Start weight loss with small lifestyle shifts

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Filed Under: Featured • How to lose weight
Tags: Healthy weight loss • Lose weight • Weight loss tips
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Completely changing your lifestyle may be unrealistic to expect overnight. The best way to achieve a complete transformation is to first create a vision of what that transformation comprises. Give yourself four to six months to achieve the complete transformation, and make a plan of small adjustments you could make to achieve small steps toward the new you.

Following are several small steps that you can make to begin seeing weight loss progress immediately. Although weight loss is not an overnight achievement, the following steps will allow you to see some immediate results. Just remember to stay consistent. It is better to choose just one of the following tips, and execute it with 90% consistency for at least one month rather than choosing half the list and only really complying half the time.

1. The first steadfast rule of weight loss is to make sure that you are drinking plenty of water. Your body needs ample amounts of water and water is a beverage that contains no calories. Most people do not consume adequate amounts of water. The easiest way to calculate the amount of water you should strive to consume on a daily basis is to take your total weight and divide that by two to produce the number of ounces of water you should consume per day. If you weigh 140 pounds, you should consume at least 70 ounces of water. In addition, for every glass of soda, alcohol, or sugar-based beverage, you will need to consume an additional glass of water to offset the effects of those beverages on your body. Most likely the biggest adjustment with this lifestyle change is the increase in the number of times that you will use the restroom. However with proper consumption of water you should feel a change in your body within days and you will generally feel healthier and fitter. If within this adjustment you are simultaneously eliminating soda and sugar-based beverages from your diet, you should see small amounts of weight loss within a couple weeks. Though the weight loss may not be substantial from this minor adjustment, the general feeling of healthiness will likely encourage you to make other lifestyle adjustments.

2. Another reason to steer clear of soda and sugar-based beverages is to trim your calorie intake every day. Beyond cutting out sweetened and bottled drinks for the purpose of better health, you will also be trimming your calorie intake. If eliminating soda from your diet is unfeasible at this time, be sure to choose diet sodas, however remember that for every glass of soda you consume, you must consume an additional glass of water.

3. People often look at fruit juice as being a healthy alternative to soda or sugar-based beverages. However juice is often artificially sweetened. It is a better option to eat fruit, which has natural sugar as well as a lot of fiber, and of course is an excellent source for vitamins. If you are not accustomed to eating fruit on a regular basis, choose the one or two fruits that you will eat weekly in conjunction with something you do consistently on a daily or weekly basis. For example, if you make your bed every morning, make it part of your routine to eat a bowl of grapes after you complete that task. This will ensure that you do not forget to eat your daily allotment of fruit.

4. As soon as you wake up in the morning, make it a habit to drink a glass of cool water. Not only is this a great way to wake up, but it will decrease the quantity of your breakfast drink and it will serve to ignite all your digestive juices to start your day. Even if your morning routine includes a cup of tea or coffee, be sure to drink that after a glass of water.

5. If you have identified yourself as an individual who indulges on food for emotional reasons, try to choose foods to indulge in that contain higher quantities of water. For example watermelons contain 90 to 95% water, so if you feast on watermelons you will not do a lot of damage to your diet and they will likely fill you up without producing a weight gain.

6. Do not replace the fresh food consumption with processed fruits. Not only do processed and canned fruits lack the fiber content of fresh fruit, canned and processed fruits are nearly always artificially sweetened.

7. Make an effort to increase the fiber intake of your diet. This could include consuming a high fiber granola bar, or possibly adding additional food to your diet that are high in fiber.

8. Just as you start your day by drinking a glass of water to get your digestive fluids flowing, drink a glass of water at the start of every meal. This will contribute to fulfilling your appetite so that you eat smaller portions, and you will feel fuller without stuffing yourself with food. You should also make it a habit to drink a full glass of water during the meal, and make an effort to not drink an entire glass in one gulp but rather taking small steps after each morsel. This will help your food settle faster and before you know it your stomach will be satisfied with a smaller portion of food.

9. Anyone that is experienced in losing weight will tell you that vegetables are one of nature’s secrets when it comes to losing pounds. A visit to the produce section of your grocery store will reveal the incredible variety nature is providing you when it comes to vegetables. When choosing the vegetables that you will incorporate into your diet, make an effort to choose the leafy green ones. Most commonly this will come in the form of a salad. However do not fall prey to drowning your salad in dressing which could potentially offset the health benefits of the vegetables to begin with.

10. Learn how to control your urges. Do not eat something simply because you feel like eating it. Try to understand when your mind is trying to get to eat versus when your body really means that particular food item. This may take some discipline, which you may not be used to if you are accustomed to eating whatever you feel like. However with time you should be able to eat smart.

