20 Dieting Tips You Can Use Immediately To Start Losing Weight

Dieting is not easy. If it were, we would probably all be
thin. Since we are not, here are some tips that successful
people use to lose weight so that others can benefit, too.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 1: DRINK 8-10 GLASSES OF WATER EACH DAY

Okay, for many people this is a big problem. Water doesn’t
taste all that great generally because water doesn’t really
“taste” like anything. Drinking water 8 to 10 times each
day gets easier the more you actually do it. It is simply a
matter of conditioning your taste buds, and yourself, so
that it becomes easier to do. Once you get started, you
will begin to crave water.

To begin with, you should drink a glass of water in the
morning first thing, before you eat. This is probably the
easiest glass you will drink all day and it will help you
remember to drink water all day long. Better yet, why not
drink two glasses?

If you really cannot bear the taste of water, try using a
water purifying pitcher or filter. You can also add a few
drops of lemon or lime to your water – but no sugar or
sweetener! Ice also helps.

Check out flavored waters on the market, too. Just keep an
eye out for additives.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 2: EAT BREAKFAST

Do not skip breakfast. If you need to go to bed a little
earlier so that you can get up 20 minutes earlier each
morning – do it! Breakfast is so important to your good
health and to weight control. According to Dr. Barbara
Rolls a professor of nutrition at Penn State University,
“Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn’t rev
back up until you eat again.”

Eating breakfast is not only good for overall weight loss,
it will help you stay on track with your diet the rest of
the day. You are more likely to binge on something sweet
and in the “bread” group if you skip breakfast.

You can always keep a couple of hard-boiled eggs in the
fridge or some high-fiber, low starch fruit around. If you
plan to eat fruit at all during the day, breakfast is the
perfect time to do it.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 3: EAT AT LEAST 3 MEALS AND 2 SNACKS EACH
DAY

This can be one of the hardest adjustments to make. After
all, you are busy! You already have a “full-plate”. When do
you have time to worry about filling your plate with more
frequent meals?

Just like eating breakfast will increase your metabolism,
so will eating more often. This will also help you curb
your bad-carb intake by making sure that your snacks are
planned and occur regularly throughout the day.

Really, it will just take a minimal investment of planning
time at the grocery store and at home each morning before
you head out for the day to make some healthy food choices
and prepare a few healthy snacks and meals.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 4: AVOID WHITE FOODS

This is one easy way to remember what not to eat. If it is
made from sugar, flour, potatoes, rice or corn – just say
no. Remembering this rule of thumb will make it easier to
recognize those rice cakes as an unhealthy high-carb snack.

Always look for colorful fruits and veggies to substitute
for the white ones. Buy broccoli, lettuce, bell peppers,
green beans and peas, brown rice in moderation, leafy
greens like kale and spinach, apples, melons, oranges and
grapes.

These foods are not only colorful they are also high in
fiber, nutrients and important antioxidants. Eating
colorful fruits and vegetables will give your diet variety
as well as give you added health benefits.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 5: EAT YOUR VEGGIES

It is so easy to use a low carb diet as an excuse for poor
nutrition. Resist this temptation. If the only vegetable
you have eaten in the last 5 years has been the potato, now
is a good time to begin experimenting with other
vegetables. This is important for your overall health and
to avoid some nasty side effects of not getting enough
fiber in your diet.

If you try hard enough, you will find vegetables that you
enjoy eating. Experiment with grilling veggies and cooking
with real butter to add flavor. You can also search for new
recipes on the Internet or in cookbooks.

Remember, if you are only eating 40 grams of carb a day or
less, two cups of plain salad greens contain only about 5
grams of carbohydrate. You have no excuse not to eat your
veggies.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 6: PREPARE YOUR OWN FOOD AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE

While more and more restaurants are offering low carb
friendly menu items, many of them are still not ideal
low carb fare. There are many recipes for quick and easy
meals that you can prepare yourself at home. Try to do this
as often as possible.

