Free tips for losing weight

Losing weight is one of the things that most people find extremely hard, even impossible to achieve. In this section we try to provide you with simple facts, information and tips that will help you lose weight and keep it off your body for ever.

Weight loss tips

Set up a weight loss plan that includes diet and exercise and stick to it for as long as it takes.
Change the way you eat. Do not eat whatever comes to your mind; have a plan, a range of food and dishes that you are 'allowed' to eat and stick to them. If you over-eat at lunch, eat less at dinner.
Chose a diet that is right for you. Visit a doctor and consult him.
As a general rule, in order to lose weight, you have to output more energy than the one you input. You input energy by eating and you output energy by exercising. It's that simple. Even if you do not use a diet, if you burn more energy by exercising than the one you receive by eating, you will lose weight.
Believe that it is possible to lose weight. If you do not really believe it, do not try at all. Try to imagine or visualize yourself how it will be after you have achieved your weight-loss goal and keep that image to gain courage and strength.
Change your daily habits, especially the ones involving food and drink. Spend more time in exercising, less time on eating.
Cut down on sodas, diet or not.
Read a book or find online how your body works. Read about calories, fat, unsaturated fat, proteins, carbohydrates etc. Understand what you have to do in order to start losing weight. Following a set of rules without really knowing why is not good. Knowledge is important. Your body might react differently than other people's body and it's up to you to know.
Cut down on sugar, coffee and sweets.
Eat more vegetables.
Try to make exercising an everyday habit. If you cannot go to the gym, exercise at home. Buy a bike and exercise with it while you listen to your favorite music or watch your favorite program on TV. Doing so will make the exercise time 'fly'.
Do not follow diets that make you lose too much fat, fast. They are not good for your health and the results are not permanent. Long term diets are best, especially if they are combined with exercise and you manage to turn them into a way of life.
Do not take diet pills, or other magic potions. The secret to weight loss is exercise and diet. Nothing else.
It is scientifically proven that women lose weight slower than men. If you are a woman, be a bit more patient. Do not compare yourselves to others. People are different and so is the way they lose weight.
Take vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements. They are extremely good for your health.
Find out what your ideal weight is (you can find ideal weight calculators on the Internet). The ideal weight is based on your body frame (small, medium or large) and your height; based on these two values, it tells you what the right weight would be for you. Once you find out your ideal weight, set that as a target.
Stop eating junk food. They are bad for your health. This is a fact.
Buy a scale (preferably an electronic one) and measure your weight every day. Make it a habit and weight every day, at the same time, Keep a log of your daily measurements to see how you progress. Have in mind that your day to day weight may fuctuate by one to two pounds (1/2 to 1 kilo). That is natural. What is important is the trends over longer time periods.
The normal weight loss rate should be a pound a week. Anything less than that means that you are doing something wrong, or you have reached the end of your diet.
Exercising while being on diet is very important. If you do not exercise, you will lose muscle, not fat. What you want to achieve is to build muscle, if possible, and burn fat. This can only be accomplished by exercising regularly and at the same time following a diet.
Exercise with a friend, if possible. Go to a gym, swim, walk, jog, play squash or bascetball. Find something that you like to do and exercise at least 3 times a week for an hour every time.
Exercising means burnong calories and fat. Being on a diet alone, will not make you lose weight.
Exercising in the morning is more efficient in fat burning than exercising any other time. If you can do some exrcise in the morning it would be ideal. Nevertheless, if you can't, exercise any time of the day you can.
Get rid of bad eating or drinking habits. Find something useful to do instead.
Eat slower. Eating slow will give your brain the time it needs to know you are full, when your stomach gets full.
Serve yourself a portion of food and only eat that portion. Do not eat from a large platter or serving dish. Try to control and limit the amount of food you eat to one portion.
Read the labels on the food you buy. Learn what is good and what is bad for you.
Do not starve before eating a main meal. Doing so will probably result in eating more than you need before your brain sends you a signal to stop. Eat healthy snacks between meals.
Drink lots of water. It is an essential ingredient for your body.
Fat is necessary for the body. Include in your diet essential fatty acids such as Omega 3, 6 and 9. Check for food that is rich in these fatty acids and include it in your daily diet.
Try to not get bored with your meals. Do not at the same things over and over again or you will get bored and tired, it's natural. Look for new recipes, new ingredients and new ways to cook things. Watching your diet can be a fun thing to do.
Become organized. This will help you put everything in order and become more efficient.
Plan meals in advance. Know what to eat every day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cook food at night, if possible, for the following day. Make weekly plans and shop once a week.
Learn what calories are, how you gain and how you lose them. Learcn how many you are allowed daily and how many you can burn by doing specific exercises.
Include lots of fiber in your diet. Fiber is good for the health and good for constipation problems that may result from your diet.
Walk as much as you can. Avoid taking the car when you can walk. Try to walk as much as possible, at home or at work.
Quit eating sugar, sweets or anything else containing sugar. Sugar is extremely bad for yourself and makes you fat. The more refined the sugar, the more bad it does to you. Try to reduce the amount of sugar ou take daily and get completely rid of it as soon as possible.
Avoid sugar substitutes. They are even worst than real sugar.
Avoid pasta and white bread. They are bad for your health and bad for your diet.
Avoid alcohol. It is bad for the health. If you want to have a drink, have a glass of red wine with lunch.
Eat fruit between meals. Fruits contain very few calories and may cut down your hunger if eaten 30 minutes before having a meal.
Drink a small glass of water before having a meal. It can help limit your appetite.
Regulate your portions. Try to eat smaller portions, more often.
Include protein in your everyday diet. Protein is said to suppress appetite and cravings. Good sources of protein include chicken, eggs, meat and fish.