Losing weight is not easy. But, just as with any other project you take on, there are ways to make it a little easier on yourself. Check out these seven tips for losing weight faster.
1.Build muscle – Muscle burns more calories than fat, even when you’re resting. So, the more muscle you have, the more you can eat without gaining weight. Dieters sometimes avoid strength training in favor of cardiovascular routines that burn fat. And, while burning fat is important, your cardiovascular exercise should be combined with some strength training to help you build muscle. This makes it easier to lose the weight and to keep it off.
2.Eat several small meals – Eating five or six small meals in a day is more effective for losing weight than eating three larger meals. By eating several times a day, you’re keeping your metabolism revved up more than if you eat less frequently. Plan ahead to be sure you have healthy foods on hand. It’s easy to overeat or eat the wrong things because you didn’t keep the right things available. You can also eat three larger meals with two small snacks if that works better with your schedule. Just avoid going for more than 3 hours without eating.
3.Do High Intensity Workouts – Working out at a higher intensity burns more calories, so work as hard as you can when you perform cardiovascular workouts, even if it means your workouts are shorter. If you’re not up to high intensity workouts just yet, work out at a low intensity, but for longer. You can get nearly the same results with long low intensity workouts, particularly if they’re performed first thing in the morning before breakfast. Aim for one hour of slow or moderate paced walking.
4.Drink water – When your body is dehydrated, your metabolism slows down, stalling your weight loss efforts. Drink eight glasses of water a day. This helps ensure that you stay hydrated so your metabolism can function efficiently.
5.Eat slowly – Take the time to savor every bite, and don’t eat while you’re doing other things. Enjoying your food not only helps you feel full on fewer calories, but it also helps you to avoid that feeling of deprivation that often comes with dieting. When you feel deprived, you often give up.
6.Eat Fiber – Fiber helps you stay feeling full, and often on very few calories. So, aim to eat between 25-35 grams of fiber every day. It also helps lower cholesterol.
7.Avoid white flour and sugar. While it isn’t necessary to avoid carbohydrates all together to lose weight effectively, avoiding the two worst carbohydrates will help your weight loss significantly. Foods made with white flour and sugar really put the weight on. Choose whole grain breads and pastas and stay away from the sugary foods, too.
In the end, losing weight comes down to watching what you eat and getting enough exercise. But, these tips can make taking off the pounds so much easier!
P. Zerkle writes about getting an lpn to bsn.
