The Top Proven Ways To Lose Weight

By Author: Lucy Carter
Total Articles: 102
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The experts agree that the only way to both get rid of extra weight and keep it from returning is to lose smaller amounts over a longer period. This not only keeps your metabolism from slowing down due to lack of food intake, it keeps you in a more balanced state by allowing you to make less drastic changes that are easier to continue and maintain.

Even minor changes to your diet that reduce your calorie intake can make a big difference. For example, cutting back on just 40 calories per day will see you losing at least a pound every 3 months. This more gradual weight loss tends to keep the pounds off for good.

The following top tips are proven ways to painlessly reduce your calorie intake.

Breakfast is key

Research has shown that people who eat breakfast regularly are more easily able to control their weight than those who skip breakfast. While it is easy in the morning rush to miss the morning meal and eat later, this can result in overeating at lunchtime. It's better to eat more frequently throughout the day than to overindulge in a single sitting.

Lighten up

Opting for the ...
... lighter calorie versions for frequently consumed products like butter, margarine, mayonnaise, ice cream and sodas can instantly cut fat intake:

· Lighter mayo = 50 calories per tablespoon reduction

· Lighter butter or margarine = 50 calories per tablespoon reduction

· Diet soda = 150 calories per 12 oz can reduction

· Light syrup = 60 calories per 2 tablespoons reduced

· Light ice cream = 130 calories per ½ cup reduction

· Mini bagel = 160 - 270 calories reduction

· Real fruit instead of juice = (oranges) 50 calories reduction

· Canadian bacon instead of regular = 160 calories per 2 slices

· Baked chips instead of fried = 70 calories per 2 oz bag reduction

Lunch and the afternoon snack attack

A single soda will add 140 calories before you've even tackled your sandwich. The maths on this are astounding - eliminating a single soda from your daily diet will save you 51,100 calories per year, which is equivalent to a weight gain of 15 pounds annually! In addition, if you spend the minimal amount of time making a healthy meal from home for your lunch rather than buying a packaged or fast food option, you can cut out a substantial amount of fat intake. Later, when the afternoon urge to snack arrives, one push of the vending machine can see you adding 1- 300 extra calories. Rather prepare a healthy snack like raw vegetables and fruit to ward off hunger before dinner time.

Lessen food portions and slow down

Research has shown that people will continue eating even after they are full if the food is stacked on their plate. Rather than piling the food servings in large family portions, a slightly lessened amount can save a great deal of calories. If you're still very hungry you can always have a small second portion - the trick is however to wait a little for your stomach to digest the first serving so that perhaps you won't feel the need for a second. The reason for this is that if you wolf food down, often your stomach does not have the time to send a message to your brain telling it you're full. If you eat slower, you will generally mentally and physically feel full at the correct time.

Right plan of action when eating out

Even strict calorie counters often can't resist throwing caution to the winds when dining out at a good restaurant. A good way to balance this is to budget your calories more during the day in preparation for the evening feast - that way you can enjoy yourself without feeling too guilty. Another good idea would be to have some fruit and low fat cheese as an afternoon snack so that you will be less tempted to overeat at dinner. Another way to cut back while enjoying a good meal out is to share your portion with a friend or order half of it in a 2-go bag before it's served. Most restaurants give us double potions than what we in fact need.

Hand in hand works best

Numerous research on weight loss demonstrates beyond doubt that the most successful diets include regular exercise. Not only does this increase the rate at which you lose calories, it's also a great incentive to keep your dieting regime on track since keeping active can trim inches off your body even if the scale isn't dropping as fast as you would like it to.

While the above top tips will help keep you on a solid path of calorie reduction, there are also numerous weight loss programmes along with low calorie products available to the UK public. The experts urge however that it's better to go slowly but surely with a programme based on sound nutrition than to undergo a crash course that could not only affect your health but probably see all the weight creep back before long.
Andrea Aines - dietician and expert in weight loss.