Weight loss tips

  • Eat three small meals and two snacks daily instead of two or three huge meals.
  • Eat slowly and chew each bite completely to decrease your appetite.
  • Use a smaller plate than usual for dinner. This will make you feel like you ate more than you actually did.
  • Don't eat while preparing meals. Chewing gum helps to overcome this.
  • Read labels carefully as some low fat items are very high in calories.
  • Make sure that not more than a quarter of your calories comes from fat.
  • Use all the garlic, oregano, etc. that you want. Eating healthy doesn't mean you can't pack your food with flavor.
  • Get at least 25 grams of fiber every day. Not only does it ward off disease, but it actually blocks the absorption of calories.
  • Use freshly ground nutmeg or another seasoning instead of salt.
  • Reward yourself regularly, even if it's just a grin of approval in the mirror.
  • Don't weigh yourself every day. Instead, get on the scale once a week to avoid discouragement.
  • When ordering seafood in restaurants, choose the leanest types, such as haddock, sole, scrod, orange roughy, scallops, shrimp and crab.
  • Don't skip breakfast. You will lose weight more quickly if you have a bite to eat in the morning.
  • Do at least thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise, five days a week. This will condition you to burn fat more efficiently.
  • If you have a sit-down job, get up every hour and walk around for five minutes or so.
  • Foods with a glycemic index of 100 or above are very quick to release sugar into the bloodstream. To slow down this release, combine any food that has a high glycemic index with another that has a low one.
  • Avoid situations that tempt you to overeat. By avoiding certain situations, you can often break the habit of overeating. For example, you might try not to snack while watching TV.
  • Set short-term goals that lead to long-term goals. Short-term goals are easier to achieve and can help position you toward attaining your long-term goals.
  • Keep track of your progress by keeping a record of what you eat and how often you exercise. This way you can better evaluate your rate of success.
  • Be sure to eat foods from all 6 food groups on a daily basis:
    • Breads and Grains
    • Milk and Dairy
    • Fruits
    • Protein (Meat or Fish or Poultry)
    • Vegetables
    • Fats
  • Aim for gradual weight loss. You should not lose more than 1 to 2 pounds a week and there may be weeks when you lose nothing at all. Weigh yourself weekly. Don't worry about small daily changes in your weight.
  • Do not try a crash or fad diet that limits your intake to fewer than 1200 calories a day. Some such diets can damage your health; and you're more likely to suffer a rebound weight gain at the end of the diet.
  • Find a weight loss "buddy," club, or support group. This will make it easier to stick with your program.
  • Positive Body Image: once you start realizing that you have the power to change yourself, you will be on the road to improving not only your health but also your self-esteem and confidence.