Losing weight isn't something that can occur by taking a little pill allowing you to continue eating poorly and not exercising. In order to properly lose weight for good, you need to effectively change your entire attitude towards weight loss. If you don't, chances are that any weight that you do lose will come back.
Let's begin with the number one reason for weight loss; the fact that you aren't happy with the way you look. Unfortunately, this motivating factor can be turned on and off at a moment's inconvenience. When instances occur that are beyond your control, it is easy to give up all your aspirations if the reason is completely a cosmetic reason. You need to really dig deep to find out alternative reasons that you want to lose weight - the real emotions behind the decision to lose weight.
Once you've written down the reasons why you want to lose weight - such as a lack of self confidence that is affecting negatively on your life or the fact that you have a family history of heart disease - document them in a journal. This journal is where you can expose yourself completely without fear of reprisal and can help you progress towards self-acceptance and ultimately, behavioral change.
At this point, we know what we want to accomplish and the reasons behind it, so we can go forward to creating a goal for ourselves. Setting a goal is not something that one should do lightly. If you are going to effectively set a goal, you need to be able to see it through. Begin with reasonable, attainable goals to start, something that will initiate a change in behavior. Be sure that the goals you set are attainable, specific, and measurable - such as power-walking for 30 minutes four times per week. Beginning with small goals oriented towards an eventual bigger one will help you "shape" your behavior and let you understand the importance of collective goals.
Use your journal to note any possible environmental cues that cause you to lose control. Avoiding these cues, or at least changing the situation to be in your favor, can help eliminate potential disasters before they begin. For example, if watching television for too long causes you to eat, try to cut back on the length of time you are watching. If you are in fact hungry, attempt to stop eating before you feel full. Generally, the message takes several minutes to get from the stomach to the brain, and you might already be passed full before you get the message and stop eating.
If you take small steps to change your behavior, you will find that the journey through weight loss will become easier and easier until it's simply a habit.
By Richard McGovern
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Weight Loss Tips and Tricks
We all know that losing weight is not at all easy and requires you to put your entire heart and soul into it. You need to dedicate yourself to your weight loss goal and do whatever it takes to achieve it. So if you too are sick of carrying the extra burden around, here are some easy weight loss tricks and tips that will help you slim down.
Do Cardio Daily
Doing cardio exercises every day for at least 30 minutes each day for about 8 to 12 weeks will help you lose weight easily. For beginners, it is not required to start your cardio workout with this amount of exercise. You can begin slowly and steadily and continue building up on it until you reach this amount. Cardio exercises also need to be cycled, like everything else related to losing weight. This means that when you need to lose fat, you should increase the cardio workout and reduce it when you need to maintain your weight.
Exercise on Empty Stomach
Exercising on an empty stomach increases the weight loss benefits that one can gain from working out. This happens as after 8 to 12 hours of fasting, the level of glycogen goes down, which helps the body to burn more fat. Also, the insulin that is released by the body after eating interferes with the ability of the body to mobilize fats. The low level of carbohydrate in the blood after waking up helps in burning extra fat.
Eat 5 or 6 Meals a Day
Eating small but frequent meals every day offers various advantages such as a faster metabolic rate, reduced fat storage due to small portions of foods, high energy levels, steady levels of blood sugar, reduced cravings for food, and better utilization of the food consumed.
Reduce Carbs But Not Completely
Though, reduction of carbohydrates is helpful in losing weight, but cutting off carbs completely from the diet is not recommended. The ideal diet for weight loss is a balanced diet containing varied food items. At least 50 percent of the calorie intake should come from fruits and vegetables and other natural starches, whereas the rest from whole grains. So, don't cut off carbs completely, simply reduce their intake to a moderate amount so that there is a balance between proteins and carbohydrates.
Increase Intake of Healthy Fats and Lean Proteins
It has been proven by researches that our body requires a gram of protein for every pound of our body weight. Therefore, reduction of carbohydrates beyond this limit results in the body not getting enough energy for its normal functioning. And, if you are following a low carb diet, it is very important to replace them with healthy fats and lean proteins. Intake of proteins in huge amounts helps in speeding up the metabolism, thus leading to weight loss.
Avoid Meal Replacement Shakes and Protein Bars
If you want to lose weight, avoid gaining too many calories from protein bars and shakes. It is a proven fact that whole foods help in slimming down due to thermic effect. Applying the above mentioned weight loss tricks and tips would help you in slimming down and tightening up to get that fit body that you have always craved for.
Do Cardio Daily
Doing cardio exercises every day for at least 30 minutes each day for about 8 to 12 weeks will help you lose weight easily. For beginners, it is not required to start your cardio workout with this amount of exercise. You can begin slowly and steadily and continue building up on it until you reach this amount. Cardio exercises also need to be cycled, like everything else related to losing weight. This means that when you need to lose fat, you should increase the cardio workout and reduce it when you need to maintain your weight.
Exercise on Empty Stomach
Exercising on an empty stomach increases the weight loss benefits that one can gain from working out. This happens as after 8 to 12 hours of fasting, the level of glycogen goes down, which helps the body to burn more fat. Also, the insulin that is released by the body after eating interferes with the ability of the body to mobilize fats. The low level of carbohydrate in the blood after waking up helps in burning extra fat.
Eat 5 or 6 Meals a Day
Eating small but frequent meals every day offers various advantages such as a faster metabolic rate, reduced fat storage due to small portions of foods, high energy levels, steady levels of blood sugar, reduced cravings for food, and better utilization of the food consumed.
Reduce Carbs But Not Completely
Though, reduction of carbohydrates is helpful in losing weight, but cutting off carbs completely from the diet is not recommended. The ideal diet for weight loss is a balanced diet containing varied food items. At least 50 percent of the calorie intake should come from fruits and vegetables and other natural starches, whereas the rest from whole grains. So, don't cut off carbs completely, simply reduce their intake to a moderate amount so that there is a balance between proteins and carbohydrates.
Increase Intake of Healthy Fats and Lean Proteins
It has been proven by researches that our body requires a gram of protein for every pound of our body weight. Therefore, reduction of carbohydrates beyond this limit results in the body not getting enough energy for its normal functioning. And, if you are following a low carb diet, it is very important to replace them with healthy fats and lean proteins. Intake of proteins in huge amounts helps in speeding up the metabolism, thus leading to weight loss.
Avoid Meal Replacement Shakes and Protein Bars
If you want to lose weight, avoid gaining too many calories from protein bars and shakes. It is a proven fact that whole foods help in slimming down due to thermic effect. Applying the above mentioned weight loss tricks and tips would help you in slimming down and tightening up to get that fit body that you have always craved for.
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