54 Tips for Losing Weight
Try to add as many of these tips to your daily routine, and you
will surely be well on the way to a slimmer,
1. Eliminate one
tablespoon of fat a day and you will lose 10 pounds in a year.
2. Avoid strange
fad diets—if you can’t eat that way for the rest of your life, don’t waste your
time or your health.
3. Limit alcohol
consumption - each serving contains 100 to 150 calories.
4. Eat fruit at
least twice a day.
5. Keep a food
diary about your food choices, indicating how hungry you are each time you eat.
Pay particular attention to your level of hunger when you snack.
6. Perform aerobic
exercise a minimum of 30 minutes three times a week. Log this on your food
diary. Aerobic means any exercise that increases your breathing and heart rate.
Walking is fine! Do only what you can to begin with. If you have other health
problems, consult your doctor before embarking on any strong physical exercise.
7. Gradually
increase the length and frequency of your workouts.
8. Weigh yourself
no more than twice a week. And do it in the morning after going to the bathroom
– it’s the most accurate reading.
9. Give yourself a
non-food reward for every 5 pounds lost.
10. Slow down your
eating speed—make meals last at least 20 minutes. Try eating with the other
hand or taking a sip of water between bites.
11. Use smaller
plates.
12. Bring your lunch
to work at least three times a week.
13. Start to
strength train twice a week as your fitness improves. Building muscle increases
your metabolism and forces your body to use fat, not muscle, when you’re
cutting back on calories. Cut down on carbohydrates and stick to lean white
meat and fish, and you will notice vast improvements here.
14. Stop eating
while watching television.
15. Have someone
else put away leftovers.
16. Buy a good
low-fat, low-calorie cookbook or magazine subscription.
17. Try two new
reduced-calorie recipes a month.
18. IMPORTANT - Eat
breakfast daily. This suppresses the appetite for most of the day and provides
fuel for the brain while at work or looking after the kids! You will feel
better and have more energy all day if you eat a low fat cereal in the morning.
19. Don’t read while
eating.
20. Have a sweet
treat once a week.
21. Keep healthful
snacks at home and at work.
22. Limit your
cheese consumption to reduce fat and saturated fat—use cheese and lunchmeat
with less than 5 grams of fat per ounce.
23. Add calorie
counting or fat-gram counting to your food diary for a few weeks if your weight
loss is slowing down. Maybe you’re missing something.
24. Substitute herbs
and spices for salt.
25. Shop for food
when you are not hungry, and use a shopping list.
26. Replace ground
beef with ground turkey or soy crumbles in dishes such as spaghetti. Don’t skip
the protein in your meals; find a leaner substitute.
27. Eat three
vegetables a day.
28. Always eat
sitting down.
29. Request that
your family and friends respect your efforts to lose weight and get fit—beware
of loving “sabotage.”
30. Take a walk when
you’re stressed or angry.
31. Eat two dairy
products a day—be aware of your calcium intake. Select low-fat or nonfat dairy
products to reduce fat calories.
32. Order dressings
and sauces on the side and apply them with a fork.
33. Increase your
fiber intake—chose whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta products, legumes, and
raw fruits and vegetables.
34. Add slow-down
food to your meals—crunchy vegetables, a large glass of water, hot soup or
beverages, or fresh fruit to fill you up.
35. Cook with
chicken broth, nonstick cooking spray, wine or water.
36. Drink eight
8-ounce glasses of water a day.
37. Shrink portion
sizes of meats and starches, and pile on the vegetables.
38. Ask how the food
is prepared when ordering in a restaurant.
39. Choose low-fat
frozen yogurt or frozen juice bars instead of ice cream. Be careful of the
portion size - these foods still have calories!
40. Select clear
broth- or tomato-based soups over white soups.
41. Keep the junk
foods out of sight in your home and workplace.
42. Take walking
shoes or a jump rope with you when you travel to keep up with your exercise.
43. If you’re
getting off track, try to pre-plan your food intake for the next three days by
writing it down.
44. Buy frozen diet
dinners with 10 grams of fat or less and 800 milligrams of sodium or less.
45. Avoid batter
coating or breading.
46. Use two egg
whites in baking instead of one whole egg.
47. Stretch during
television commercials—arm circles, leg lifts, head tilts, etc.
48. Eliminate the
butter on your rolls or popcorn.
49. Learn to say
“no” gracefully when a friend or relative offers you a second helping.
50. Choose pizza
with vegetable toppings rather than high-fat meats, such as sausage and
pepperoni.
51. Ask for less
cheese. Have you ever tried tomato pie?
52. Choose cooking
techniques that keep fat to a minimum, such as baking, grilling, broiling,
roasting or steaming.
53. Add more low-fat
soy products to your diet for the soy protein and health benefits.
54. Forgive yourself
when you slip—and make the next food choice a healthy one.
No comments:
Post a Comment