Losing Weight Is Easier Than You Think
Lose weight without going on a diet! It's not too
good to be true. You don't have to follow a strict
diet to get the ball rolling; making these easy but
effective changes really can help you lose weight.
 1.
Learn to Read Labels
To lose weight it is essential to pay attention to
food labels. Counting calories is impossible without
this skill. You should know how to find a food's
caloric content and its serving size. Comparing
labels among different foods and beverages is
crucial for making the healthier choices required to
lose weight. By law, the labels are required to
provide:
- information on how the food
fits into an overall daily diet
- will include information on
the amount per serving of
saturated fat, cholesterol,
dietary fiber, and other
nutrients of health concern to
today's consumers
- terms such as light,"
"fat-free," and "low-calorie"
meet government definitions
- be consistent across product
lines to make comparison
shopping easier
- expressed in common measures
- reflect amounts people
actually eat
2. Snack Smart
You can help prevent overeating and maintain blood
sugar levels by eating something about every three
hours. Getting too hungry will backfire on your
efforts to eat healthy and practice portion control.
Aim for a healthful, satisfying snack, such as an
apple and some reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Eating
more may seem counterintuitive, but smart snacking
will help you lose weight. Snacks like:
-
 Almonds
(unsalted preferably)
- Animal crackers
- Fruit snacks
- Graham crackers
- Mixed nuts
- Trail mixCanned fruit
- Fruit (apples will store
the best)
- Instant oatmeal
- Canned shakes (e.g.
Carnation Instant Breakfast,
Slim-Fast)
- Microwave soup cups
(broth-based and low sodium
preferably)
- Peanut butter and whole
grain crackers
- Egg (hard-boiled ahead
of time)
- Low-fat or non-fat
yogurt
- Single serving orange
juice bottles
- Single serving tomato
juice cans
- Reduced-fat pudding
packs
- Sliced veggies and
reduced-fat salad dressing
- Baked or reduced-fat
potato chips in a zipper bag
- Baked tortilla chips in
a zipper bag
- Cereal (low sugar
preferably) in a zipper bag
- Cereal bar
- Granola bar
- Mixed nuts in a zipper
bag
- Popcorn (preferably
air-popped) in a zipper bag
- Pretzels in a zipper bag
- Raisin mini boxes
3. Eat More Grains and Produce
Whole grains and fruits and veggies do more than
provide nutrients that improve your health and
reduce disease-risk; they can also help you lose
weight. They're naturally low in calories, so you
can eat more of them and have less room in your diet
for less-than-healthful foods. Plus, the fiber in
whole-grain foods and produce will help you feel
fuller longer (which helps you control portions and
avoid overeating) and as a result, lose weight.
Some examples of whole grain food
choices include:
- brown rice
- oatmeal
-
 popcorn
- whole wheat cereal
- muesli
- whole wheat bread
- whole wheat crackers
- whole wheat pasta
- whole wheat tortillas
- wild rice
- crackers
- corn and flour tortillas
- grits
- noodles
- spaghetti
- macaroni
- pitas
- corn flakes
- white bread
- white rice
4. Eat Enough, Often Enough
One of the worst ways to lose weight? Meal skipping.
Many people think skipping meals is a great way to
cut calories, but in the end, they fail to lose
weight. You'll be more likely to overeat or even
binge (when you finally do eat) if you do not eat
regular meals. Plus your body may go into
"starvation mode" if don't eat enough, causing you
to maintain (or even gain) rather than lose weight!
Stop Gulping Down Extra Calories, Depriving
Yourself, Believing Your Genes are to Blame, Meal
Skipping, Giving in to a Food-Pusher, Giving Up On
Losing Weight Your Way.
5.
 Drink
Plenty of Water
Water helps you lose weight in several ways: If you
tend to have a problem with "water weight," drinking
more water can help alleviate bloating. Replacing
high-cal drinks such as soda with water cuts
hundreds of calories. You shouldn't wait until
you're feeling thirsty to drink water; thirst can be
mistaken for hunger, causing you to overeat. Proper
hydration improves your sense of well-being, which
will keep up your motivation to lose weight.
6. Get Moving
It is virtually impossible to lose weight and keep
it off without exercising regularly. Start out today
by taking a brisk walk or riding a bike. Work your
way up from 10 minutes to 30-40 minutes a day, most
days a week, and you could reap health benefits and
weight loss results in a matter of weeks. Plus,
exercise boosts your metabolism, making it even
easier to lose weight.
7. Practice Portion Control
Measuring food may seem like a drudgery, but it will
prove invaluable in your efforts to lose weight.
Start out by comparing a measured standard serving
of foods to your typical helping. You may find you
usually consume two or even three times the
recommended serving. In time you will reprogram your
brain to eyeball portion sizes, a key skill for
losing weight. Break Leftovers Down, Say Yes to
Salads, Single out Trigger Foods, Master Mini Meals,
Keep Seconds Out of Sight, Make Meat a Side Dish.
8. Write it Down
What's the first thing I think anyone who wants to
lose weight should do? Keep a food diary. All you
have to do is jot down what, when, and how much you
eat in a notebook, or you can do it online at a Web
site like Calorie Count Plus. A food diary will give
you a clear picture of your current eating habits so
you can identify the changes you need to make to
lose weight.
 Create
and Assess Your Food Journal in Six Steps:
- Food and Beverage
- Nutrient Data
- Meal Times
- Location and Companions
- Hunger Scale
- Emotions
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