CHANGE ONE: WHAT YOU EAT
ELIMINATE RED MEAT
If foods like burgers are basic to your current diet, cutting out red meat can go a long way in helping you make healthier meal choices.
By building your meals around fish and poultry, you can more easily keep temptation at bay by eliminating many poor fast food and restaurant choices, which are over-sized and high in fat.
To keep your shellfish, fish, chicken, and turkey diet-friendly, be sure to choose the right preparation method.
Be wary of creamy, high-cal condiments that come with entrees, like tartar sauce or special sauce on grilled chicken sandwiches.
CUT OUT FRIED FOODS
Keep your healthier choices truly healthy by grilling, baking, roasting, broiling or boiling them.
Keep things interesting by adding fat-free condiments to your usual fare. A tangy barbecue sauce will give boiled chicken a kick. Lemon-herb dressing will complement broiled fish deliciously. People love saying salsa and, if you ask me, it makes just about anything taste even better.
Make sure your spice rack is always stocked with plenty of herbs and spices so you can doctor up your favorite dishes to your own taste without adding any additional fat or calories. Plant an herb garden and you'll never run out!
If you often eat fast food, forget that combos even exist; they seem like a better deal, but they're just not worth the extra calories! Stick to a grilled chicken sandwich and a side salad when you're on the run.
START WITH SOUP OR SALAD.
Having a salad or cup of soup for starters can be an at-home habit that pays off in pounds-lost. They can curb your hunger, prevent over-eating, and help you stay in control of portions.
Choose a broth or tomato-based soup like minestrone (rather than a cream- or milk-based choice). Vegetable soup made with broth, stock, or tomato soup is ideal, because the veggies will help fill you up and give you a fiber and nutrition boost.
Top your salad with low-cal dressing or balsamic vinegar. An added plus of having a salad before every meal is getting more fiber, something we all need plenty of. Be sure to include lots of veggies and dark mixed greens like spinach in your salads.
FINISH WITH FRUIT.
Instead of reaching for the cookie jar or helping yourself to dessert after meals, make a point to finish off with naturally-sweet fruit instead of sinfully-sweet treats.
Not only will you save fat and calories, you will also have the added benefit of extra vitamins, minerals and fiber. Few of us eat as much fruit as recommended.
In time, you will become accustomed to foregoing sweets and you'll look forward to your healthier treat just as much.
CHANGE TWO: WHAT YOU DRINK
Sometimes it's easy to focus so much on what we eat that we forget to include what we drink in our diet analysis. That can be a big problem, because the number of liquid calories you can consume without even realizing is quite astounding.
PUT THE KIBOSH ON COLA CONSUMPTION.
If you drink regular soda, you may be surprised at just how many additional calories you're taking in.
For example, for every 20 ounces of Coca-Cola you drink, you're consuming 250 calories. Drink several glasses a day and you can easily down 1,000 liquid calories.
If you're attempting to consume around 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day in order to lose weight, you've almost blown your entire calorie budget on soda!
When you think about how many calories you eat on average and then add in those empty calories, you'll realize what a waste drinking these sugary drinks is -- literally -- they go straight to your waist!
If you drink a lot of soda, think of how many calories you'll be saving if you trade it in for diet soda or water.
Hundreds? Even thousands? Remember, every 3,500 calories saved equals one pound lost!
DRINK UP THAT H20!
I know it sounds like a broken record, but it really is important to drink enough water every day. Reach for the rule-of-thumb goal of eight glasses per day.
Plus, drinking water more often will help you with tip #1 . You won't have time to drink soda! You may even find you crave water instead of soda once you begin drinking it more often.
Try going a day or two with no soda and then sit down to a glass; you'll probably be shocked at how overly-sweet it tastes.
DIET DRINK DILEMMA
Switching to diet sodas may sound like a sure-fire way to lose weight since they're virtually calorie-free. However, there is a controversial issue about artificial sweeteners' indirect effect on weight loss that might surprise you.
In the mid-1980's -- when the safety of artificial sweeteners was often headline news -- a study was published in a medical journal that suggested artificial sweeteners cause one's appetite to increase.
More recently, some health experts have suggested that artificial sweeteners actually cause cravings for sweet foods to increase. If so, this reaction definitely sets you up for making poor food choices. This can lead to a big problem, particularly if you tend to binge when you eat high-carb and sugar-rich foods.
STICK TO MINERAL WATER
This may go without saying, but they don't call it a beer belly for nothing. Alcoholic beverages are high-calorie and can lead to out-of-control eating. Try to cut down -- or better still, eliminate -- alcohol.
