Weight Loss Tips: Eight Simple Ways to Help You Lose Weight

Eight simple ways to begin your journey towards losing weight and getting healthy. These tips can be applied to almost any diet plan, and can be accomplished easily by making small changes to your daily routines and meals.

If you’ve decided that losing weight and getting in better shape is something you’d like to pursue, choosing a diet and exercise program can be a bit daunting. With so many diets on the market, it’s difficult to know which one will be right for you. Keeping that in mind, here are eight simple tips to put you on the path to weight loss, no matter what plan you eventually decide to follow. You can start on these right away!

The Veggie Trick
Mom was right those vegetables really are good for you. All of those vitamins and minerals help to give your body energy, which will come in handy for that new exercise program you’re planning! There’s a handy little trick you can use with veggies, however, to get yourself in the habit of eating more of them, and less of those high-calorie items you’re used to filling your plate with.

At every meal (with the possible exception of breakfast), fill your plate at least half full with vegetables before you add anything else. Salads, raw, boiled, or steamed greens it doesn’t matter what you choose, as long as your plate is half full. Not only will you end up getting all of the nutritious value from the veggies, but you’ll have less room on your plate and in your belly for more fattening fare.

Keep an Eye on Your Beverages
Many people don’t consider that what they drink adds to their calorie counts for the day. If you load up on sugar-laden sodas and coffee loaded with sugar and cream, you’re not doing your waistline any favors. Consider switching to diet soda, skim milk, fat-free low-calorie sweeteners and whiteners for your coffee or tea, and watered down fruit juices to quench your thirst. Of course there’s nothing better for your body than a good old-fashioned glass of water.

Replace White With Brown
Processed foods such as flour and rice have been stripped of much of their nutrition and “bulk”. White bread and baked goods, fast-cooking rice and rolled oats, processed cereals, and pasta are all good examples of seemingly harmless foods that really don’t do much to help you in your effort to lose weight. Without the nutrition of their whole-food counterparts, these offerings act as empty calories.

Try switching to whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole grain cereals. You’ll feel more satisfied with your meals, which leads to less snacking between them. You’ll also get the added benefit of the nutrition and fiber in the whole grain foods that aid in weight loss.

Find a “Busy” Hobby
If you have a lot of spare time on your hands or spend your evenings watching television, your hands are free to scoop high-calorie snack foods into your mouth at will. Watching commercials on TV for the latest snack foods or fast food offerings can trigger cravings for unhealthy food, and it’s not uncommon for quick trips to the kitchen to occur between dinner and bed time. Stave off these temptations with some busy work!

Take up sewing or knitting, or try your hand at writing. Teach yourself how to use some new computer program, or how to create graphics. Even better, get outside for an evening walk, or use that treadmill or stationary bike that’s been collecting dust in the corner of your basement. The more time and energy you focus on something that you’re really interested in, the less time you’ll be spending in the kitchen.

Mix It Up a Little
Nothing will kill your good intentions and send you running for the Twinkies faster than boredom. If you try to limit yourself to celery sticks and the odd bowl of fat free cottage cheese, your body will start to crave other things and you’ll get so tired of these foods that you’ll swear off of them forever.

Give yourself a lot of variety. Healthy food isn’t boring unless you make it so. Scan magazines and websites for recipes, or make substitutions in your favorite meals to update them to fit your new lifestyle. Experiment with new foods, and try international flavors like Mexican, Indian, Chinese, and French cuisines. Keep your taste buds happy and they’ll be less likely to stray.

Find a Buddy
Chances are that you know someone else who could use a bit of a lifestyle overhaul when it comes to eating and exercising. Finding a buddy to compare notes and workouts with will not only motivate you to try harder, but will give you some accountability. It doesn’t matter if it’s your spouse, your best friend, a co-worker, or someone you met online, as long as you keep up the communication and continue to encourage each other to eat well and get your exercise in every day.

Rid Yourself of Temptation
If your cupboards are full of potato chips and candy, it’s going to be difficult to resist them in your search for healthier fare. Clean out your kitchen and discard as much of the junk as you can. It sounds painful, but once you’re done you’ll have space for all of the diet-friendly snacks and meal ingredients you’ll need, and those midnight snacking trips to the refrigerator will cause much less damage to the numbers you see on the scale.

Stock up on produce, low fat cheeses, whole grain crackers, and all kinds of good-for-you foods that will satisfy your hunger but not cause cravings for more sweets and goodies. Things like fat-free Popsicles and pudding can be a great way to give in to a sweet craving without blowing your entire calorie allotment for the day, as long as you only enjoy them in moderation.

Plan Ahead
If you know you’ll be going to a function or a dinner party, or anywhere that you’ll be face to face with high calorie foods, plan ahead. Put some sugar-free mints or candies in your pocket, and have a light meal before you go. If you’re not ravenously hungry when you arrive, you’ll have a better chance of not gorging yourself on forbidden foods while you’re there.

Likewise, choose to drink diet soda, bottled water, or wine spritzers. These beverages offer fewer calories than their counterparts, and won’t undo all of your hard work.

Following these suggestions will help to get you on the right track towards your weight loss goals. Always keep in mind that losing weight does not happen over night it takes a lot of determination and hard work, but keep reminding yourself that you can do it! Making small changes in your eating and exercise habits is the best way to make changes that you’ll be able to stick with.