More Fast Weight Loss Secrets
November 13, 2011
More Fast Weight Loss Secrets
With the holiday season just around the corner, 2012 will be over before you know it… If you are waiting till Jan 1st 2012 to set your weight loss goals, you might be waiting too long…
If your goal is to lose weight in 2012 then you need to start planning NOW…
Secret #1: Planning.
As the saying goes…”If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. So the key is your plans to lose weight in 2012 have to been on paper BEFORE 2012 starts. This means doing all the necessary research ( like reading this article ) and creating a simple system that you can use as a sort of GPS to navigate through the weight loss journey. You don’t want to start looking for directions AFTER you are lost, do you?
Secret #2: Simplicity.
Your plan needs to be simple and easy to remember. We tend to complicate things because somehow simple things don’t seem that important or “REAL”. “Common sense is not that common!”
Secret #3: Foundation.
Your plan need to be simple and should also build a solid foundation that you can use to make more progress with time. Often in a fit of inspiration we set out to do things that are far too ambitious and once the initial inspiration wears off, we get too overwhelmed with our overly ambitious goals and give up all together.
Small changes made over a period of time are more likely to be long lasting that major changes made in a short time…
So as another old saying goes… ” Slow and steady wins the race..”
Secret #4: Short-Term Goals/Milestones and Rewards.
Your plan needs to have short-term goals or milestones. So when you hit your milestones you can reward yourself. This keeps the fuel burning inside you and keeps you energized to hit the next milestone. It also cuts out the anxiety that comes with having a long-term goal.
In a nutshell, “Rewards reinforce the new behavior!”.
Having said that, we will now tie all the principles together to lose 50 pounds next year….
A few things to remember..
1. One pound equals 3500 calories. So on average you will need to lose 500 calories daily to lose one pound in a week.
2. Walking 1 mile burns a little more than 100 calories.
3. One year has 52 weeks in it.
4. So, if you lose a pound a week, you will lose at least 50 pounds or more in a year ( barring weight loss plateaus and unforeseen events..which I will cover in my next post).
Now that all the principles and basics are out of the way, here is the plan…
Principles ( Keep it simple and build a foundation )
1. Walk for 30 daily. You can walk for 15 minutes after lunch and 15 minutes after dinner. You will burn about 200-250 calories.
2. Eat whatever you want but in moderation. No second helpings. There will be times when you just cannot resist a second helping. That’s ok. It just means you are going to walk an extra 15 minutes that day. Of course, don’t use this as an excuse to have a third helping and walk 30 extra minutes!
3. Weigh yourself on a specific day every week, e.g. Friday.
4. Eat only salad ( with or without chicken/fish/beef/tofu ) for dinner,1-2 days per week. Make sure that you at least eat salad the day before your weigh in. So, no carbs for dinner before weigh-in day.
5. Drink a glass of water before and after every meal.
6. Have 3 square meals daily. If you eat a light lunch and get hungry again, have a snack. ( e.g. Fruit and 1 serving of mixed nuts, or fat-free yogurt and granola ).
7. Do not skip meals and do not go hungry.
There will be weeks when you will fall off the wagon… This could be a result of too many big lunches or dinners or too many drinks and/or little exercise. It’s ok. This is an opportunity to re-assess the foundation plan and start anew. Since this will be a permanent change you are making, it’s really important not to be too hard on yourself.
When you fall off the wagon, go back to following the plan, one day at a time and in no time you will have enough momentum as you keep building on success of each day. You can always walk an extra few minutes each day the next week to make up for lost time or replace salads for a few more meals the next week. The key is to not see one day or week of being off the plan as DISASTER or CATASTROPHIC FAILURE!
Principle #4 ( Short-term goals and rewards )
It’s also essential to reward yourself whenever you reach a small-term goal or a milestone. For some this goal might be reached with every 5 pounds lost and for some it might be every inch lost around the waist. Make sure your short-term goals are within reach. For e.g. a reasonable goal is to lose 4 pounds in a month. Once you do, you reward yourself with say new shoes, or that iPod shuffle you’ve had your eyes on.
Or it might be just rewarding yourself with an ice-cream or some pizza for following the plan successfully for a week.
This reinforces your success and keeps you inspired to achieve your next goal. This is especially important when making changes to your lifestyle, weight loss or otherwise.
