26 Easy Ways to Lose Weight
March 4, 2013 at 11:47 AM If you’re trying to drop a few pounds, don’t start off by trying to overhaul all your eating and exercise habits. You’re better off finding several simple things you can do on a daily basis—along with following the cardinal rules of eating more vegetables and less fat and getting more physical activity. Together, they should send the scale numbers in the right direction: DOWN!
1. Eat fat releasing foods. (DUH!) These will help you feel fuller longer and not feel deprived from the fun foods. For example:
- Honey. Just 64 fat releasing calories in one tablespoon. Drizzle on fresh fruit.
- Eggs. Just 70 calories in one hard-boiled egg, loaded with fat releasing protein. Sprinkle with chives for an even more elegant treat.
- Part-skim ricotta cheese. Just 39 calories in one ounce of this food, packed with fat releasing calcium. Dollop over a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert.
- Dark chocolate. About 168 calories in a one-ounce square, but it’s packed with fat releasing fiber.
- Shrimp. Just 60 calories in 12 large.
2. Treat high caloric foods as Jewels in the Crown. For instance use a small scoop (tablespoon) of ice cream jewel) in a bowl of fresh fruit (crown). Or small amount of chips with large scoops of fresh salsa.
3. Drink plenty of water throughout the day instead of pop or sugary drinks. Juice with breakfast is fine but then the rest of the day drink water. Hate Water? Then check out my water vs. coke blog!
4. Food Journal!!!!!!!! I know it's like swearing when it comes to losing weight. But all of my clients who have lost weight and I am talking about a LOT of weight like 80 pounds, logged their food. They didn't have to do it forever but for a while until they could get a good grasp of their daily food intake to keep them around their allotted amount of calories per day. I highly highly recommend it. If you want me to help you with this process then check out these videos I put together for my clients using the Live Strong website. The Daily Plate is the easiest to use. Check them out here and start today!
5. Hook yourself up to a Pedometer and see how many feet you can walk in a single day. They are fun to play with and challenge yourself everyday to beat your number from yesterday. You will find yourself parking farther away and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Try it they are inexpensive now and totally worth the price on the scale.
6. Counting calories is monotonous and tedious but so informational. The first question I ask my clients about their caloric intake is roughly how many calories do you consume in a day? Most often they answer, "I have no idea." That is why they gain weight and haven't lost weight since way back when they were, you guessed it, counting calories. Take a guess then add 10% of your guess to the total, this is probably a more accurate number. Then take the BMR and find out exactly where you think you should be.
7. We have all heard this ONE. Eat several small meals instead of 3 large ones. Include healthy snacks like fruit and veggies or hardboiled eggs.
8. Walking is a great way to get some exercise and socialize. Grab the dog, your kids or some friends and instead of going out to eat go for a walk downtown or around the nearest park. You will talk more openly, get fresh air and burn off some calories.
9. Find a workout buddy. Working out can be so much more fun with someone to workout with. You can even find someone online. I have created an online community of women who are just like you who want to lose weight, find happiness and get healthy. You can find them on the Daily Plate site. Check out the videos and become part of our community.
10. BLUE!!!!! What the heck does the color blue have anything to do with health. Believe it or not the color blue has been known to be an appetite suppressant. Serve dinner on blue plates, maybe even paint the kitchen blue, guess what? My kitchen is blue. Weird. Use a blue tablecloth, or blue napkins. Try it and see for yourself.
11. Once you start losing weight take all your "fat" clothes and GET RID OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!! Make the decision once and for all that you are never going back there. ONE of my best clients had this moment of truth. She lost 80lbs and decided to get rid of her old clothes. She's a professional and had some great expensive outfits. Once they were in her trunk and off to the consignment store, she had to get clear on her goals, and make the DECISION that she was never going back to 240 and had to shut the trunk and speed away. She has kept this weight off not only because if she gained it back she would have to be naked all the time, but because she made the promise to herself that her health meant more to her than a few outfits.
12. Dinner Time Down Size. Just because the fast food chain has all gone crazy with supersized meals doesn't mean we should do this at home. Use smaller dinner plates and larger glasses for water.
13. Use the restaurant style serving in your home. Instead of putting all the food on platters in the middle of the table serve it once and once your plate is empty your done. There are no seconds.
14. Put out a veggie platter for quick snacks during the day rather than chips, cookies or breads reach for veggies instead.
15. Build up your high carb meals with more veggies. You can eat more pasta if you add more veggies.
16. Eat breakfast in the morning. Eating breakfast will boost your metabolism since your body has basically been fasting for 8-9 hours in the night. It needs that boost. Instead of reaching for high caffeinated drinks and Cap'n Crunch reach for higher fiber cereals that keep you feeling fuller for longer, like Total or Grape Nuts.
17. Serve yourself less food and refuse to go back for seconds. We as a society eat far too much for our bodies. Eating more calories than our bodies needs leads to weight gain.
18. Eat slower and savor each bite. This will give your body time to react to what you are doing, eating, and then it will feel full before you have time to reach for the 3rd buttered roll.
19. Eat when you are hungry. The second question I ask my clients is why do you eat? They answer almost everything other than because I'm hungry. They eat out of boredom, the kids are eating, my family gets together all the time, I'm watching TV or a movie, or out of stress. The list goes on and on. But what is food for really? It's for nourishment. It's not for entertainment. It's not for socializing. It's so our body can function at its best! So wait for the hunger pangs before you indulge.
20. Eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juices. The complex surgars in whole fresh fruits is much better for your body than simple surgars we get from fruice juices.
21. Plan active outings with your family once a week, including your kids, partner/spouse and don't forget the dog. Plan a picnic/hike. Where you pack your healthy lunch and hike to the best spot on top of that large hill over there. Remember to bring plenty of water!
22. Take a quick walk after dinner. This will allow for better digestion and make you feel more positive about your weight loss. Getting the fresh air and movement will burn calories and build a great habit.
23. Choose to walk instead of watch TV. You can pick one program that you are not that interested in and decide to go for a walk instead.
24. Eat most of your calories before noon. It has been proven that if you eat more in the morning then you will eat less in the evening. Plus you will have time in the later part of the day to burn off some of those calories. Start to taper your calorie intake by early afternoon.
25. Sniff a banana, an apple, or a peppermint when you feel hungry. You might feel silly, but it works. When Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, tried this with 3,000 volunteers, he found that the more frequently people sniffed, the less hungry they were and the more weight they lost — an average of 30 pounds each. One theory is that sniffing the food tricks the brain into thinking you’re actually eating it.
26. Brush your teeth after every meal. The mint will trigger your brain that meal time is over. Plus eating after brushing won't taste as good. =)
There you go! My top list of 26 Easy ways to lose weight. Try it for 26 days and post how your weight loss journey goes. Also let us know which ones were easier for you and which were very difficult and what were the results.
Have a wonderul week.
