It's no secret that weight loss takes effort, but you can help make your effort really count by taking advantage of these healthy tricks to trim away excess pounds for good.
Trick 1: Get an Expert on Your Side
Tricking your body into losing weight is fine; tricking yourself into disappointment over "too much too fast" goals is just unhealthy. Before you pick an attack plan to help you tone up and trim down, talk to your doctor to make sure you are targeting your real problem areas head-on. He or she will steer you away from side-effect-risky fad diets and, more importantly, force you to be honest about your priorities.
Trick 2: Follow the 1-3 Rule
Balance is critical, so aim to support a few, focused exercise improvements with big-picture health and habit changes. Commit to one "big" lifestyle change that will help make sure your workouts count and encourage you to feel and act healthier. Then identify two or three actionable areas for trimming down. Examples:
• Sleep a full 8 hours, walk or run 2 miles every other day, and explore one local trail per week
• Meditate or stretch for 20 minutes each day, run 3 times a week, and do 2 rounds of crunches daily
• Give yourself one "screen-free" day a week (where the TV stays off and you eliminate leisure Internet time), attend a spin class, and take walks after dinners
Trick 3: Value Even "Slow" Workout Days
Successful weight loss is about valuing yourself and enjoying your new priorities enough to maintain them, so you must avoid making your accomplishments a burden. Promising yourself to end your run at 2 miles and then deciding you feel good about doing 3 is fine; what's not ok is stressing out if you don't manage to get to 3 next time.
Recognize that even small workouts WILL benefit your heart health, immunity, and mental health; and be ok with pushing yourself less sometimes if it will help make sure you keep trying.
Trick 4: Simplify Meals
It's easier to limit food intake and prioritize better-for-you foods when you de-junk your mealtimes. A few typical steps to eliminate the "timesaving" habits and clutter foods that weigh down both your mealtimes and your body:
• Set aside specific times for meals, and meals only; multitasking makes you overeat
• Try replacing one meal a day with "all you can eat" of one type of plain, raw fruit for a week or two
• Explore one "for fun" recipe each week -- and make it vegetarian
• Replace every snack with a walk
Trick 5: Smell Your Food as You Eat
This trick is absurdly simple but effective enough to merit special attention. Why? Studies show that smelling your food as you eat helps you feel satisfied sooner and eat less.
Tip 6: Pay Attention to Aesthetics
Most of the real work of losing weight happens in the emotional and mental sphere, and a facial or manicure can count for a lot in helping you to bring your self-confidence up an extra notch. Remind yourself you're worth the effort; after all, you're not just toning up your body – you're improving your self-image, too.
Trick 1: Get an Expert on Your Side
Tricking your body into losing weight is fine; tricking yourself into disappointment over "too much too fast" goals is just unhealthy. Before you pick an attack plan to help you tone up and trim down, talk to your doctor to make sure you are targeting your real problem areas head-on. He or she will steer you away from side-effect-risky fad diets and, more importantly, force you to be honest about your priorities.
Trick 2: Follow the 1-3 Rule
Balance is critical, so aim to support a few, focused exercise improvements with big-picture health and habit changes. Commit to one "big" lifestyle change that will help make sure your workouts count and encourage you to feel and act healthier. Then identify two or three actionable areas for trimming down. Examples:
• Sleep a full 8 hours, walk or run 2 miles every other day, and explore one local trail per week
• Meditate or stretch for 20 minutes each day, run 3 times a week, and do 2 rounds of crunches daily
• Give yourself one "screen-free" day a week (where the TV stays off and you eliminate leisure Internet time), attend a spin class, and take walks after dinners
Trick 3: Value Even "Slow" Workout Days
Successful weight loss is about valuing yourself and enjoying your new priorities enough to maintain them, so you must avoid making your accomplishments a burden. Promising yourself to end your run at 2 miles and then deciding you feel good about doing 3 is fine; what's not ok is stressing out if you don't manage to get to 3 next time.
Recognize that even small workouts WILL benefit your heart health, immunity, and mental health; and be ok with pushing yourself less sometimes if it will help make sure you keep trying.
Trick 4: Simplify Meals
It's easier to limit food intake and prioritize better-for-you foods when you de-junk your mealtimes. A few typical steps to eliminate the "timesaving" habits and clutter foods that weigh down both your mealtimes and your body:
• Set aside specific times for meals, and meals only; multitasking makes you overeat
• Try replacing one meal a day with "all you can eat" of one type of plain, raw fruit for a week or two
• Explore one "for fun" recipe each week -- and make it vegetarian
• Replace every snack with a walk
Trick 5: Smell Your Food as You Eat
This trick is absurdly simple but effective enough to merit special attention. Why? Studies show that smelling your food as you eat helps you feel satisfied sooner and eat less.
Tip 6: Pay Attention to Aesthetics
Most of the real work of losing weight happens in the emotional and mental sphere, and a facial or manicure can count for a lot in helping you to bring your self-confidence up an extra notch. Remind yourself you're worth the effort; after all, you're not just toning up your body – you're improving your self-image, too.
