Found an article from USA Today (full article here) that has 25 tips for weight loss.
The top 10 are:
1. Set a realistic weight-loss goal. Most experts recommend aiming for half a pound to 2 pounds a week. *Mine is set to 1.5 pounds a week, you don't want to lose more than 2 pounds a week it's unhealthy. Slow and steady wins the race!
2. Keep track. Dieters who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don't, research shows.
*Myfitnesspal.com is a great FREE place to track your calories! If you don't want to do it online, get a notebook and write down EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth. You can look up the calories later (or keep track as you go) and find out how many calories you ate during the day.
3. Motivate yourself. Get a pair of jeans or pants that are too tight and hang them in the kitchen instead of the closet to keep yourself inspired. *Make a picture collage, use "smaller" sizes, use anything you can to keep yourself motivated. Have an old picture you hate? Why not put it up so you see it to push yourself to workout.
4. Get help from family and friends. Dieters who have support from a partner at home lose more weight than those who don't, studies show. *They are there to keep you accountable and motivated too. If you can't find someone to do it with you, again, Myfitnesspal.com has TONS of support! You can also look for a group on facebook!
5. Move it to lose it. Research shows that people who do physical activities such as walking or biking for two to four hours a week during weight-loss efforts lose an extra 3 to 5 pounds over a year. *Any little bit helps! If you are just starting out, go easy. Take a 15 minute walk. Before you know it that 15 minutes will turn into 30, 30 to 35...Make the effort and you will succeed!
6. Pay attention to portions. A 3-ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards; 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine, a standard postage stamp; a cup of cold cereal, berries or popcorn, a baseball; 4-inch pancake or waffle, the diameter of a CD. *Buy a cheap set of measuring cups, it will help you a lot when it comes to portion sizes. That way you don't have to guess if there is 1/4 cup of rice on your plate, you will KNOW. After a while you will be able to tell while dishing it to your plate. The biggest way to get too many calories is the wrong portion sizes.
7. Clean out your pantry and refrigerator. Get rid of the foods that sabotage your weight loss. *Out of sight out of mind. If you don't have it in your house you won't want to grab it to eat it!
8. Create "a dinner deck." This would include 10 favorite quick and healthful dinners written on index cards. Each card should list the ingredients for the recipe on one side and directions for making it on the other. *It's always fun to try new things! There are many FREE recipes online.
9. Avoid hunger. Eat regular meals and snacks. Make sure you have some protein foods such as yogurt, tuna, beans or chicken for most meals. Some research suggests that protein helps you feel full longer. *Eat 5-6 small meals (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack) and also pick a time (7:30pm is my time) to cut off food. Close the kitchen but leave the water open. It will help you to be hungry in the morning if you are having problems eating breakfast. 2 hours before bed is a good time to close the kitchen.
10. Keep produce on hand. Place a bowl of vegetables such as broccoli, snap peas, cucumbers or carrot sticks in the refrigerator. You can eat them as a snack or when preparing meals to take the edge off your hunger. *Keep it right out front where you can see it. If you put it in the crisper, when you open the door you won't see the healthy foods and will be more likely to go for something less healthy.
The article has a LOT of good tips! Please go check it out here. Pick a few of the tips to start with, then every week add a few more and before you know it you will be eating healthy and losing weight!
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