8 Common Sense Ways To Lose Weight

By Author: Jim DeSantis
Total Articles: 103
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Of course you likely know that almost 115 million Americans are overweight or obese. You probably already know that obesity, especially among children, continues to be a serious problem and is predicted to reach epidemic levels by the year 2010. But, did you know you can beat the statistics with some Common Sense?

Before I give you the 8 Common Sense Ways to Lose Weight, let me give you some of the dangers of being overweight or obese that you might not know about.

Here are some diseases that you are putting yourself at risk for if you are carrying a lot of extra pounds:

1. heart disease...you probably knew this!
2. stroke...you probably knew this too!
3. diabetes...maybe you knew this!
4. cancer....you probably did NOT know this. Most people do not!
5. arthritis...you probably did NOT know this either!
6. hypertension...you may have heard of this.

Bottom line: Losing weight helps to prevent and/or control these diseases. Yes, they are diseases that are self inflicted in most cases! You probably know that too.

Some of the quick weight loss methods which have ...
... spread like wildfire these days do provide lasting results for some people. But, more often than not, dieting methods which involve dietary drinks, special foods and supplements or pills do not work, especially the pills. If they do, the results are just temporary because pills usually shed water-weight and not that pesky fat. Drinks fill that void in your stomach to satiate your hunger but what a boring solution!

The basis for many of these products are sugar or caffiene so you get that rush of placating those hunger pangs.

Your best option is to rely on a healthy weight loss plan which will provide lifetime results based on your personal metabolism. You have to set realistic goals and not expect to lose a lot of pounds in a short span of time. First of all, rapid weight loss is unhealthy. Secondly, rapid weight loss will deplete your energy for day to day living. Success in anything in life is a slow process!

Now, I must warn you that it is always advisable to see a physician before you undertake any weight loss regimen. This is especially true if you are considered obese by medical standards. That said, here are some tips on how you can lose those unwanted pounds the Common Sense Healthy Way:

1. Do not starve yourself.

The key to a healthier way of losing weight is: Do not diet. Sounds contradictory, right? You will see the common sense in this advice in a moment.

You may seem happy and feel that you are losing those unwanted rolls of fat on your belly and thighs by skipping meals. Frankly, this will not work for the long haul. Your body cannot tolerate having insufficient food to provide the energy that you need to function everyday.

If you skip one or two meals a day, your body stores fat for energy because it does not know when it will get more food. It uses those stored calories to provide energy. Now, if you lead a sedate lifestyle, that is, a lifestyle that does not involve physical exertion, your body will store more fat for energy than you use. In other words, if you just eat one huge meal a day, it will be stored straight to your problem area (i.e. thighs, buttocks, hips).

2. Start your day right.

Mom always said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Have a healthy meal in the morning to jump-start your metabolism. It can be a simple as whole wheat toast and decaf tea or decaf coffee or, perhaps one egg and juice. You need to get your motor running and begin retraining your body-fat-storing mechanism.

Your food intake at breakfast will be used for energy until your next snack in about 2 hours. That's correct! You are going to snack on something about 2 hours from breakfast.

3. Eat small, healthy meals frequently.

Five small-serving snacks per day is better than three hearty meals. Eating more frequently, and in small servings, can prevent over-eating. This will also increase your metabolism and make calories burn faster. It will also train that body-fat-storing mechanism. In effect, we are going to trick your body into not storing excess fat.

4. Decide on how much weight you want to lose.

Keep your goals realistic. In the long run, it is virtually impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in 2 weeks. Have a mindset that you want to eat healthy to stay healthy for the rest of your life. It's all about calories from fat. To lose weight you must reduce the saturated fat in your diet which reduces calories which reduces weight.

Once you have decided on a weight loss plan or program, stick to it and make sure that you follow your own set of dieting rules or rules suggested by your physician.

5. Drink lots of water.

This is a big problem for many people because they are so used to drinking sweet tasting beverages. Your body needs sufficient water to burn fat and keep your cells hydrated and healthy. A little trick I use is diluting fruit juice with water. I keep 4 bottles of diluted juice in the fridge at all times. I use one-third juice to two-thirds water. That gives me 32oz of liquid a day. It's cheating, I know, but it works for me. The point is, use your imagination to get more water into your body.

Another trick is to freeze the liquid and you will have hours of cold liquid to sip as it melts. Fill the bottle 3/4 full to give the icy liquid room to expand in the bottle. Do not tighten the cap all the way so that air can escape as the ice expands.

6. Avoid too much sugar.

Plan your meals around lots of fruits and vegetables, some bread, rice or pasta for that carbo fix that you need, plus lean meat and protein rich-foods. Sweets, sodas and pastries should be once-in-a-while indulgences only. Don't try to cheat with diet drinks either. They too have calories.

7. Watch your fat intake.

Fat is not the culprit to being overweight. You need fat from food to keep your weight at the proper level. But, not just any fats! There is such a thing as healthy fats. Olive, peanuts and canola oil have them. Tuna, salmon and mackerel have omega-3 fats which are good for the heart. Switch to a product like Smart Balance spread and oil. These are designed to replace damaging saturated fats and hydrogenated oils.

8. Exercise. (Oh, NO, not exercise!)

You are kidding yourself if you think you can lose weight without some form of exercise. You need to burn off the excess pounds and exercise is the only way to do it.

Here are a few ideas:

Leave your car and walk if you are only going a few blocks from home, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, cycle, skate, get a treadmill. Find activites and other home chores to get your fat burning machine in gear. Being conscious of your body is likely the main reason you hate to go to the gym or take exercise classes, I know, but you need to exert yourself regularly. Believe me, you will not even notice that you are already shedding pounds with these activities.

It does not matter how much weight you plan to lose or need to lose. What is important is that you set realistic goals for yourself.

Go slow. If you have already lost 5 or 6 pounds, give yourself a break then try to lose the next 5 pounds.

Eat healthy, drink lots of water, have enough sleep and exercise. This will give you a higher chance of losing weight and improving your health, which would result in a new, healthier you.

Yours for Success in Life!
Jim DeSantis

P.S. - Please forward this article to someone who may benefit from it.
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Jim DeSantis is a veteran Broadcast Journalist providing sensible information on Weight Loss and other Health issues. Go to Jim's blog for free resources and links for a healthier life!