Let's face it, it is not easy to lose weight and burn those extra calories. Starting out is the hardest part. When you're a beginner, it is difficult to choose from an array of weight loss methods and pick out one that will suit you best. It may also be tiring to research complex information about weight loss and dieting. You may feel overwhelmed by the amount of information provided on the internet, books and magazines, to the extent that you may also feel confused regarding what to do, or how to start with your weight loss program. On the contrary, there are some simple ways to lose weight that you can apply to your everyday life, and here are some sure fire ways to do so.
1. Eat a well balanced meal. A meal is considered well balanced if it contains the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fat. Every section of your meal must contain the right amount of portions to sustain you throughout the day. Choose to eat lean meat, avoid ingesting refined foods (or keep it to a minimum), count your carbohydrate intake, use small amount of fat, and get into the habit of eating healthy portions of fruits and vegetables. In the Medifast weight loss program, the meals are infused with all the proteins, vitamins and minerals that your body needs.
2. Take small frequent meals rather than three large meals a day. The Medifast diet plan allows ingestion of up to 6 meals a day. Eating smaller meals, every 2 to 3 hours is clinically proven to boost your metabolism, and promotes weight loss by aiding digestion. This way, the body processes the food that you ingest more effectively. An additional benefit of eating smaller meals frequently is that hunger pangs, that could lead to binge eating, will be eliminated, as well as the feeling of bloatness after ingestion of a heavy meal.
3. Keep a journal. Writing down your daily food intake makes you aware of what you eat. It will also help you assess what you eat, how you eat and why you eat that way. Through your journal, you can determine problem areas, and make improvements. This also allows you to reflect and explore your feelings regarding your food intake and the way you eat, and helps keep you motivated to reach your weight loss goals.
4. Clean your refrigerator. Take a look inside your refrigerator and take out all the food that you think will not be appropriate for the change that you are about to make to your diet. This may include junk foods, ice cream and sweets, and your comfort foods. Put all these in a bag and throw it away. You may replace what you threw with healthier foods such as vegetables and fruits, lean meat and low fat dairy products. Avoid stocking up your refrigerator too much. Store enough food to last you for, let's say, a week. Too much food around the house may trigger you to overeat or eat bigger portions.
5. Cook your meals. The Medifast diet plan includes 5 medifast meals, which you will choose from an array of Medifast products, and one Lean and Green meal that you may prepare and cook for yourself. By doing this, you will know exactly what is in your food and will give you more control on the food you eat.
6. Get physical. Every diet plan must always be accompanied with the right amount of exercise. Start a regular exercise program by doing cardiovascular exercises like walking, jogging, or cycling and couple it with some strength and flexibility training. If you're a beginner it is advisable to start small, by exercising 3 to 4 times a week for 30 minutes. As your body adapts to the routine, you can increase your workout to the recommended 50 minutes, 5 times a week. Keep in mind that the simple things that you do everyday like walking to a nearby store, doing household chores, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator also helps burn those extra calories. So do it often!
7. Hydrate yourself. The Medifast weight loss program recommends fluid intake of 6-8 glasses of water or any non-caloric, sugar free drink per day. Not only does water aid in digestion and absorption of food, it also facilitates excretion of wastes from your body and regulates body temperature. Water also suppresses your appetite naturally. If you ever have that familiar craving for your usual comfort food, try drinking a glass of water, wait for around 30 minutes and feel the craving go away. Try it!
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