If you cook your own foods, you know exactly what the
contents are and you will be able to better control for
hidden sugar and otherwise processed foods.

Another benefit is the cost savings over the long run. Even
if you must go to the grocery store more often, you will
save a significant amount per meal as opposed to eating at
restaurants and fast food establishments.

It will also be easier to maintain your diet with your own
favorite fresh food selections on hand.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 7: INVEST IN A GOOD SET OF FOOD STORAGE
CONTAINERS

Having food storage containers of various sizes on hand
will make it so much easier for you to plan your meals and
snacks. When you buy nuts, fruits and vegetables in bulk
you can simply prepare, separate and store them for easy
use later.

For instance, you can pre-slice your apples and snack on
them over several days. Simply cut them, rinse them in
pineapple or lemon juice and store. This will make a quick
and easy snack for later.

Fix your lunch and take it with you to work. Better yet,
fix your lunch and 2 snacks for work.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 8: EAT SOME PROTIEN AT EACH MEAL & AS A
SNACK

In addition to everything that’s been discussed before,
eating protein helps you burn more calories. Jeff Hample,
Ph.D., R.D., a spokesman for the American Dietetic
Association says that, “Protein is made up mainly of amino
acids, which are harder for your body to breakdown, so you
burn more calories getting rid of them.”

Just think – eating a protein rich snack can help you lose
weight. How about a few slices of turkey or ham or some
string cheese?

Eating protein will also help you feel full so that you are
less likely to crave unhealthy snacks.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 9: DRINK A GLASS OF WATER AFTER EACH SNACK

This will help you get in your 8 to 10 glasses of water
each day but it can also have other benefits. Ever feel
hungry after eating a handful or standard serving of nuts?
Try drinking water afterwards. The water will help you feel
full and prevent overindulgence.

Drinking water after a snack will also help remove the
aftertaste from your mouth and can help curb your desire
for more.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 10: EAT SLOWLY & ENJOY YOUR FOOD

You will feel full and more satisfied if you take the time
to savor your food and chew it slower. Don’t get in the
habit of eating while standing or eating quickly. Sit down
and chew.

Eating slower will help you enjoy your food more, pay
attention to what it is you are actually eating and get a
better sense of when you are actually full.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 11: EAT YOUR LARGER MEALS EARLY AND SMALLER
MEALS LATER

You will feel better and lose weight quicker if you eat a
large breakfast and eat a smaller dinner. You may also want
to eat the majority of your carbs earlier in the day,
saving a salad and lean meat protein for dinner.

Eating larger meals during the part of the day when you are
most active will help you to feel satisfied throughout the
day and curb cravings for unhealthy snacks.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 12: CONSIDER EATING SALMON OR MACKREL FOR
BREAKFAST

Yes this may seem odd, but it is one way to work in Omega-3
fatty acids that are good for you and add some variety to
your daily diet. After a few months you may tire of eating
eggs and bacon for breakfast. Substituting fish will give
you the protein and healthy fish oils you need.

You can try canned salmon or mackerel in croquettes for a
healthier sausage substitute. Or you could simply eat cold
leftover salmon the next morning with dill sauce.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 13: USE LETTUCE LEAVES INSTEAD OF BREAD

This tip can seem a bit odd at first but if you try it you
will probably grow to love it. Instead of eating breads and
buns with your sandwiches and hamburgers, why not try
leaves of lettuce?

You can make a double cheeseburger with onions, pickles and
tomato wrapped in a whole lettuce leaf. Or you can make
tasty wrap sandwiches with lettuce instead of tortilla and
bread.

This will help increase your good carb and fiber intake
while giving you more variety in your diet.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 14: EAT A FRUIT DESSERT

Okay, we all want a little dessert sometime, but how do you
have your dessert and your low carb diet too? Why not try
cheese with fruit slices or berries? Better yet, why not
try cream with berries? You could even try sweet pineapples
or strawberries with cottage cheese?

