10 ways to lose weight that work for me

Gradual changes

Before any drastic changes to your lifestyle, one must consider a gradual course of action. I know for me, I tend to get discouraged quickly. It is much more manageable for me to make little changes. Although the improvement will be gradual, the long-term effect will be significant.

Substitute water for soda

I didn’t realize how much sugar and calories are in a soda. Of course, I like soda and would want it, but now I think about how filling and disgusting it makes me feel afterwards. You can also tell that soda has a lot of sugar when you let it sit for a while. Once the bubble is gone, it is extremely sugary.

Eat less portions

This is great, but it is tough. You have to train yourself to stop right before you think you are full. I am tremendously guilty for eating more than I should. I keep eating until I am so full that I am tired and I feel gross. Whenever I stop at the point where I am still hungry, my energy level is great. I try to do this at least 4 days out of the week. Also, buffets are out of the question because it forces you to eat a lot.

Eat more small meals throughout the day and also eat slower.

Your body takes time to digest the foods, so the more smaller food portions throughout the day, the better. Also, the slower you eat, the more time the stomach has to break down the fat, instead of storing it. I am equally guilty in this matter. Isn’t it hard to slowly eat, when this is the thing you might want to whiz through? It is either because we want to have fun or work. Meals are sometimes not a priority in the day.

Balanced diet

I hear a lot of the diets on no carbs or lots of carbs. While it may work for some people, it does not work for me. I don’t really have good discipline and I tend to get tired of the same things. I also don’t want to gain more weight after I stop the diet. My dad is a chef and he recommends that the best diet is a balanced meal. This is similar to what the FDA food pyramid recommends. Equal portions of a balanced diet! You can get more information by going to this website: http://www.mypyramid.gov

Exercise

Nothing can beat exercising. Even 15 minutes a day of crutches or walking can help.

Cut down unhealthy foods

It seems pretty straightforward, but hard to do. This again goes back to the first bullet point of doing things gradually. My dad lost a lot of weight not by cutting down unhealthy foods completely, but lessening it. Instead of drinking beer everyday like he used to, he has it once a week and supplements alcohol enjoyment with wine, which has less calories and can actually help blood flow, when consumed in moderation. Also instead of eating fried chips everyday, he eats nuts and non-butter, low sodium popcorn.

Choose healthy fast food options

I am always about managing time and this includes meals. I love fast food, but I also know the dangers of having it all the time. These days I choose healthy fast food, such as Boston Market, Koo Koo Roo, and Robeks. Depending on what you get you have small portions and you can get your daily dose of vitamins, fiber, veges and fruits. Some might say that it is too pricey, but what I say to that is what is the price for your high quality of life and health? Would you spend more on preventative health or more on hospital bills?

Don’t eat past 10 PM or 2 hours before you go to sleep

Whenever I eat late, I have terrible indigestion. Also, research has shown that it is harder for food to digest right before you go to sleep because you are not actively burning calories as you would be awake.

Get rid of a lot of the snacks and candy

Getting rid of most of the snacks on the table can be beneficial. I know that when I buy snacks and leave it on the table or in my view, I eat it for no apparent reason. I’m not even hungry, but I feel like I need to eat it because it is there. I consume less snacks now, merely by not having them by me.