10 Realistic Weight Loss Tips

A lot of weight loss advice involves complicated and demanding life changes. Shopping and cooking complicated recipes, spending a fortune on dietary supplements, and long hard hours in the gym. The problem with this is that the more difficult the life changes are, the less likely you are to follow them in the long-term. If you want permanent results then you have to make permanent changes.

Here are some simple tips that can easily be incorporated into your lifestyle to help you lose weight and keep it off.

1) Consciously eat more slowly. It takes time for our brains to register that our stomach is full. If you eat more slowly you give your brain time to know when it is satisfied, rather than over full.

2) Always leave something with every meal, even if just a very small amount. Many people over eat because they were brought up to eat everything on their plate no matter how full they feel. Leaving something on the plate keeps you in the habit of being prepared to leave some food when you are satisfied. This one can really help.

3) Eat three pieces of fruit per day. Fruit is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, low in calories, and fills you up.

4) Reduce your intake of sugary drinks. The calories in drinks can soon add up, especially if you add sugar and cream to coffee. Even fruit juice drinks contain a lot of calories. Try drinking a few glasses of water per day and opting for sugar-free drinks. Cold drinks help you burn some additional calories as your body must reheat it to body temperature. If you must drink alcohol then try drinks such as vodka with low-calorie mixers.

5) Be more active. Try to find some exercise that you enjoy – that way you are more likely to stick to them. Some people love going to the gym, other people love playing competitive sports. We are all different so try to find what works best for you. Try to incorporate more activity into your life, such as walking or cycling to work, or taking the stairs instead of a lift.

6) Read labels on food. It’s quite surprising how some foods imply that they are low in calories or sugar when in reality they are not. For example ‘low fat’ mayonnaise’s still typically contain around 40% fat. With all the best will in the world, if you don’t read up on the nutritional values of food items then you are groping in the dark.

7) Eat only when you are hungry. It might sound obvious, but many people eat before they are hungry. Our bodies know how much fuel we need, and tells us by triggering feelings of hunger. Eating before you are hungry means over eating which leads to weight gain. There is nothing wrong with feeling a little hungry between meals.

8) Find out why you overeat. If for example you eat out of boredom, then find new hobbies. If you have other problems such as a lack of confidence or low self-esteem, then find a way of dealing with them. Hypnotherapy can help.

9) No excuses. Take responsibility for your weight. The laws of physics state that you must lose weight if you burn more calories than you consume. It is impossible to gain weight unless you eat more calories than you burn. Regularly remind yourself of this.

10) Be realistic. Remember you cannot live like a monk and the occasional indulgence is fine. Just be honest with yourself and admit when you are indulging.

Author bio:

Jon Rhodes is a popular clinical hypnotherapist from the UK. He has created his own powerful hypnosis audio programme Gastric Band Hypnotherapy. It aids weight loss by convincing the subconscious mind that you have experienced actual gastric band surgery.