10 Tips on Weight Loss

If you want to lose weight, the general food pyramid guidelines are to cut down on sugar, refined foods and saturated fat and move your body for at least 30 minutes a day. FoodPyramid.com gives you 10 tips that may inspire you to reach your goals!

1. Illustrate the weight that you wish to lose

If you think that you are over weight and want to lose some weight, you could try to illustrate those extra pounds that you want to lose. For example, take a bag of potatoes or rice that weigh as much as you want to lose and lift the bag and feel how much it weighs. When you are lifting the bags you will get an immediate illustration on the additional weight that is affecting your heart and that may cause muscle and joint pains. This realization may serve as a wake up call.

2. Eat before dinner

The critical period, if you want to lose weight, is when you come home from work. You are probably hungry and a mistake is to start making dinner right away. With an empty stomach you are tempted to taste the food that you are preparing and before you know it you have eaten an entire meal. After that you still have to eat the meal you just prepared. So before you even start to prepare your meal it is better to have a fruit or eat some raw carrots. In that way you you will control your hunger.

3. Start with a salad

Don’t eat the salad together with the meal. Instead, make the salad the first course, and your dinner as the second course. Eating raw vegetables before your meal is very healthy and it is a good recommendation from the food pyramid guidelines. If you don’t like grated carrots or other traditional raw food salads, you can shred a cucumber or serve crunchy cauliflower bouquets or even test new salad varieties.

4. Eat regularly

It is easier to lose weight if you eat at regular times. This habit keeps blood sugar on an even level which means that you will not be tempted to eat unhealthy foods. Experts recommend breakfast, lunch and dinner and two healthy snacks. It is better to eat less, but do not skip any meals. Missing meals does not lead to weight loss; instead you will find yourself eating too much unhealthy foods later that day.

5. No night snack

According to studies, people who are overweight tend to eat more in the afternoon and evening than people with normal weight. People with serious weight problems can stay up all night eating. If you know that you have this problem, the best thing is to determine a time when you will stop eating. For example, decide for yourself that you are not going to eat anything after 7 pm, not even a biscuit.

6. Learn to say “No”

Anyone who wants to lose weight has to learn how to say “No”. This also applies when you are attending a party or gathering of some sort. One tip is to take a small portion of everything that is being served. Say “No, thank you” when you are being offered a second round. If you think it’s hard to take a small bite it is better to say “No, thank you” the first time you are being asked. The hard part is not to say “No” when other people offers a snack, it’s your own cravings that are more difficult to resist. Learn to say “No” to your unhealthy cravings and then quickly look for a healthier alternative. You can only learn to say “No” by practicing!

7. Take a different route

Do you pass a candy shop or bakery on your way home from your work, tempted to go inside the store to buy something? Or, do you go to that special hot-dog stand to grab a bite during your lunch break? Then it’s time to take a different route. Select new walking routs that are bakery free and free from fast food stands. If you absolutely must pass them on your way home from work, then make sure to bring an apple with you to avoid the temptations of the unhealthy food choices.

8. Consider your health

Obesity is becoming a major widespread disease in Western countries and obesity is now classified as an epidemic by the World Health Organization. To be overweight means an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Pain in joints, such as knees, can be alleviated or can even disappear when you get rid of the excess weight. In the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia, 15-20 percent of the population today are overweight and obesity now counts as a medical risk.

9. Reward yourself

Set up goals for yourself and break down your goals into milestones. If you have lost weight and reached your milestone, then you are really worth a reward. Your reward should not have anything to do with food or drinks; instead you could treat yourself with a new CD, cinema visit, massage or beauty treatment etc. This type of encouragement will help you to continue with your weight loss program. If you have lost a lot of weight, then nothing is as fun as shopping for new clothes, in one or more sizes smaller!

10. Don’t give up!

It’s not easy to change eating habits, but it’s necessary. Changing your eating habits is the only way if you want to be slimmer. You should know that it takes at least one month before a new eating habit becomes natural, so don’t be discouraged when you get tempted and simply can’t resist that chocolate cake, or that cheese sandwich. Just don’t give up and don’t be too hard on yourself when this happens. Instead, tell yourself that it was just a stupid one-time event and go back to the healthy road. Little by little, in time, it will get easier and before you know it you will have changed your eating habits. You will succeed!