Dieting Guidelines - 16 Simple Things You Can Do to Lose Weight Without Actually Following a Diet

Do you need to lose weight but you just don't want to follow any of the fad-diets? Have you tried low-carbohydrate diets only to find yourself craving bread and then giving up on the diet? Have you tried low-calorie diets only to find yourself feeling hungry and unsatisfied, and then you give up and end up splurging?

Don't you wish there was a simpler way to lose weight without having to follow one of the so-called fad or yo-yo diets? Well, good news! Here are some time-tested and proven tips on how to lose weight without having to drastically change your eating habits.

Will you lose weight if you follow these tips? Absolutely. Will it take a while? Yes, you got that right! If you follow these tips, you will lose weight at a slow pace, but you will lose weight. And the good news is that these are the very same tips, which if you follow them, will keep you fit and healthy for a lifetime, unlike those other diets that leave you hanging once you reach your goal weight!

Here are 16 very simple tips, that are actually based on common-sense:

1. Don't eat any food within the 3 hours prior to going to bed. If you absolutely must have something, have some water, some Crystal Light, chew some gum, or have a glass of milk or maybe some fruit.

2. Space your meals out every 3 to 4 hours, maximum. Do NOT eat less than 3 hours after the start of your previous meal. Do NOT wait more than 4 hours to eat your next meal! It is important to space out your meals to let your metabolism get to work and digest your food, but it is also important not to starve yourself either, otherwise you will get more hungry and will get carried away and overindulge at your next meal... you won't be able to think rationally.

3. Eat each meal only until you are satisfied. Do not eat until you are full. This is extremely important. Always remember that there will be a next meal. Many of us who are overweight have this tendency to eat as if this is our last meal on earth or as if you will never be able to eat this food again. One of the simplest ways to lose weight is to simply reduce the amount of food we consume at each meal. Nevermind each day! In the calorie-counting mentality, it is easy to get caught up with numbers and "budgeting" our food. Then food becomes a currency that is backed by our guilt for wanting to eat more. Simply put, if you eat until you are satisfied, no longer hungry, but are not stuffed either, your body will be able to most efficiently digest the food at the optimal metabolic rate. Your body will not have to go into overdrive to digest the excess food and thus store it as fat. Remember that you can always eat your leftovers tomorrow.

4. Avoid carbonated beverages. Yes, even diet soda. Studies have shown that the ingredients that make up carbonated beverages are not conducive to weight loss. Researches have discovered that drinking one can of soda every day, whether it is diet or regular, can increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes. What's the solution to kick the habit? Drink water instead. Or drink a zero-calorie drink such as Crystal Light or even flavored water. If you're looking for a cool, refreshing drink, these are much better alternatives.

5. Avoid foods loaded with sugar, or high fructose corn syrup, as sugar adds calories. Limit your intake of these. While you can use sugar substitutes such as Stevia, Splenda, or Equal, because they contain zero-calorie, I would not advocate simply substituting sugar for these on a one-for-one basis. If you have a sweet tooth, fruits are always your best bet. Have you ever gone to a party, a restaurant, or even eaten at home when you have a tray of fruits in front of you and you have a tray of pastries in front of you? If you want to live longer, healthier, and happier, you should go for the fruits. Tell yourself that you will have a small tasting of the pastry, cake, cookie, or brownie (whatever it is), but only after you've finished this apple, or this slice of watermelon, or this handful of grapes. Many times, after you've eaten the fruits, your sweet tooth will be curbed!

6. Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. If that's too much, then at least try to incorporate one fruit or vegetable into each meal, including your snack.

7. Get a full night of sleep. Our bodies regenerate and perform all kinds of maintenance tasks during our sleep. If you consistently get a full night of sleep, that is 5 to 8 hours (depending on what is enough for you) of no food in your body during which time your body is able to burn calories away!

8. Drink a minimum of 8 ounces of water per day (1 cup) for every 10 pounds of body weight that you have. So if you weight 200 pounds, you should drink 20 cups, which is 160 ounces of water per day. Water curbs your appetite plus helps flush your body.

9. Eat sweet fruits instead of sugar sweets. Chocolates, pastries, cakes, candy are all detrimental to your health (okay maybe chocolate has some health benefits, but that's a whole other topic!!!) so you should strive to reach for the fruits.

10. Eat nuts instead of salty junk foods. Peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and cashews are full of protein and are far, far better for you than potato chips. Reach for these instead. Yes, a handful of nuts does contain a lot of calories, but these are calories that your body loves to process, because they contain essential ingredients, minerals, and vitamins that are conducive to good health.

11. Avoiding eating out at restaurants as much as possible. Our obesity epidemic isn't exactly being helped by the fast food and the dining industry. For whatever their ulterior motives, restaurants always seem to serve food in portion sizes that are more than double or even triple than what you should be eating to lose weight and be healthy. Oftentimes, one restaurant meal contains more calories than what your body requires in one or even two days! Prepare your meals at home. If you absolutely must eat out, then order the smallest size and cut even that in half. Pack the other half to go or save the other half for later. Better yet, share your meal with someone else. Split it. Or give it away to someone else more needy or who may want it. The most important key to weight loss here is to not eat too many calories in one meal.

12. If you experience the temptation to indulge in an unhealthy food or are put in a social situation where you cannot say no or resist the food, then the simple solution is to sample the food. Just take enough of the food for one or two bites. It's all psychological. Once your mind processes the fact that you have acquired the object of your desire, it will no longer be restless for the food. Have just a nibble of that fudge brownie. Or just eat half of that one cookie. Or just take half or one fourth of that slice of birthday cake. Try it. You will know what I mean.

13. Eat at least 4 meals daily. DO NOT STARVE. The starvation diet will NEVER work. Mark my words. It will backfire. You or somebody else will sabotage it. MAKE SURE that you EAT at least four meals a day. That fourth meal can be a snack if you want instead of a meal. Remember that deprivation is not conducive to eight loss. Even if you DO lose weight by starving yourself by the end of this year, I guarantee you that you will be back reading this article again next year, having gained all if not more of the weight back!

14. Walk as much as you can. Shoot for a daily goal, like 30 minutes or 60 minutes a day, or 1 or 2 miles a day. And this can be cumulative. It does not have to be in one shot. Perhaps you can walk twenty minutes in the morning, twenty minutes after lunch, and twenty minutes in the evening. There are numerous benefits to walking. It is good for your heart, your blood circulation and even your mind. Yes you will burn calories. You will be strengthening your leg muscles. And best of all, you won't be eating. (Well, make it a point not to eat anything while you walk! If anything, bring a bottle of water or one of the beverages mentioned above, with you when you walk.)

15. Use the stairs instead of the elevator or the escalator. It all adds up! You will burn calories, get your heart rate up, and strengthen your lower body and back muscles in the process.

16. Set aside 10 minutes a day to as many push-ups and sit-ups as you can. You don't even need to go to the gym. Just do this in front of your TV!

More than likely you are saying to yourself that you will follow these tips once you are within 10 pounds of your goal weight. If you have significantly more weight to lose, then you probably want some kind of a quick-fix to get you started. Check out http://www.IdiotProofFatLoss.com for an idiot-proof diet plan that will enable you to lose weight rapidly... How about 9 pounds in the next 11 days, all without having to sacrifice any of the foods that you love?

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