A lot of us are heavier than we should be in terms of weight. Today, I am sharing this article I came across with you. Some of the suggestions are incredibly simple and can make a huge difference in terms of your weight and well-being.
Easy Ways to Lose Weight: 50+ Ideas
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. Once a week, indulge in a high-calorie-tasting, but low-calorie, treat. This should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher-calorie foods. For instance:
- Lobster. Just 83 calories in 3 ounces.
- Shrimp. Just 60 calories in 12 large.
- Smoked salmon. Just 66 calories in two ounces. Sprinkle with capers for an even more elegant treat.
- Whipped cream. Just 8 calories in one tablespoon. Drop a dollop over a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert.
2. Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown.
Make a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown.
Cut down on the chips by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling
fresh salsa, suggests Jeff Novick, director of nutrition at the Pritikin
Longevity Center & Spa in Florida. Balance a little cheese with a
lot of salad.
3. After breakfast, make water your primary drink. At breakfast, go ahead and drink orange juice. But throughout the rest of the day, focus on water instead of
juice or soda.
The average American consumes an extra 245 calories a day from soft
drinks. That’s nearly 90,000 calories a year — or 25 pounds! And
research shows that despite the calories, sugary drinks don’t trigger a
sense of fullness the way that food does.
4. Carry a palm-size notebook everywhere you go for one week.
Write down every single morsel that enters your lips — even water.
Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating
about 15 percent less food than those who don’t.
Plus:
8 Kitchen Cabinet Makeovers for Weight Loss
5. Buy a pedometer, clip it to your belt, and aim for an extra 1,000 steps a day.
On average, sedentary people take only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day.
Adding 2,000 steps will help you maintain your current weight and stop
gaining weight; adding more than that will help you lose weight.
6. Add 10 percent to the amount of daily calories you think you’re eating,
then adjust your eating habits accordingly. If you think you’re
consuming 1,700 calories a day and don’t understand why you’re not
losing weight, add another 170 calories to your guesstimate. Chances
are, the new number is more accurate.
7. Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals.
A 1999 South African study found that when men ate parts of their
morning meal at intervals over five hours, they consumed almost 30
percent fewer calories at lunch than when they ate a single breakfast.
Other studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories
distributed this way, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood
sugar steady and helps control hunger.
8. Walk for 45 minutes a day. The reason we’re
suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that a Duke
University study found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough
to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise
beyond
30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300
calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do
it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how
much you’re eating.
9. Find an online weight-loss buddy. A University of
Vermont study found that online weight-loss buddies help you keep the
weight off. The researchers followed volunteers for 18 months. Those
assigned to an Internet-based weight maintenance program sustained their
weight loss better than those who met face-to-face in a support group.
Plus:
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10. Bring the color blue into your life more often.
There’s a good reason you won’t see many fast-food restaurants decorated
in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite
suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you
eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red,
yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage
eating.
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