11. Keep a journal to track the food that you eat on a daily basis. At the end of every week tally up the calories and fat to the food items that you have consumed. The Internet will serve you with a wealth of reference materials to look up food items whose calorie and fat content you are unsure of. After practicing this for several weeks you will know which food items within your diet contain higher calorie and fat content, and you should learn which foods to taper into smaller portions if necessary. In addition you may find some garnishes and condiments to be richer in calories and fat than the food itself. This will help you understand how to decrease your calorie and fat consumption with just some small, minor adjustments to your diet.

12. Try to avoid the urge to smack in between meals. If your lifestyle requires you to travel, either by air or by car, it may be tempting to stop and snack on junk food during your downtime. Not only is junk food less filling, it also contains a surge of fat and calories in comparison to any food item within a well-balanced meal. Pack a fruit or even a granola bar in your bag or in your car to help you avoid these temptations if necessary.

13. If you are a coffee drinker, consider trying tea, as tea offers health benefits and does not contain caffeine. If you cannot see yourself functioning without coffee, consider drinking your coffee black. For some people this will be a major life adjustment, however weaning your body off of caffeine will only make you feel healthier and fitter.

14. This may go without saying, however some things must be said. Stay away from any fried food. This includes fries, onion rings, fried chicken, or anything that has been dipped or cooked in oil or fat. Even if you drain the excess oil and fat off of your food, there is a lot of oil and fat embedded in the food itself. These foods are rich in calories and fat and if you are serious about weight loss you must stay away from anything fried.

15. If chocolate is a part of your daily routine, you must make the adjustments to not indulge on a daily basis. Do not fool yourself into thinking bitter chocolate is an exception. Though some chocolate may contain less sugar, the cream will still host the calories and fat. Vow to make chocolate a luxury and you will likely see some immediate weight loss after tapering your daily chocolate consumption.

16. As a general rule, about half of your diet should be carbohydrates. Some trendy diets will guide and avoidance of carbohydrates, however, I did are in immediate source of energy therefore at least half of your diet should comprise of carbohydrates. In addition roughly one fourth of your diet should consist of proteins. Proteins are required to allow your body to break down processes and build them back up again. The equilibrium of your health is dependent on adequate amounts of protein consumption. After you consider the amount of protein and carbohydrates that your body requires, only about 10% to 15% remains left over for fat consumption. Strive to maintain your fat consumption at 15% and you will have a well-balanced diet.

17. It might make sense, if you are on a diet, to skip a meal in order to avoid the calorie and fat consumption from that meal. However this actually has an adverse effect to your diet. If you are serious about weight loss, you must commit to eating at least four regular meals every day. You have the option to taper the portions within each meal. However it is absolutely necessary that your body receive nutrition at least four times per day.

18. If your exercise routine takes place in the morning, make sure that you exercise before eating breakfast. It is best to eat breakfast within an hour of your exercise routine so that your body has a chance to charge itself for the day with the energy it will meet. It is not necessary to eat a large breakfast, as in many instances a small portion of cereal or granola will suffice to provide you with lasting energy for the whole day. In addition, eating breakfast in the morning will taper your urges in the first half of the day, and you are less likely to crave snacks before lunch.

19. If you have a sweet tooth, it is absolutely necessary to control your cravings for sweet things, especially chocolates and confectionery. If you do decide to indulge, except the fact that the calories and fat will add somewhere.

20. Vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins. However many people fail to understand that fresh vegetables have exponentially more healthy effects on the body then cooked or can vegetables. Whenever it is possible, eat your vegetables of choice raw. Cooking vegetables robs nearly half of the nutritional value that you could potentially benefit from if you eat your vegetables raw.

21. Change your diet on a daily basis and be sure to choose a variety of foods from each food group every day. This will help balance your diet over the span of the week or the month. In addition it is not a good idea to eat the same meals every day, because this could potentially attract deficiency diseases.

22. Pork will not contribute nutritional value that aligns with weight loss goals. It is a good step to eliminate pork from your diet as a weight-loss strategy. This includes all pork products including they can, ham and sausage.

23. Eating five to six times a day is a good idea if your lifestyle will allow it. You do not necessarily have to consume large meals, however smaller quantities of food over time are much better for your body then that same quantity of food amassed into one meal.

24. The consistency of fixed times to consume your meals every day will have a positive effect on your weight loss plans. Those times can shift by 30 minutes either way, however anything more than 30 minutes will not be in line with an eating pattern over the span of a week or a month. Additionally, eating earlier could cause a loss of appetite, or eating later could cause feelings of famish which will result in potentially eating larger portions unnecessarily.

25. Get in the habit of eating only when you are hungry. Many people have a tendency to eat whenever food is in sight. A whole week of healthy diet can be offset by junk food within just one meal. This can be difficult for people who have highly social lifestyles where food is often offered at parties or other various events. Discipline yourself to eat only when you are hungry, and at parties or other social situations partake in very small portions that comply with your diet.

These 25 tips can be simple if tackled one at a time. Remember that weight loss is achieved through consistency. Pick a few tips that are reasonably achievable within your lifestyle and practice consistency before attempting additional adjustments. Your efforts will be visibly rewarded before you know it!