Top 10 Tips For Weight Loss

Are you trying to lose weight and you are finding it hard-going?  Sometimes it seems as if we are trying, but we are not losing the weight we want. Here are a few tips that can really help with weight loss. I have used these tips consistently in my own life and have found them to really effective with both weight loss and maintaining my weight. I use some of these same tips when I am working with clients, and have found they have also had success in their weight loss goals. So here we go, the Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss:

This is so essential, not only for weight loss, but for day-to-day living. Did you know that hunger can be confused with dehydration, and even on a mild level, dehydration can alter your body’s metabolism? You should aim to drink 8 glasses of water a day; limit soda, caffeine and alcohol. You should also try drinking a glass or two of water before meals – you will feel fuller and eat less.

Choose Healthy Fats. We don’t have to eliminate fats. In reality we can’t live without fats. The body uses dietary fat for energy, healthy hair, nails and skin, vitamin absorption, and normal everyday bodily functions. Good fats have several health benefits from protection against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and depression to reducing blood pressure and lowering cholesterol. Choose sources of healthy fats like nuts, seeds, fish, avocados and extra virgin olive oil.

Try replacing refined carbs like white breads, pasta, bagels, cereals and pretzels with complex carbs from fruits, nuts, vegetable, whole grains, seeds and legumes. Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber which slows the digestion, promoting stable blood sugar. They also have lots of antioxidants which help reduce inflammation in the body (as a bonus). Whole grains carbs should be chosen over the refined variety – they’re the way Mother Nature intended!

Our bodies need protein to continually renew and replenish our cells, stabilize blood sugar, and give us energy. Many foods contain protein, but the richest sources include animal products like meat, dairy, eggs, and fish, as well as plant sources like beans, nuts and seeds. If you use animal protein, be conscious of the way the animals were raised and what they ate. Grass-fed beef and free-range chicken are much healthier and more ethically sounds as choices for meat. Organic yogurt and cage-free range eggs are great for vegetarians, and tofu, tempeh and peanut butter are good vegan protein choices.

Eat a healthy, hearty breakfast. Doing this will give your metabolism a jump start and you will find yourself in better control of your cravings. When we miss breakfast – our first fuel of the day – by mid-morning we are hungry and more likely to nibble, snack and overeat, and we may even over-compensate for any calories we “saved” by skipping breakfast. Studies continually show daily breakfast consumption is associated with maintaining a healthy weight. However, if you are not ready for breakfast first thing in the morning, listen to your body and eat as soon as you feel it is best for you.

Be your own food detective and investigate what you choose to put into your body. Check labels, avoiding ingredients such as sugar, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and long “chemical names” that are often hard to pronounce. The healthiest goods are those found just as nature intended – whole and unprocessed. Think about it, we don’t have ingredients listed on a stalk of broccoli, an apple, or even a fresh piece of fish! No, it’s all natural! So, be conscious of what you put in your mouth.

It is very helpful if you journal what you eat and drink. You may want to journal in a notebook, but there are a lot of apps available to track your food and exercise which you can download to a mobile device. It is very helpful to keep track of what you eat, and these apps will show you not just calorie content, but carbs, fats, sugars, etc. However, do not use this tool to become obsessed with what you are eating or let yourself get out of control. Just use it as a tool to help you towards your weight loss. I personally like MyFitnessPal, but you can search for other apps or ask around for input from your friends.

Exercise has been found to be of enormous benefit to our bodies and our minds. Research boasts decreased body weight, small waist line, lower resting heart rate, and lower blood pressure. It even boosts your mood and relieves stress! Set a goal to be active for at least 30 minutes per day to help keep your body strong and lean. You don’t have to join a gym (although you may choose to), but you can find inexpensive ways to exercise at home, even incorporating programs previously recorded on TV. You can even incorporate exercise throughout your workday – get off the bus or subway one day earlier; park your car a little further away; take the stairs instead of the elevator; depending on the structure of your work area, you can do some stretching exercises, or do some quick jumping jacks. Be creative to find small ways to move your body. It is also important to keep your mind active. If you want to boost your brain power, spend some time with positive thinking, meditating, deep thought, playing word games, or reading.

If you cook at home, you have control over what you are eating and what size your portions are. You can cut your intake of sodium, fat and calories by cooking yourself. You can choose a healthy cooking fat like olive oil. Avoid fried foods, and learn to grill, broil or bake as an alternative. Also, incorporate more raw foods – this will cut calories and boost flavor. You can also incorporate herbs and spices to reduce salt intake. Add a healthy salad to your meal as a substitute for bad carbohydrates. If you do not feel you are a good cook, sign up for a cooking class, or ask friends for advice or for some good but healthy recipes that they use.

Research shows that people who sleep five hours or less weigh five pounds more than those who get at least seven hours of sleep per night. Of course, over time, weight gain can increase quickly for those who get five hours of sleep as opposed to those getting seven hours. Lack of sleep disrupts circadian rhythms and may lead to insufficient regulation in the body of energy balance, metabolism and appetite. Also, with too little sleep, leptin and ghrelin levels (which are the hormones that tell your body you’ve had enough to eat and to stop eating), can become unbalanced with inadequate sleep. So, strange as it sound, the more you sleep, the less you eat and the less you weigh. Set a goal to sleep seven to eight each night.