(or .. how to lose weight on cruise control)
Here are a collection of straightforward but highly effective and healthy ways to lose weight more easily, and keep it off. Commit yourself to just these steps and you will notice remarkable results in your efforts to diet and reach your optimal weight.
1. Most importantly, drink lots of water, especially before you eat. It helps you feel fuller and eat less. One 16 ounce glass of water before a meal will stop you from eating as much, make you feel fuller, and by itself will save you serious calories. Plus its good for every part of your body.
2. Get at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day. First off, don't make this too hard on yourself. Go about it intelligently and it will be surprisingly easier. Try making a playlist with upbeat music that gets you motivated. Better yet, don't call it a work out, but find ways to exercise that are fun and so not a chore. Start slowly, even if it's just 10 or 15 minutes (so you don't burn out early), and then increase over time. As long as you make a committment to at least something each day, the momentum will carry you forward toward ideal weight. If you need, before you work out (about an hour), take a healthy energy booster. It helps you to get energized quickly, fully motivated, and gets your body get fired up to burn maximum calories. Make sure it is a carefully balanced dose, you do not want to overwhelm your body, just help it utilize and burn more calories.
3. Eat breakfast every day. People who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day. Breakfast also gives you energy and helps you function at your best when it most counts.
4. Choose whole grains more often. Fiber is the dieter's best friend. When eating carbohydrates, make smarter choices with whole-wheat breads and pastas, quinoa, brown rice, or bulgur. Oatmeal is an excellent way to full up and feel good. Add two tablespoons of flax seed to a meal to slow digestion and make you feel fuller. Just be aware that soluble fiber is the choice for weight loss. Fill up with vegetables and fruits that are rich in soluble fiber, which is crucial for many reasons. Read more about soluble fiber for weight loss in this post.
5. Select a mix of colorful and fiber-rich vegetables each day. Vegetables of different colors provide different nutrients. Choose dark, leafy greens such as kale, collards, and mustard greens, and reds and oranges such as carrots and sweet potatoes. Vegetables are almost like free calories, so use them to fill up and avoid simple carbs and high-glycemic starchy foods. Pick filling varieties like cauliflower, broccoli or mushrooms which will give you plenty of soluble fiber and send satiety signals to your brain to keep you from hunger. If you have a hard time digesting or getting hold of these foods, a high quality, carefully prepared green foods supplement can be beneficial.
Foods highest in soluble fiber: beans like lentil, kidney, navy, and lima; veges like parsnips, carrots, brussels sprouts, spinach, squash, cabbage, sweet potato, broccoli, kale and zucchini; fruits like pears, apples, berries, plums, strawberries, bananas, melons, peaches and pineapple; nuts like peanut, almond, walnut, pistachio and brazil; seeds like chia, flax, sunflower and sesame; grains like oats, quinoa, barley and bulgur.
6. Choose fresh fruit over fruit juice. Fruit juice has little or no fiber and added sugar, so grab a piece of fruit rather than the juice. Apples, for instance, are full of pectin, a good fiber which slows down the process of digestion and keeps you feeling fuller for longer.
7. Use fats and oils sparingly. Choose your fats carefully. Use olive oil, olives, avocados, nuts and nut butters. Include fatty fish to provide heart-healthy omega's as well as key vitamins and minerals. Avoid dairy where possible.
8. Eat sweets VERY sparingly. Limit foods and beverages that are high in sugars to special occasions, as they were meant. Make sure to avoid all sodas and energy drinks to get rid of any unwanted caloric intake. It bears saying, sugar intake from liquid calories is just plain idiotic! At least with solid sugars the body knows what to do with them even if it isn't good for you. But liquid sugar is alien to the body. Just say no!
9. Eat more small meals every day rather than skipping meals or fewer larger meals. Hopefully you followed the suggestions above and by eating the right foods, your hunger is starting to diminish naturally. A high quality appetite control supplement (not a common diet pill) can be helpful for occasions when you need help to combat hunger and prevent overeating. Don't use it every day, just for those times when you need some extra help.
10. Switch from dairy milk to non-dairy milk. Animal milk is designed to grow a small animal to a large animal fast. You don't need that amount of fat and hormones, so switch to almond, rice or hemp milk.
11. Stay away from sodium, it makes you retain water and feel bloated. If you are bloating, chew an antacid.
12. Stay as active and engaged in your activities during the day and evening to keep you from defaulting back to hunger and thoughts of food. When you are into whatever you are doing, you don't have the time or the inclination to think about eating.
These are not hard changes to make and that's the idea. If you make the commitment, use them as a plan of attack, and follow them every day, even in small measures to start, you will soon drop pounds so quickly and easily it will amaze you.
The opinions expressed in this article are of the author. Content and other information presented on the site are not a substitute for professional advice, counseling, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard professional medical or mental health advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read here.
