When you want to lose weight, the hardest part is knowing what to do or what not to do. You may be trying hard to lose weight, but no matter what you do you cannot lose an ounce. Maybe it is what you "do not know" that is hurting your efforts.
Tip #1 - Starving yourself.
One of the worst mistakes that so many people on a diet make is to stop eating. When you starve yourself, you slow down your metabolism and send your body into starvation mode. This causes it to start storing fat as a defense mechanism. You may even start to burn muscle tissue or bone mass, which can be very dangerous. You may lose weight not eating, but it may be the dangerous type of weight loss...muscle tissue or bone mass but not stored fat.
Tip #2 - Eating huge meals.
Everyone is busy and most people do not take time to eat properly. You starve yourself all day only to eat one or two huge meals as quickly as possible. Even worse is that you eat the largest meal later at night and then snack before going to bed. The food is not digested completely which interrupts sleep patterns and causes the food to be stored as fat instead of being consumed to produce energy.
You should break your meals into five or six smaller meals. If you do get hungry between meals, drink plenty of water or green tea to curb your appetite and make your stomach feel fuller. It may take some time to get the extra meals in, but it will all be worth it when your belt line starts to shrink.
When you go out to eat, do not overeat. Use the smaller plates when going to the salad bar and eat more slowly to give your stomach time to fill. Your food will be digested better and you will not have that over stuffed feeling later.
Tip #3 - Not chewing your food completely.
Most people eat so fast they swallow their food whole, which makes it more difficult for them to digest their food. The digestion process starts in the mouth by enzymes and the teeth breaking the food into smaller pieces. The more times you chew and the longer you chew your food, the more it is 'pre-digested' which makes it easier for the stomach to finish its job. Not only will your stomach have an easier job, but you will also feel more full without having to overeat.
Tip #4 - No fruits.
An apple a day not only keeps the doctor away, but also keeps the waistline from bulging too. Not eating fruits can stunt your weight loss efforts. Fruits contain a large amount of enzymes, minerals, vitamins and fiber, all of which help with weight loss.
Ripened fruit contains more enzymes, which aids with digestion, but be careful as some overly ripened fruits contain a huge amount of fructose or fruit sugars. Ripened fruit is in the process of rotting or being 'broken down' and is easier to digest and be absorbed by the body.
Tip #5 - Not drinking enough water and too many sugary drinks.
If you are to lose weight, you must drink enough water to wash toxins out of your body and aid in digestion. Water has no calories, so you can drink all you want that is reasonable. Water helps to digest your food and aids in the absorption of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It also helps to fill the stomach before or in between meals, which will curb your appetite and snacking.
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