Does losing weight mean you have to diet? . Unfortunately the word diet often brings to mind starvation. But guess what – you can’t keep up an eating plan that consists of starvation. Sure you may lose the weight in the short run, but at some point, sooner rather than later, your body will demand that you eat – and the weight will come back with a vengeance.
If you truly want to lose weight, don’t worry about the word diet and follow these simple secrets for successful weight loss.
1. Keep a food Journal . Log down everything you eat for two weeks. Include how much you eat, when and where. Write down how you’re feeling so that you can track if your eating is a response to some sort of emotional trigger . Review your food diary and you’ll be surprised to find out where the bad habits are – and you’ll quickly be able to remedy them.
2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate . Often we think we’re hungry when we’re really just thirsty. To combat this, try drinking water regularly, as often as every hour. . A body full of water will be less likely to snack on food and consume unnecessary calories.
3. Get Moving – Yes, this is one of the best secrets to weight loss. The more you exercise the less careful you’ll need to be about counting every calorie. Exercise will also lift your metabolism – the rate at which you burn calories, even when you’re not exercising . Another great thing about exercise – it make you feel better which means you’ll be less likely to reach for a snack when things aren’t going your way.
4. Be Mindful of your portions – Most Americans eat too much at a meal. Restaurant meals definitely come in super size portions – plan from the beginning to take some home with you. But even at home, we can overfill our plates and our stomachs – long after we’ve reached a point of fullness.
5. Don’t skip meals – you may think skipping one of the three meals out of your day will help you lose pounds , but that isn’t the case. You’ll just slow down your metabolism and wind up with a case of the hungries – this means you’re more likely to overeat at lunchtime to compensate for your empty belly.
6. Eat Your Spinach – vegetables are a fat free low calorie food and fill you up with fiber . Make your servings of vegetables at dinner and lunch the largest on your plate and you’ll find the pounds slipping away – one note, broccoli in cheese sauce doesn’t count.
7. Plan Healthy Snacks – Snacks are ok when you’re trying to lose weight, but don’t get caught staring at a vending machine and reaching for a candy bar just to satisfy your cravings . Plan to carry healthy, low fat snacks around – whether its fruit, or low fat crackers or popcorn – just stash them in your bag so that you reach for them at snack time.
Using these simple strategies you can unlock the secrets of losing weight without dieting. Keep yourself hydrated, exercise, and watch your portion size and you will soon be losing weight.
Callie Lane is a mom who knows how hard it is to lose the baby weight. Claim your copy of the Secrets of a Skinny Mom today.