Make sure you make the rewards a part of the plan for at least the first few short term goals. This means writing down exactly what your short term goals are and what you plan to reward yourself with when you reach them. This eliminates confusion that comes with keeping it all in your head.
More Weight Loss Secrets
Don’t you ever look at super slim people and wonder what weight loss secrets they have? These people seem to be able to remain effortlessly slim, and maintain their weight as they age. It is very easy to resent them and attribute their good looks and slim physiques to good luck or some other factors that you feel that you do not possess. If you really want to lose weight as well, you have to learn the weight loss secrets that they seem to know.
You will notice one thing about super slim people. They are always active. This is probably the biggest of the weight loss secrets that they have. The converse is also true. Overweight people tend to spend a lot of time on their couches, leading a sedentary existence. If you spend a lot of time in front of your television or doing a job that requires you to sit for long periods, you too will find it very difficult to lose weight.
You may not find it possible to do anything about the nature of your job, but you certainly could increase your activity levels. Try to avoid taking your car out when you run errands. You could also take the stairs as often as possible instead of riding in elevators.
One of the biggest culprits is the habit of watching too much television. One of the greatest weight loss secrets of extremely fit people is that they do not park themselves in front of the television.
Physically fit people also rarely have bad food habits. They may not necessarily starve themselves due to some fad diet, but you will rarely catch them overeating. One of the most important weight loss secrets that you should be aware of is how to eat correctly. You have to find the correct balance between starving yourself and overindulging in all kinds of rich foods.
This is really very easy to do. You have to be extremely careful of what you choose to eat. With some smart substitutions, you can manage to have a great meal without depriving yourself of the taste experience. You also have to be extremely careful of your portion sizes.
Watching television while eating a meal is probably the worst thing you could do. Get rid of this habit and you will be able to bring your weight under control. Look at your slim friends or acquaintances and learn these good habits from them if you want to lose weight.
Last Bit of Advise
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a pill you could take that made your weight just drop off without any effort? (I would be first in the queue if there was any such pill!!) Unfortunately I can’t provide such a pill or tell you of anyone who has come up with any such ‘miracle cure’, but what I can do today though is provide you with 8 power diet tips for rapid and safe weight loss.
So here we go!
Power Tip # 1- Keep a Food Journal
People always eat more than they think. Dipping your finger into the cake mixture or eating your child’s left over biscuit are still calories and needs to be counted. Write down everything you eat and be honest! You’ll soon see why you are not losing weight and what you need to cut out to make your weight loss more rapid.
Power Tip # 2 – Drink plenty of water
Often thirst can be mistaken for hunger and a drink of water can alleviate hunger pangs. Also drink a full glass of water before eating your meal and you will feel more full and eat less.
Power Tip # 3 – Exercise
Regular exercise will speed up your metabolism and have the added bonus of making you feel good. Exercise releases ‘feel good’ endorphins’.
Power Tip # 4 – Smaller plates
Sounds crazy doesn’t it?! But it’s well known that we will eat what is put in front of us. By giving yourself a smaller portion in a smaller plate, you will end up eating less. So, eat your food from a smaller plate!
Power Tip # 5 – Eat regularly
Eat five or six small meals a day. This keeps your body working all day – i.e. increased rate of metabolism, keeps your energy levels up and keeps hunger pangs at bay. This way you will also burn more calories than you normally would with the conventional three meals you are used to have.
Power Tip # 6 – Choose wisely
When shopping, read the labels carefully. There is no such thing as low fat cheese for example, it just has a bit less fat. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and opt for low calorie drinks.
Power Tip # 7 – Alcohol = Empty calories!!
If you do have to have a drink then drink something like a wine spritzer where you top up the wine with a large amount of soda water. This way you will stay hydrated and drink less alcohol. Keep in mind that alcohol has major calorie content, so if possible, opt for a non-alcoholic drink. This will make losing those extra pounds just that much easier, or at least save you from adding on any extra weight.
Power Tip # 8 – Rewards
Reward yourself regularly for your achievements. You deserve it.
With these 8 power diet tips at your fingertips you don’t need a diet pill. Just follow them, and you will be well on your way to shedding those extra pounds, fast!
Hope you found this very useful it has worked for thousands!
Virginia,
Lose Weight Fast
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