Weight Loss

Weight Loss Tips

Anyone who has to lose weight understands that it is a battle we must face daily. For some of us weight loss can actually be so overwhelming that it is constantly on our mind. We almost are obsessed with it. Regardless, we all need help as we try to be successful so here are a few tips as we travel the same road.

One of the best tips I have ever come across is so simple that many people overlook it. Simply cut our meals in half. We don’t have to change anything, just eat half of what we normally eat. You have to lose weight with the reduction in calories. Keep in mind though that the assumption is being made that the food you are eating is more on the healthy side rather than unhealthy. For example, if you usually eat a deli sandwich at lunch, eat half of it, but replace your chips with carrot sticks. Still hungry? Before you reach for the rest of your sandwich, munch on a piece of fruit. Try to make the piece of fruit an apple or a pear. The crunchiness helps and takes longer to eat. Produce takes longer to eat and digest than other foods, which means you’ll have more time to notice you’re getting full. The added fiber in both the carrots and fruit will help you feel more satisfied than chips would have and will certainly be more beneficial for your weight loss regime.

Another good tip, but somewhat difficult to do, deals with dining out. When you are dining at a restaurant, ask the waiter for a take-out container as soon as he gets your order. Put half of your meal in the box as soon as it arrives. Try to eat slowly and enjoy the conversation and the restaurant’s ambiance. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes to start to feel full, so eating at a slower pace will prevent you from overeating. Weight loss is so much easier to accomplish if you don’t have to deal with the hunger pains. Eat slowly! You can always take some of the food back out of the carton at the restaurant if you’re still truly hungry, but chances are you won’t want to. If you take the container home, chances are, you will never eat it.

Some people just don’t like left-overs for a meal the next day. So if you are one of these people, then ask if your eatery offers lunch-sized portions of their dishes. These are almost always significantly smaller than full-sized dinner entrees, so don’t be afraid to ask if you can purchase the lunch entree at dinner time. As a last resort, if they resist, tell them you are on a weight loss program and need the smaller portions. If that’s not an option, ask to order from the children’s menu … practicing this portion control pointer will save your waistline some inches and your wallet some bucks.

Finally, try to find out how much makes a serving of the food you eat. You are aware that many labels have this information. You’ll be more surprised to discover just how small a particular serving may be and how many calories are in that “serving”. Take the time to check the nutrition labels to find out — you probably will be shocked at how small an actual serving looks compared to what you usually eat. Learn what a serving is of your favorite snacks; start by measuring them out the next few times you eat them. Once you get into the habit of seeing how much a serving really looks like, you’ll eventually be able to “eyeball” servings and know how much is too much. Most weight loss programs readily have available charts to let you know what the actual serving size should be. weight loss is all about being aware.

Marilyn Nelson

Skype: marnels

806.543.1345