have temporary setbacks, as long as you are consistent with your long term plan you will get there.
The more you follow a routine the sooner it will become a habit. Successful people base their lives on processes.
And a process is just another word for a routine. The secret to losing weight is figuring out what works and repeating it. Get started developing your routine today!
Control Portions
You can be healthy and eat anything that you desire. With that said, you cannot eat as much of as you want and expect to stay within your weight range. I know two different ladies that lost over 100 pounds each.
The one has a passion for pizza and the other loves ice cream store ice cream. They both scheduled their favorite foods into there diet one time a week. They ate what they wanted but made sure that they put limits on it and controlled the portion.
Just be aware that eating what may be a “red light” food for you could lead to a binge eating situation. Take the time to become familiar with what you are able to control.
Cut Down on Screen Time
Let’s face it, if you are spending time in front of the TV or computer, you are spending time sitting on your butt. No one enjoys a good crime drama more than me, but sitting a long time leads to many problems.
Looking at a screen all day can cause eye strain and headaches. In today’s society, you are most likely not going to be able to avoid screen time completely.
Make sure you take frequent breaks if you are required to work at a computer. Limit TV time and video game time to an amount that is reasonable.
Final Thoughts – Healthy Weight Loss Tips
Losing weight may just take a few simple changes that can lead to big results. The simpler a plan is the easier it is to execute. These tips are a simple step-by-step plan for living healthy and losing any extra weight you may be carrying.
