It is time to get this weight thing under control once and for all, and this article is about to arm you with some serious arsenal to help you in the battle. Even if you have struggled in the past, it is time to start fresh. Use the information here to help motivate you, because this thing can be done!
A great way to motivate yourself to lose weight and get more exercise is to join a team sport. For example, a game of pickup basketball can burn over a hundred calories in just half an hour. If you have friends counting on you to show up at an appointed time each weekend, you’ll be more likely to go.
Having trouble losing those last few pounds? Try increasing the amount of effort you put into your workouts or energy you put into your daily activity. Your body may have become accustomed to your daily routine and is using less calories (energy) to complete those tasks. By increasing the intensity, you’re increasing the amount of energy your body is using in each activity.
If you want to get a handle on weight loss, it’s important to understand the concept of nutrient density. Traditionally, nutrient density has been spoken of in terms of nutrients per unit of weight or volume, i.e. calories per ounce, etc. Of far more use, however, is to think of the nutrient density in terms of nutrients per CALORIE. Measured by that standard, a head of romaine lettuce, which has about 100 calories, is many times more loaded with nutrients per calorie than almost any other food. It’s just that most of us don’t think of eating an entire head of romaine lettuce. These findings, based on research suggest that focusing on the most nutrient-dense foods (by calorie, not by weight) will help people lose the greatest amount of weight.
When considering weight loss, try to use positive words about losing weight. Using a healthy vocabulary will help you make better food choices. Tell people you are making a healthy lifestyle change instead of going on a diet. Tell yourself you are making a healthy choice in snacks instead of denying your craving. In time, using a positive vocabulary will help you achieve your weight loss goals.
Weight loss is all about consistency. Don’t wake up one morning, think you are going to go to the gym one day, and be skinny the next day. Weight loss is about waking up every morning with the motivation and determination to keep going to the gym, to keep dieting, until you reach your target weight.
You can lose weight while watching TV. Walk on a treadmill, do stretches on the floor or dance during the commercials. Short bouts of exercise can add up to the recommended 30 minutes of exercise per day.
Try to cook large meals and freeze some smaller portions. This will give you fast healthy meals which can help you avoid purchasing fast foods when you do not have time to cook. As an added benefit, cooking in bulk saves you money. This prevents your ingredients from rotting and just sitting there.
Weight loss is about eating less and moving more. We need to eat less, certainly, but it’s just as important to move more. If you are unsure how to begin moving more, jump-start the process by buying a step counter or pedometer. These inexpensive devices will start tracking your steps automatically – the goal for a healthy person is 10,000 steps per day – and you can begin to ramp up the amount of walking you do.
Find a five or ten pound dumbbell at the gym to get an understanding of the stress excess weight causes your body. When you hold the weight, picture yourself shedding those excess pounds from your body. When you envision holding five or ten pounds of fat in your hands, you should feel highly motivated to lose weight!
Avoid “quick fix” weight loss pills. These pills are not only ineffective, they can also be extremely dangerous. Weight loss pills can ruin your metabolism, have negative effects on various internal organs, and sabotage your weight loss goals. A slower, healthy approach to weight loss is always the way to go.
When you are preparing meat at home make sure that you trim off any excess fat before putting it on to cook. While the body does need some fat, it does not need to have too much excess, so trimming meat is a good way to shave off the pounds.
Once you have lost your desired amount of weight, get rid of your old clothing. If you hold to these clothes, then you might think that it’s alright to put the weight back, and that you are safe because you still have those clothes should put the weight back on. Additionally, this will allow you to maintain the motivation to be able to fit in your current clothing.
If you’re trying to lose weight, buy yourself a pair of comfortable athletic shoes. The easier it is for you to walk or run, the more likely you will be to do it. Wear them all the time, even when you go to the mall, and you’ll find yourself lasting longer and getting exercise at times you didn’t even expect to!
Sometimes when you are dieting, it is hard to get that full feeling. Make sure you fill up on foods that will make you feel full. Foods that give you that full feeling are things that have protein, like fish. Other foods that do this are olives and nuts.
When you are trying to lose weight it is important to maintain a healthy diet and exercise. This will make sure you are losing the most amount of weight the fastest. Find a diet and an exercise program that works for you, get into a routine and stick with it.
Now that you are well armed, it is time to get to work and drop the pounds for good. Even if weight has always been an issue, you can use the information here to go into this thing informed and ready. It is time to show those love handles who is boss!
