Healthy Weight Loss Tips

This guide is dedicated to providing you with healthy and practical weight loss & diet tips that will assist you in your quest to lose weight safely & naturally -- and keep it off!

You won't find any fancy diets or tricks here, just plain, simple common sense advice. Education is the key to weight loss success and it starts right here. Adjust these tips and techniques as you begin seeing success, to fit your individual needs.

Once you learn how your body uses food and how to balance your intake, you're well on your way. The weight loss potential, however, is limited only by your own drive and determination.

What You Need to Know to Lose Weight

About 3,500 calories equals one pound of weight. So, if you take in approximately 3,500 calories less or burn that amount during physical activity and exercise, you lose one pound.

If you want to loose weight, you will need to create a calorie shortage. You can best do this by reducing your calorie intake and increasing calorie expenditure. Doing both of these things at the same time is ideal, and will give you more satisfying results. You can begin slowly with one or the other if you need to, but eventually you will hit a "plateau" and will have to add the one you're skipping.

Is this difficult? It's not as hard as you may think, if you understand how it works. Slowly reducing your calorie intake by eliminating foods high in calories and fat, you'll begin seeing results. You will be surprised how eliminating just one soda a day results in weight loss. That's about 11 pounds a year! Now imagine combining this with the our weight loss tips and some good, old-fashioned exercise such as walking, weight training or aerobics. Not only will you be healthier, you'll need new clothes!

Slower, healthy weight loss means it will be easier to keep it off. Crash diets aren't healthy and are only a quick-fix. A practical goal is a 1-2 lbs a week, but you need to check with your doctor to see if this is reasonable for you.

Step on the scale and take your body measurements before you begin. You may lose inches before pounds if you begin exercising, and you'll need to know that you're still losing -- even if the scale doesn't initially reflect lost pounds.

Start with these healthy weight loss tips and you're one step closer to a more confident, slimmer YOU.

Eat Smart

Do not view food as your enemy. Having a healthy attitude towards it will help change your eating habits.

Identify which foods represent your weak spots. Eliminate some of them completely and reduce your intake of others.

Plan to feel some hunger, it's part of it. You can actually stop eating while still feeling hungry. As your body adjusts, it will become satisfied more easily.

Get used to reading food labels. This is necessary and very educational.

Try five small meals a day instead of three larger ones. This keeps your metabolism from slowing down and helps satisfy your desire to eat.

Swap foods. Get the lower calorie and fat version of your favorite foods, but read the labels and compare to make sure the claims are correct.

Mayonnaise and salad dressing are packed with calories and fat. Get the versions with no fat before you reduce anything else. Same with margarine.

Don't crash diet and don't go on very low-calorie diets. A life long change means simply reducing your calorie intake modestly.

There's nothing wrong with prepackaged weight loss meals such as Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers! You can combine this with your regular regimen.

Add spices to bland meals. Low-fat parmesan cheese is a great add-on to prepackaged meals. I love Mrs. Dash.

Drink water to keep your body hydrated. Your body NEEDS water to help eliminate fat.

Add water to your meals for a full feeling.

Expect a larger grocery bill as you buy healthier foods. It's worth it.

Fast fad Diets? Nope. You need to implement a life long change in your eating habits and physical activity.

Use a smaller plate. It will take less food to clean your plate.

Slowly make your portions smaller and cut your food into small pieces.

You can still eat meat, just invest in the leaner versions. Trim away any fat before cooking.

Get no-stick cooking spray and forget the oil and shortening.

Dietary fiber makes you feel full and is necessary for a healthy digestive system.

Always have some fruit on hand for a quick snack.

Limit your salt intake. Consider a salt substitute for a lifetime change.

Drain your meat and flush with hot water in a strainer after cooking to eliminate excessive fat.

Let your homemade soup sit in the fridge and spoon off the fat that collects at the top.

Steam, broil and bake before frying.

Chew your food slowly and quit before you're completely full. Studies show it takes 20 minutes for your brain to realize your stomach is full. If, after that time period, you're still hungry, eat more. Chances are, you won't.

Don't eat while you're watching TV or reading.

Diet sodas? Some people claim they only increase your appetite, but everybody is different. I've found they help considerably and the caffeine helps reduce my appetite.

Limit your alcohol intake.

Take a multi-vitamin daily.

Avoid Ramen soup. It's cheap, but packed with calories and sodium.

Don't deprive yourself of that favorite food. Just eat it in moderation.

Drink a glass of water with your meals but avoid "washing" down your food.

Surf the Internet for weight-loss support groups.

If you mess up, don't think you've ruined the entire day. This will lead to more overeating. Accept your mistake and get back on track the same day.

Create a food diary and log in everything you eat. Your calorie intake might be much higher than you think.

Make an effort every day to cut unhealthy foods from your diet. It doesn't have to be a lot, but you'll see results by doing this.

There are two ways you may feel when trying to loose weight. Hunger, or guilt from overeating. If you eat in moderation, you can reduce the hunger and eliminate the guilt -- a much better feeling.

Ideal Body Weight for Men

Ideal Body Weight for Women