Nutrition Advice

Simple Ways to Lose Weight

There are endless tips and tricks to help you lose weight, but here are some of the important ones. If you implement these simple ways to lose weight, you’ll have most of the bases covered. Make these easy changes, and enjoy watching the pounds come off!

1. Eat less at night.

When you do not eat often enough during the day, by the time you get home from work, your brain realizes that you have not eaten enough calories, and turns on your appetite. Then you eat whatever you can get your hands on quickly — and way too much of it!

Do not fall into the habit of starving yourself by day, stuffing yourself at night, then going to sleep. Eat to fuel what you’re going to do for the next three hours. If you eat more regularly throughout the day, you will not be as hungry at night.

By the time you sit down for dinner, most of your eating should done for the day. If all you plan to do after dinner is to sit on the couch and watch TV before you go to bed, you don’t need many calories.

Most people who struggle with their weight do not eat enough during the day, then eat most of their calories at night before bed. Be sure to eat a high-protein breakfast, and have some healthy snacks ready for the day. Don’t be starving at 7:30 pm and expect your brain to be OK with small portions!

2. Be conscious of what you’re actually eating.

One of the major themes that I teach is that you have to EAT ON PURPOSE instead of REACTIVELY. When it’s time to eat, put it on a plate, look at it, and double-check that it’s a good meal for you. Where’s your protein? Is it mostly plants on your plate? Do you really need the starch too?

Try this for portion control – after you fill your plate, put 1/3 of it aside as leftovers before you begin eating. You’ll be surprised that you’ll be just as satisfied with 2/3 of the amount.

Speaking of portions, be sure to portion your food before you start eating. Never eat out of a bag or out of a serving dish!

3. Easy ways to lose weight at the table:

Eat vegetables first, then protein, then starches last (if you still want them).
Slow down! Remember that it takes approximately 20 minutes for your brain
and stomach to realize you’ve had enough.
Chew thoroughly.
Put your fork down between bites.

4. Plan your next meal before it’s time to eat.

People tend to stay super-busy all day, and often one of the last things that they think about is feeding themselves. When they finally do eat something, they grab what is handy, not what is best. Eating often enough, and eating on purpose will keep you from making frantic, foolish choices. Planning ahead is one of the most basic, simple ways to lose weight!

At the start of each day, you should know what you’re going to eat for the rest of the day.

5. Don’t drink your calories.

Saying goodbye to most of your soda, alcohol, and fruit juice can make a nice dent in your calorie goals. Drink mostly distilled water and tea instead. Diet sodas have no calories, but they do have a host of other problems – see Steering Clear of Artificial Sweeteners in Chapter 3 of Beating Sugar Addiction For Dummies.