Berries are sweet and high in fiber and nutrients and dairy
products are high in protein. If your low carb plan will
allow it, this is a sweet and tasty alternative to more
sugary desserts.

An added benefit is that the protein in the dairy products
and the fiber in the fresh fruit will make these desserts
more filling.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 15: GET YOUR FRUIT FRESH NOT SQUEEZED

Fruit juice can be very tempting as a replacement for soda,
but just how healthy is fruit juice? If you read the labels
you will soon realize that in many of the commercial juices
available at your local grocery store there is very little
actual fruit juice.

What you will find is lots of sugar water and other
ingredients. Why not skip the juice altogether and eat a
fresh piece of fruit? Not only does fresh fruit contain
less sugar than juice, fresh fruit has fiber that is good
for you and will help you feel fuller longer.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 16: GO EASY ON THE MEAL REPLACEMENTS

New meal replacement shakes and bars go on the market
almost every day. These shakes and bars may claim to be
healthy, but almost all of them, even the Zone Perfect
bars, contain hydrogenated oil and sweeteners.

So be careful. The bars especially may be only slightly
healthier than a Snickers candy bar. Occasionally, they may
not be that bad for you but as a rule you probably don’t
want to indulge in a meal replacement shake or bar every
day.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 17: IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE IT
PROBABLY IS

Low carb doughnuts and muffins? You can find these
prepackaged low carb labeled goods at your neighborhood
grocery store and at many low carb lifestyle specialty
shops. That does not mean that you should make a habit out
of eating them.

While low carb pastries may be tempting remember that they
still contain all of the usual carbohydrate suspects: sugar
or a sugar substitute and flour.

They may be healthier than your typical muffin as an
occasional treat, but remember to stick with the basics for
continued low carb success.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 18: AT THE GROCERY STORE – SHOP THE OUTER
AISLES

It will be easier to stick with your low carb lifestyle if
you learn the one common thread in all grocery store
designs: the healthy foods are on the perimeter aisles.

Think about it, when you go into the grocery all of the
healthy stuff, fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy
products are arranged around the stores walls. You only
rarely need to enter the center aisle areas in those few
stores that stock butter and cheese in the center near the
frozen foods. For the most part all of the foods that you
need for your low carb diet can be found on the perimeter
of the grocery store.

Train yourself to start on one end of the outer aisle and
work your way around. It will be much easier to avoid carb
cravings and fill your basket with healthy items if you do
so.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 19: INVEST IN GOOD COOKBOOKS

Can’t figure out what to eat? Need some variety in your
diet? Turn to a cookbook. Granted, not all recipes in a
cookbook are low carb fare, but you will be surprised at
the number of low carb and low carb friendly recipes you
can find in your standard Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Cookbooks are great reference tools that often contain
handy tips on purchasing cuts of meat and preparing meats,
fruits and vegetables in new and exciting ways.

Plus, new low carb cookbooks are hitting the shelves all
the time. So be sure to take advantage of these resources
to try something new, different and delicious.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 20: TAKE A GOOD MULTIVITAMIN

We can’t all do it right all of the time. Even the most
conscientious food combiner may miss some healthy vitamins,
minerals and trace elements in their diets. To help make
sure you get everything that you need, consider taking a
good multivitamin.

Check with your doctor first for recommendations and you
should be tested for anemia to see if you need a vitamin
with iron. However, the longer you eat low carb and the
more red meat you eat, the less anemia will be a problem
and you should be able to take vitamins with less iron.

Your success is totally up to you. Assuming that you are an
otherwise healthy individual, your body will do its part.
Just remember to adhere to the low carb diet plan that is
right for you and add some variety to your meals to help
you stay faithful to your health and weight loss goals.

If you’re interested in losing up to 20 pounds this month,
try following our 30-Day Low Carb Diet ‘Ketosis Plan’ which
also includes over 300 healthy low carb diet recipes you
can easily make at home. Visit
http://lowcarbdiet.your-health-guide.com

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