20 useful tips how to lose weight

November 29, 2013  13:05

Usually everyone gains one to two pounds a year.

But consuming just 100 fewer calories each day is enough to avert that weight gain.

If you’re finding this out a little too late―and you want to actually lose some of that weight―you have to downsize by 500 calories a day. But you don’t have to slash them all from your plate, Fox News reports.

“You can eat 250 calories less and then burn 250 by walking for 30 to 45 minutes.” Dr. Holly Wyatt, a clinical researcher at the Center for Human Nutrition in Denver, said.

You won’t see dramatic changes immediately, but small tweaks like those that follow will pay off over time.

Tweak Your Diet

1. Start with salad...and eat less. When salads were topped with low-fat mozzarella and low-calorie Italian dressing instead of high-fat alternatives, women ate 10 percent fewer calories over the course of the day.

2. Stick a fork in it. If you prefer your salad dressing on the side, dip your fork into it before stabbing your greens. That little maneuver could cut hundreds of calories.

3. Order two appetizers. According to a study at the University of North Carolina, the average hamburger is 23 percent larger today than it was in 1977. Choose a pasta dish and salad or soup from the appetizer column, instead.

4. Visit the vending machine. Nibbling on single servings is better than digging your way to the bottom of a mega-bag of chips.

Get Moving

5. Walk and talk. When your cell phone rings, slip on your walking shoes and stroll the halls at work.

6. Watch coffee calories. The fancy concoctions that are now the javas of choice for many people can contain as many calories as an entire lunch.

7. Crack a nut

8. Don’t just sit there. Get on your feet 2 hours a day while you work, and you could drop an extra 6 pounds over the year.

Adjust Your Habits

9. Sleep well, lose more. Insufficient shut-eye appears to increase production of the stress hormone cortisol, which regulates appetite

10. Double your protein. The high-protein, low-carb approach―found in beef, dairy, poultry, fish, and eggs―may help preserve muscle tissue.

11. Keep an exercise journal.

12. Eat dairy daily.

Drink Up

13. Drink water. Your body often mistakes thirst for hunger.

14. Be wary of white foods. That’s the color of most high-calorie carbs―bagels, potatoes, breads, rice, creamed corn, and the like.

15. Have an apple before dinner.

16. Act like a kid. Expand your definition of physical activity to include shaking your booty with your kids.

Breakfast Like a Champion

17. Eat breakfast.

18. Be picky about bread. Select loaves with whole grain listed as the first ingredient, and make sure each slice contains at least 2 grams of fiber.

19. Munch a handful of M&M’s. Just under half a pack of plain candies adds only 100 calories to your daily tally and can satisfy a sweet tooth.

20. Brush your teeth after every meal.

 

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