Tips for Weight Loss Success

1. Don't Eat Three Hours Before Bed:  You will want to make sure that you eat your last meal at least two to three hours before bed.  The reason for this is because it will keep undigested carbohydrates from being stored as fat. If you must have something a good choice would be a small protein drink, a pro-biotic yogurt or a huge glass of milk.  This can be a hard rule to keep, but you lose weight faster by doing this. 

2. Drink water:  drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day will help you lose weight for a couple reasons.  One being that it keeps you more full during the day. Sometimes thirst pains feel the same as hunger pains.  If you stay hydrated all day you will keep craving at bay. Two, it helps flush toxins from your system.  For an extra bonus add half a lemon to 2 cups of water.  The lemon juice helps decrease water retention and detoxify the liver.

3. Use Portion Control:  be sure to eat smaller portions.  A great tip that I learned is to use a desert plate for my main meal. Meat should be no larger then the size of your palm.  Fruit should be no larger then the size of your fist.  Have no more then one cup of potatoes, rice or pasta.  If you usually eat two of something just have one.  For example if you could eat two large hot dogs just have one.  You will be hungry for a while until your stomach shrinks, but fill up with water and veggies are always a good choice to have more of at meals.

4. Cut The Salt Intake: salt is hidden in so many canned and already prepared foods.  Too much salt is bad for you in general and cutting it out of your diet will help you lose weight.  Check out the sodium in the food you eat and if you feel it is too high, look for food that is low in sodium.  Also you can purchase herbs and spices that contain no salt to give your food more taste. 

5. Eat 5 to 6 Small Meals A Day:  by doing this you will fuel the metabolism all day.  When someone starves themselves for most of the day the body will go into starvation mode and the metabolism slows down.  By eating small meals every couple hours it will keep you full and energized all day.  Think of your metabolism like it's a roaring fire.  If you keep adding wood to the fire it will burn all day long, if you stop putting wood in, it will burn away to nothing.  That is an illustration that has helped me understand why it is important to eat small meals all day and not starve myself to lose weight.  It is also much easier to stick to an eating plan when you feel full and satisfied all the time.  It can also stop evening binging. 

6. Time Your Meals:  It takes 20 minutes for the brain to realize that the stomach is full.  Try to enjoy your food and take 20 minutes to eat your meal.  If you normally eat fast and you find it hard to eat slow, set the timer for 15 minutes after you are finished eating. Get busy doing something and when the timer goes off you more then likely will feel full.  Also drink one to two cups of water with each meal.  That will help you feel full faster without adding more calories to your meal.

7. Toss The Junk:  get rid of all the "junk food" in your house.  They will not help you get the body and health you desire.  Throw out anything that contains or are high in hydrogenated oils, trans fats, sugar, white flour, saturated fats and sodium.  By doing this and turn to healthy foods your body will thank you and you will reach your weight loss goals.

8. Snacks: pre pack healthy snacks.  If you find your self busy you can grab a quick pre packed snack.  Keep them in your vehicle as well so the need to go to a drive through will not be there.  Healthy snacks that you can pre pack could be, mixed nuts (no sodium), baby carrots, apples, protein drinks or bars. 

9. Don't Diet:  diets will not work for permanent weight loss.  Practice healthy eating habits, don't starve yourself, use portion control and do not deprive yourself.  If you want to eat a piece of cake at a party eat it.  Just make sure that you use portion control when you eat it and continue eating healthy for the rest of the day.

10. Learn How to Cook Healthy:  there are thousands upon thousands of recipe books that will show you how to make good healthy meals.  There are many different ways to cook food. Some are bad and some are good.  If you learn how to cook properly you should have no problems losing weight and your family will get healthier with you.

11. Keep Stress Out of Your Life: stress can lead to so many health issues including obesity.  If you live on planet earth you will be faced with stressful situations.  The good news is that you can chose not to be stressed out.  If you are starting to feel negative, start speaking the opposite of what you are feeling.  Speak positive words and remind your self that it's going to be alright.  When you feel stress coming on, start taking deep breaths and count to ten in your head.  If you are feeling depressed put on some of your favorite music and dance to it.  Daily exercise is also a great stress reliever as well as stretching and yoga.  Find the simple things during the day that could bring you joy.  For example on your way to work in the morning notice the beautiful sunrise.   Try and find things to be thankful for daily.  Think about the things you are thankful for often during the day.  If you try these tips and still feel a lot of stress talk to your doctor because the are three different stages of stress and if you are in stage three you will need help.  Do not be afraid to get that help.  Just remember you do not have to live with stress.