2006-12-23 18:50:36
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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I've found that a sensible diet that can be followed for a long time easily is the best way to lose weight, something like Weight Watchers or TOPS where you have choices of different foods for each meal. This helps you get used to a new way of eating and helps you make a lifestyle change. But you need to start an exercise program, too. Walking 3 miles a day is a great way to start and takes less than an hour a day. If you can't walk that far at first, start off slow and work up to 3 miles a day. The weight will come off at about 2 pounds a week, but it will stay off.
It is important to realize before starting a diet like this that the weight didn't come on overnight and so isn't going to disappear overnight. It takes time, but it's time well-spent!
2006-12-23 18:57:40
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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As a Varsity Wrestler at University. Maintaining strength while losing weight is an important part. It's a simple principle, you need to cut calories. Use an online Calorie Calculator to determine how much calories you need to eat to 'maintain' your weight with your current activity level. (Try menshealth.com or askmen.com) Keep a diet log of stuff you eat all day, everything you eat and drink..and before you go to eat it think about it "do I really want to add that to my log?" So simply cut some calories from what you currently eat and then do some running, some 30mins jogs at 60-70% max heart rate, so for you (120-140bpm), 4 times a week. Make sure to drink lots of water though just to replenish the body fluids lost by exercise.
As an athlete maintaining my weight 90k I require about 2000calories or so a day. So that would be a good place to start if you're going to try to lose weight, run and eat 2000calories a day.
2006-12-23 18:57:19
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answer #3
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answered by tdstorm9 2
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I would say trying to eat a set amount of meals per day. When I was really skinny (5'6" and 135 lbs.), it was because I would actually forget to eat some days. I would eat a meal, then forget the next ones because of fast-paced schedules. Now I'm 146, average. I think the best way to lose weight is to make sure that intake isn't a constant thing throughout days, that you're getting up to retrieve items as often as possible (Small actions add up), and that your life is active (Sports; running). Lifting weights doesn't really burn calories at all, nor help shed pounds.
2006-12-23 18:53:39
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answer #4
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answered by perfectlybaked 7
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Try a cleansing diet! I tried this and lost 11 pounds and 21 inches in 9 days. Then I continued it and lost 29 pounds in 5 weeks. This program works to remove the toxins in the body that are stored in the fat cells. You cannot get rid of the fat cells unless you get rid of the toxins. We get toxins from pesticides, preservatives, fast food additives, chemicals, pollution, smoke etc… All other diet programs work great for a few weeks then the weight loss slows to 1 or 2 pounds a week and the motivation drops. This was my first experience with cleansing and it worked wonderful! You can order at 1-877-587-4647. It is not a cheap program, but it works and is worth every penny! Give it a try and good luck! http://losebigweight.com
2006-12-24 08:26:21
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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Go on a salt free diet. Believe me that eliminates most food, and what is left doesn`t taste good. Makes it pretty easy not to over eat. Drink a 16 oz glass of water 15 minutes before every meal.
Some exercise will help, but most people, "Just don`t have the time to exercise". But with the above diet it isn`t necessary.
2006-12-23 19:03:28
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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strength Train 2-3 time a week and do cardio exercise 5-6 time a week. Cut out about 300-500 calories a day. Drink half your body weight in water. Good luck
2006-12-23 18:45:52
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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Eat three meals a day. Meaning no snacks in between meals. Walk about three miles at least three times a week. Stay away from junk food establishments, such as McDonalds. Eat alot of fruit, and drink at least eight full glasses of water a day.
2006-12-23 19:01:42
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answer #8
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answered by canbarra 2 2
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I believe it is not how much you eat, but what you eat. Concentrate on a low fat, low carb diet. Stay away from trans fat and processed sugars. You can make good healthy foods from many ingredients without the above, and still enjoy a good filling meal. Much of bad habit eating is learned taste since childhood. Learn to unlearn taste for bad foods. Good luck!
2006-12-23 18:54:09
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answer #9
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answered by FLHRCI 2
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of course diet and exercise... duhhh people...
but the best way is what you are asking!!! running is really good for you because it tones your body as well as just taking off all the weight... and swimming... eat grapefruit and a glass of water before every meal, eat three meals a day dont binge eat i know its so hard... dont eat after seven pm... frozen yogurt instead of ice cream... dont cut back on fat cut back on TRANS fats and SATURATED fats... eat balanced meals dont crash diet or eliminate a food group like carbs because you will "relapse" from your cravings... do crunches as soon as you wake up in the morning until your abs start to burn (or longer!) eat breakfast becasue it will help you from binging late at night... cut back on alcohol... and eats lots of celery!!! :)
2006-12-23 18:56:58
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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stay off the carbs. drink a full glass of water before every meal. start eating 1/2 portions of what you have been eating. Do not go back for seconds. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to realize that you are full.
2006-12-23 18:46:23
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answer #11
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answered by Niraj N 1
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