Tips for Losing Weight

Nutrition

· Write down what and when you eat or drink each day and why. You may find that you consume excessive empty calories when you are bored or stressed.

· If you eat small meals throughout the day and a large meal in the evening, experiment with eating larger meals at breakfast and lunch and a smaller meal in the evening. Your body needs fuel when you are your most active, so plan your meals accordingly. If you workout and work at your job during the day, and relax in the evening, it only makes sense that you would need more calories during the day and less in the evening.

· Divide your calories throughout the day. If you plan to eat 2,100 calories a day, divide them into breakfast/snack, lunch/snack, dinner/snack and budget 700 calories per meal.

· Don’t skimp on meals. You will be more likely to overeat at night. If you’re not hungry, attempt to eat a small meal to help keep your blood sugar elevated. You can use your unused calorie allotment for a healthy snack later in the day.

· Be aware of the nutrition content on food labels. Look at the calories per serving, grams of sugar per serving, fiber, and fat content.

· Eat slowly. It takes the brain roughly twenty minutes to receive the signal that you have eaten enough. This signal doesn’t move faster by consuming more food. Take your time and put your fork down frequently. Enjoy the taste of your food.

· Eat soup before your main entrée. This will help fill you up and not load you down with calories.

· Eat your favorite foods regularly. What is the first thing that happens when you tell yourself that you can’t have a Snicker’s bar? You want a Snicker’s bar. Don’t deny yourself the things you enjoy. Just eat them in smaller portions. Eat half of a Snicker’s and put the other half away. You may find that you lose interest in eating these foods altogether.

· Compile a list of things you like to do that don’t require food, and do them when you feel like eating. We often eat when we are tired and bored.

· Follow a sound strength and conditioning program and be consistent. Do extra cardiovascular exercise on your days off.

· Losing weight takes a lot longer than gaining weight. Be patient and be consistent. If you are doing the things you need to do then healthy weight loss will happen. Stay positive and keep your eyes on the big picture.

· Drink plenty of fluids, but be careful of sugar-packed drinks like sodas, Kool-aid, lemonade, and Gatorade. Stick with water and sugar-free drinks.

· Drink a serving of the One Step liquid multi-vitamin/mineral every day to ensure that you are getting the recommended daily allowance for vitamins and minerals.