With thousands of diets, all with different rules, and conflicting advice on the best way to lose weight, it’s hard to know what works and what doesn’t. So regardless of the diet you’re trying, these lessons I've learned on my weight-loss journey are the ten rules I follow and you're sure to see the pounds fall off!
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1. Choose Low Fat Foods ...
Do your weekly shop online, and look up the fat content of what you are buying. If there are no fatty foods in the house, you won’t be able to eat them. I so cut back on cookies and chocolates after I stopped bringing this stuff home! And how that helped me lose that extra weight!!
2. Pick Healthy Snacks ...
Swap your chocolate bar and crisps for fruits and nuts, and you’ll notice the difference within days. I now take a sliced apple with me every day and whenever I feel hungry I no longer run for a candy bar thanks to the switch to healthier snacks!
3. Stand up for 10 Minutes in Every Hour ...
Standing boosts your metabolism, so you’ll digest your food much faster. If you have a chance to walk around the room or even dance for 10 minutes, it's even better!
4. Check That You Are Getting Your 5 a Day ...
Fruit and vegetables are often very filling, but low calorie, and so they will make sure you get to eat enough but without going over your recommended daily amount! Grapes, bananas, apples, oranges are my favorite and they are easy to take whenever you go too.
5. Give Yourself a Medium Portion, and Skip Seconds ...
It’s too easy to start with a small portion and pick at some more later, justifying it by how little you had earlier. Instead, eat a medium amount, and then stop.
6. Check What You Are Drinking ...
It's a common diet mistake to calorie analyze everything we eat, but forget about calories consumed in drinks. If you can, cut out all sugary drinks altogether, or at least allow yourself 5 cans a week for the start. I used to drink so much Cola every day, it was very hard for me to quit. But after I started drinking fresh juice and water every day, in about 3 weeks I couldn't even look at Cola. So it's just a matter of time.
7. Split up Your Meals ...
Eat to a schedule, or as close as you possibly can, so that your body learns when to expect food. Then, if you find that you get hungry again a few hours after meals, have half now and half later. That’s much more diet-friendly then hitting the biscuit tin when you get hungry! (Believe me, I know, I've been there!)
8. Wear a Pedometer ...
It’s unbelievable how much this will make you want to walk more, and you’ll take the stairs instead of the lift. Parking further will also become more fun. See how close to the recommended 10,000 steps you can get.
9. Have a Proper Mealtime when You Eat ...
If you’re watching TV, it can be easy to get distracted from how much you’ve actually eaten, so it's better to stay clear of the silver screen if you have food before you. I could actually eat twice as much when I was watching a show I liked, without even feeling full. So it's better to sit at the kitchen table and have that meal before your favorite show starts.
10. Check the Labels ...
A lot of ‘healthy’ milkshakes and smoothies contain really high sugar levels. Whenever is possible, substitute them with fresh squeezed juice. They taste great and they have no sugar, just fructose which does not turn into fat and vitamins which you need for the health and beauty of your skin and hair.
What I like about these 10 Rules is that not only they work, they can be tried without changing your lifestyle too much. But if you want some more advice on losing weight, check out 7 Fastest Ways to Lose Weight … post for other great tips.
Have you got a brilliant weight loss tip? Please share it with me!
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