Lose Weight Quick with These Tips: Part I

Everyone knows the basic way to lose weight:

Take in fewer calories and burn as many calories as possible through things like exercising.

But that doesn’t always work.

And, what else doesn’t always work? Those silly diet plans that advertise miracle weight loss.

Instead, check out the weight loss tips I’m about to tell you. They work wonders and they’re medically proven to do the job the right way.

Keep a food diary.

It sounds silly, but it works. Write down everything you eat each week. Keep track of the bad things versus the good things. My suggestion would be to make columns of what is good to eat and what is bad to eat. Then, in the next week, try to omit everything that you ate the previous week that was bad.

But don’t stop here. Keep a journal each and every week. It will allow you to keep track of what foods you should and shouldn’t eat. Plus, it will show you how much weight your losing and how you’re losing it (e.g. what foods are helping with your weight loss regimen).

Tip: Try to limit your intake of spreads, sauces, condiments, dressings, alcoholic drinks, carbonated drinks, and snacks.

Be positive all the time.

Believe it or not, having a positive attitude while trying to lose weight can help you a lot more than you think it can. For example, if you always think thoughts like, “I can’t lose the weight,” “It’s never going to happen,” and, “Every diet I try leaves me at the same weight I started with,” you’ll really, truly, never lose the weight. However, if you start thinking thoughts like, “I can do this,” “I’ll take it day by day,” and, “I will succeed,” your body will lose the weight quicker.

You must be wondering how this is possible. Well, because if you’re always so negative, you’re just adding anxiety and stress to your body. Anxiety and stress promote weight gain, therefore leaving you at the same place you were in when your weight loss plan started. Think positive and you’ll start losing pounds almost automatically.

Only drink water after you eat breakfast.

Let me clarify this suggestion. Drink whatever you’d like to drink with your breakfast. Go for the orange juice, have a glass of milk, or grab some coffee. But after that, only drink water throughout the day and night.

Why? Well, because drinking soft drinks throughout the day adds an approximate 300 calories to your daily caloric intake. That’s a no-no. Try your best to stick to water. Maybe have one cheat day a week, but other than that, hands off the soft drinks!

Eat one less snack a day.

Or, take three less bites of your meal at dinnertime. If you really don’t want to obey these suggestions, omit that one glass of juice or milk you were going to have with your daily breakfast. That will save you about 100 calories per day, which in turn equals about two pounds per year.

I know it’s not a lot, but it could save you from going up a size in clothes.

Watch a little less television.

Television is an addiction I understand that. Hell, I’m addicted to television. But cutting out one hour a day of television will really help you lose weight.

That doesn’t mean you should go and sit on a couch and read a book or write a story; That’s not how this suggestion works. Instead, go outside and go for a walk around the block, or head to the gym for a little workout session. As long as you’re not lounging around on that couch you should be good.

Plus, it’s hard not to reach for a snack or grab a soft drink while watching television. It’s just force of habit. Taking away television for an hour will take away that extra snack or soft drink, too.

Wash something in the house, or something that you own, once a week.

Now, I don’t mean a lazy, five-minute wash of something. I mean go out and pick something in the house or something that you own, and give it a really good washing. For example, this week you could get on your hands and knees and scrub the kitchen floor and next week you could detail the inside or outside of your car. This will encourage your body to let go of some pesky calories instead of taking them in.

Wait until you’re really hungry to grab some food.

That is, wait until your stomach is grumbling before you go for the food. If you’re just a tad hungry, or if you’re bored and think that eating will pass the time, think again. Wait until you’re really hungry before doing anything.

Think about it this way: If you start to think about a certain type of food, chances are you’re craving that food. It’s not real hunger. Wait until you hear your stomach yell at you.

Sniff certain foods to stop your hunger.

This sounds ridiculous, I know; But sniff an apple, banana, or peppermint when you start to feel hungry. Your hunger will fade away. This technique is scientifically proven to make you lose weight. Studies have actually stated that people have lost up to 30 pounds in a year just by adopting this tactic.

How and why does this theory work? It works because your brain thinks that you’re eating the food, but in reality you’re not. Try it out. Trust me.

Stare at the color blue.

Here’s another odd suggestion, but it works, too. When was the last time you saw a restaurant or a fast food joint sport the color blue? Hardly ever. And that’s because the color blue is actually an appetite suppressant; It makes you not want to eat. So buy a set of blue plates and see how you do.

Also, avoid looking at colors like red, orange, and yellow, as they encourage eating.

Walk up and down stairs every day.

Don’t do this just once or twice. That will get you absolutely nowhere. Instead, walk up and down stairs for at least ten minutes each day. This can help you lose at least 10 pounds per year. And, if you walk up and down those stairs more than 10 minutes each day, you’ll be losing even more weight. Try it out.

Put your fork or spoon down in between every bite.

Yes, this does work. For every bite you take, sip some water. While sipping that water, be sure to put your fork or spoon down on the table. Also, try telling stories during mealtime so that you have less of an urge to eat.

Health professionals tell us that our bodies have about 20 minutes to eat before we get full. Well, this is true, but it’s true whether you’re eating fast or slow. If you start eating, and you continuing eating in a slow manner, you’re brain will still tell your body that you are full after 20 minutes. This will allow you to eat less in a long period of time, therefore getting rid of some extra pounds.

Stay tuned for some more tips next time!

By Jenny Lyn