Weight Loss Tips
by Justin Leonard, ISSA CFT
Tip 1: Avoid Fad Diets
Fad diets can be dangerous because they generally don't include the needed nutrients for good health. These diets usually involve an unusual eating pattern (i.e. high protein, low carb), which can cause harmful side effects, even disease.
Tip 2: Cut Calories
This concept involves eating less food per meal. Try to eat smaller portions of the food you eat. By cutting calories, you literally "force" your body to burn fat.
Tip 3: Increase Meal Frequency
This is a very important step if you are trying to lose weight. The idea behind meal frequency is to increase metabolism speed in an effort to burn fat. This proven effective method works!
Tip 4: Cut Sodium
Decreasing salt from food prevents excess water retention. This is a negative because excess water retention only adds to the bulge, making those embarrassing areas more prominent.
Tip 5: Eat Fruits and Vegetables
Vegetables have literally no calories and are effective fat-burning tools because of their high fiber content. The best fiber sources include spinach, greens, green beans, lettuce, cauliflower, and broccoli.
Tip 6: Avoid Excess Simple Sugars
Examples of simple sugars are candy, soda, cookies, and refined sugar. This is an accident waiting to happen. When taken in excess, these goodies can turn into fat . . . Watch out!
Tip 7: Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol is nothing but "empty calories." Alcohol consists of 7 calories to the gram. Alcohol has absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever . . . barley (calories in this case) just sits in your stomach and produces excess fatty stores. This is by far one of the biggest fat-producing culprits.
Tip 8: Avoid Late Night Eating
The reason late night eating needs to be avoided comes down to one main point: slow metabolism. When the body isn't moving or active, calories are being stored. These stored calories become a fat hatching ground. Be careful, late night eating is a sure way to gain unwanted pounds.
Tip 9: Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking water regulates vitamins and minerals. It also helps to reduce water retention as a result of excess sodium. This can ultimately result in inches lost from the thighs, hips, buttocks, and abdominals. Water can also act as an appetite suppressant.
Tip 10: Avoid Excess Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are also a form of sugar. Examples are bread, pasta, potatoes, and rice. They aren't necessarily sweet, but when broken down by body proteins, they take the form of any other sugar. Remember to eat complex carbs in moderation. Try to cut carb intake in half around 3:00pm. This will minimize the chances of carb-to-fat conversion.
