Twelve Tips for Successful Weight Loss (Part 1)

The following practical weight-loss tips, promoted by nutritionist Nancy Clark in her Sports Nutrition Guidebook, will help ANYONE achieve a trim and fit body. They will also be beneficial for food addicts, morbidly obese patients, and those who simply want to maintain healthy weight for many years to come.

Tip # 1. As the first important step in implementing your weight-reduction strategy, keep a daily journal of what and how much you eat. In case of overeating, write down WHY you have consumed an excessive amount of calories.

By keeping a record of your food intake and exercise, you will be able to calculate how many calories you eat and burn on a daily basis. This will also help you trace the situations when you eat not just to nourish your body, but because of stress or boredom, as well as pinpoint any unhealthy dietary habits you may have, such as skipping breakfast, easing stress with sugary treats, or overeating before bedtime. Remember that consuming more fuel than your body needs, which is approximately 2000 daily calories for a person with a moderately active lifestyle, is an unquestionably fattening habit.

Tip # 2. Become aware of how often you eat.

Remember that the best strategy is to eat three complete, nourishing meals a day, or to divide your total food intake into five smaller portions throughout a day. Healthy, substantial breakfast is a key to successful weight reduction. It will keep your blood sugar level stable and allow you not to be tempted by unhealthy junk foods while at work. At the same time, try to keep your evening meals small and choose low-calorie fruits, vegetables, and lean meats for your afternoon snacks.

Tip # 3. To successfully lose weight, practice moderate caloric restriction.

Calculate how many calories you need daily to maintain your current weight, and proceed by creating a 20 percent caloric deficit while dieting. In practice, it will correspond to approximately 1800 calories a day for a moderately active woman who wants to lose her excess pounds at a metabolically sound rate. Remember that a drastic caloric reduction, say, to 1000 calories a day, will create severe food cravings and can eventually lead to food binges and subsequent weight gain. It can also be damaging for health by stimulating muscle loss, slowing down metabolism, and triggering vitamin and mineral deficiencies. With a moderate, 20 percent caloric reduction, you will be able to steadily shed about one pound of fat every two weeks, until you achieve your ideal weight.

Tip # 4. Divide your allowed amount of daily calories into three equal parts.

During each meal of the day, consume approximately one third of your total daily calorie budget. If you prefer frequent snacking instead of eating three meals a day, divide your calorie budget into 5-6 equal parts and consumed each at your usual snack-time. Do not exceed the allowed amount of calories but do not skip your meals, either. At that, give preference to modest amounts of  nutrient-dense, varied, healthy foods that feature whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean meats, deep-ocean fish, and low-fat dairy products.

Tip # 5. Familiarize yourself with the calorie and nutrient content of foods you eat.

In other words, learn to read food labels so that you know how many calories and which vitamins and minerals your usual foods contain. This will help you make more vitamin-dense dietary choices and will also prevent you from overeating. At the same time, do not become too obsessive about counting calories, but simply stick to healthier, low-fat food choices and smaller portions.

Tip # 6. Enjoy your food, eat slowly, and chew carefully.

Research shows that obese people tend to eat too fast and, hence, often overeat, since the satiety signal usually needs about 20 minutes to reach the brain. To trick your brain into registering the “fullness signal” before you overeat, always start your dinner with a small plate of hot vegetable soup – it takes time to eat, prepares your stomach lining for more substantial foods, and also diminishes appetite for the main course.

Gene Savarin

Buy Phentrimine