It seems like there are hundreds of fad diets that sweep the nation every month, and someone who wants to drop their extra weight often wonders which one to use. The answer of course is none of them. No fad diet or pill can do for you what some other simple adjustments to your lifestyle can do. Sure, some of them might be useful in conjunction with some other simple steps, but the truth of the matter is that the real secret to weight loss is changing some behaviors in your life. Here are ten simple tips to lose weight, without some diet pill or magic shake.
1. Eliminate soda from your diet
It comes as a surprise to most people just how much sweet sodas add to their diet in calories. Some even come in at higher than 200 calories for a 12-ounce can! Eliminating soda does not mean simply switching to diet soda either. The point of this step is to eliminate useless air from your diet – which is just about all sodas add to a person’s nutritional values. Instead, switch to water or juices for your fluids each day.
2. Walk to places that are in reach
If someplace like work or school is within walking distance, then instead of taking the bus or driving, try walking. If the weather is nice, and you have the time, not only is a good walk a way to get some light exercise, it will likely also do wonders for your mood.
3. Portions
A healthy adult’s daily intake of calories should be somewhere between 2000-3000 calories, depending on how active they are. If you start to pay attention to your caloric intake, you might notice that it could be much, much higher than that – which contributes to weight gain. Reducing your portions, if this is the case, might do wonders for your weight.
4. Speed
Along the same lines, many people eat their food too quickly, and thus wind up eating more than they need – adding to their weight gain. Instead of wolfing down food like there’s no tomorrow, try slowing down your eating and then perhaps you will notice a reduction in your weight. You will also notice that you enjoy your food more when you slow down to really savor it.
5. Fast Food
Too much fast food is a serious problem for many who are trying to lose weight. Most fast food not only holds very little in the way of nutritional value, it also includes a huge amount of calories for the amount of food you actually eat. Trim out fast food from your diet, and limit visits to such restaurants to a few times a month.
6. Small meals
Along the same lines as the portions advice, try not to eat large meals. Many people have reported success in trying to lose weight by simply reducing the size of their meals and increasing the number of meals. Try making your breakfast, lunch, and dinner smaller meals, and interspersing healthy snacks in between to keep yourself from going hungry.
7. Go with the red, not the cream
There are often multiple styles of food that have varying types of sauces. Instead of using Alfredo sauces and other creamy, rich, buttery sauces, try switching to red sauces such as marinara. Additionally, instead of eating foods heavy in butter and creamy foods, try using seasonings such as Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, or curry. These spices are full of flavor, but don’t come with the fatty additional things creamy sauces do.
8. Make more social outings active ones
Many people have healthy social lives, but they spend an inordinate amount of time watching television, playing video games, or otherwise not being especially active. The next time you go out, try to make the outing more active. Try dancing, or some other fun activity, like Frisbee.
9. Brush your teeth
Brushing your teeth after every meal can help remind you that the time to eat is over. It can serve as a reminder that you are done eating, and then you will not remain hungry. Half of trying to lose weight is just reminding you of changes and things you already know you should be doing.
10. Get a buddy
Just as half of losing weight is the mental toughness to stick to your plan, someone to lean on and help remind you might seem like a pain to start with, but a friend who is helping you – or losing weight with you – will prove invaluable to your quest to drop those extra pounds.
