Pills, detox methods and certain weight loss juices are tricks and will not help you keep weight off. Many of these products actually do more harm than good.
To curb your calorie intake, use a smaller plate at your meals. Instead of grabbing a large dinner plate, use a smaller salad plate for each meal. It will help you keep portion sizes in check and trick your mind into thinking you are eating much more than you actually are.
One weight-loss or weight-maintenance tip people have adopted is to change the size of their dishes and cutlery. We switched from the regular dinner plates to luncheon plates, and similarly, downsized our flatware to salad forks and teaspoons. As a result, our portions have become automatically smaller, and we eat less, but the plate still looks full. People who want more food, and who don’t need to lose weight, can take second helpings. But we’ve found that, psychologically, it is much more satisfying to be able to take a full plate of food, and have the freedom to eat it all, than to try to content ourselves with lonely little islands of food on large plates.
Follow a diabetic diet even if you don’t have diabetes when you are on a weight loss plan. Even if you are not diabetic, you can benefit from cutting most of the sugar out of your diet. Diabetic diets are also low in carbohydrates and you will eat more protein.
When your trying to lose weight it’s a great idea to pack your snacks. It can be difficult when you’re on the go to make good food choices. Always having a healthy snack handy will keep you away from those unhealthy vending machines and fast food restaurants. Having something on hand will keep you on the right track.
Use a pedometer to lose weight. When you wear a pedometer, it will measure every step you take in a day. The recommended amount of steps is 10,000 or more. If you aren’t doing at least 10,000 a day, you are not moving enough. Use it as a step game, if you meet your goal, increase it.
Lose weight with delicious dip. If you like to have dip with your fruits and vegetables, there is a better alternative to prepackaged dips. Applesauce makes delicious and healthy dip. It is versatile and will not sway you from you weight loss goals. It is particularly tasty with bananas and melons.
A great way to help you lose weight is to invest in a heart rate monitor. Getting your heart rate in the right zone is an important way of getting the most out of the cardio that you do. By using a heart rate monitor, you’ll know exactly how you’re doing.
Swap your mayonnaise for mustard. Mayonnaise contains a lot of fat, and it can ruin your weight loss goals. Make your next sandwich a healthier, lower-calorie one by substituting mustard for mayonnaise. Cut out calories by never eating mayo again.
While trying to lose weight, you still may eat at fast food places from time to time. The best way to do this is to order the kid’s meal. Ordering a kid’s meal will control your portion and give you a taste of your favorite fast food. Don’t worry, if you are embarrassed to order a kid’s meal, go to the drive up window.
Have a goal weight that you want to achieve. Put that number on sticky notes around your house. When you have an emotional trigger that makes you want to seek out unhealthy comfort food, picture how you will look at your goal weight. This will help you to resist that unhealthy temptation.
Eating out can be scary for many people on a diet. Use your server to help you and ask them to tell you what are the healthiest meals on the menu. Many menus will also have a low calorie section. You can make your choice from that, and still have an enjoyable meal.
Instead of trying to chose a number for a weight loss goal, try using a different type of measurement. Have a pair of pants that you love but don’t fit? Make your goal to fit into those pants. This will take your attention away from the scale, which is not always an accurate measurement of weight loss.
When cooking with meat, one trick to stretching it, is to pound it flat before you cook it. You will be cooking much thiner pieces, which will cut way back on the amount of cooking time. You will also tend to eat less since the meat will go a lot farther than taking thick bites.
As you can see, it’s relatively easy to make changes that will benefit you in the long term. If you make your changes gradually, it will be easier to stick to your goals. Working with your body means you can celebrate many small successes and all it takes is a few key adjustments.