Here is Part 2 of the article 20 Easy Diet Tips To Lose Weight. Read Part 1 here.
Easy Diet Tip #11 – Dump The Scales
This might sound a bit radical to some, but many people have found lasting weight loss success only after giving up weighing themselves for good (I’m one of them!). For some people, the scales are a means of self-torture – how many times have you stepped on them in the morning, and then let the number displayed determine how you feel for the rest of the day? In reality, the numbers on the scale don’t mean that much. For women especially, weight varies a bit throughout the month, and both men and women might experience fluctuations as a result of temporary fluid retention. Plus most scales tell you nothing about your body composition – muscle weighs more than fat, so if you’re exercising, you could be getting heavier (or just not losing much), even though you’re shrinking in size.
Scales just aren’t necessary – you can tell how things are going by the fit of your clothes, and how you look in the mirror. But if you really can’t bear to part with them right now, at least try putting them away out of sight for a few weeks, and resist the temptation to weight yourself. You might be surprised at how much easier and less obsessive your weight loss journey becomes!
Easy Diet Tip #12 – Visualise Your Weight Loss Success
If you’ve been unhappily overweight for any length of time, chances are you think of yourself as a ‘fat person’, or have a negative self-image; and this can influence your eating and exercise behaviour and make weight loss harder. Visualisation can help a lot – spend a few minutes each day quietly relaxing and conjuring up an image of how you will look and feel when the weight is gone. Doing this regularly will help you to feel better about your body, making self-sabotaging behaviours less likely, and will also help you to develop a ‘thin’ mindset, and make it easier to opt for healthier food and exercise choices.
Easy Diet Tip #13 – Don’t Be A Perfectionist
It’s common for dieters to feel that if they deviate from their plan, they have blown it, and then end up having a binge and feeling horrible about themselves the next day. If that sounds like you, try to relax a little, and not feel that the occasional extra ‘treat’ is the end of the world. The ‘must do it perfectly’ attitude can in itself lead to anxiety and make overeating more likely, so cut yourself some slack.
Easy Diet Tip #14 – Be Aware Of Portion Sizes
In some countries, such as the US, many restaurants serve enormous portion sizes that bear little relation to what the average person actually needs to eat at a single meal. It’s important to remember that these portion sizes are not ‘normal’, and should not be used as a guideline for how to eat at home. There’s no need to weigh and measure your food (unless you find that helpful), but don’t overfill your plate, and try to tune in to your body when eating and stop when you’ve had enough, rather than feeling like you have to finish everything.
Easy Diet Tip #15 – Identify Your Triggers
If you tend to overeat on a regular basis, it can be helpful to observe what’s going at these times, and see if there are common situations which trigger that behaviour. Some people overeat in response to environmental factors (such as feeling very tired, or after a stressful day at work), whereas for others, certain foods might prompt a binge (refined sugar, flour and wheat are often the culprits here). If you’re aware of your triggers you can take steps to avoid them, or if that’s not possible, to find relief from stressful situations in some other way instead.
Easy Diet Tip #16 – Work With Your Body
A good weight loss plan will take account of your individual body’s needs. There is no one perfect diet that is right for everyone: some people do better with more fat (or protein, or carbs) than others, some feel better as vegetarians, some have allergies or intolerances, some prefer to graze, whereas others need traditional meals – you get the picture. Be aware of your own preferences and needs, and take them into account, rather than trying to force yourself to conform to a plan that just doesn’t work for your constitution.
Easy Diet Tip #17 – Keep A Food Diary
Keeping a record of what you eat and when is a great way to become more aware of your eating patterns. Often people find it hard to lose weight because they have a habit of nibbling on small amounts here and there, which unfortunately add up over time. So keep a food diary for at least a month, and write down every single bite of food that you take.
Easy Diet Tip #18 – Focus On Health
Far too many diet plans seem to focus only on getting the weight off as quickly as possible, with little attention paid to keeping the weight off, or the long term health implications. It’s no surprise that diets of this type have a high failure rate, since they are often so faddy and dangerous that the body rebels, and forces the dieter to eat something different! On the other hand, if you make health a priority, you’ll naturally find yourself engaging in eating and lifestyle changes that not only help you to lose weight now, but to keep it off permanently, and maintain your precious health too.
Easy Diet Tip #19 – Eat Slowly
Studies have shown that overweight people often tend to eat very quickly. This is a problem for various reasons. If you don’t chew your food properly, you’re more likely to end up with digestive complaints. You’re also more likely to overeat, as it takes time for the brain to recognise the body’s satiety signals and reduce the appetite. You’re also less likely to really enjoy your food, which can lead to overeating in an attempt to gain the real psychological pleasure that a good meal provides. So if you tend to gobble your food, try to get into the habit of slowing down, chewing slowly and really savouring every mouthful.
Easy Diet Tip #20 – Build New Habits
Perhaps the most important tip for someone seeking to lose weight is to focus on building healthy eating and lifestyle habits, rather than just looking for a short term ‘quick fix’ type of weight loss. Most people who are overweight are so because they eat junky foods and/or they simply eat too much of everything. If such habits are entrenched, it can be challenging to develop a taste for healthy foods, or to stop when your body has had enough – but such new habits can be developed, with time and patience. So rather than embarking on yet another short term fad diet which is impossible to keep up, commit to changing your habits for good. That’s the only way to escape from the yoyo cycle of weight loss and regain that plagues so many, and which is so unnecessary and avoidable. .
For more easy diet tips to lose weight, see Part 1 of this article.
Related posts:
- 20 Easy Diet Tips To Lose Weight (Part 1)
- 12 Tips For Teens To Lose Weight
- Are You Desperate To Lose Weight Quickly?
- Should You Detox To Lose Weight?
- Are Toxins in Your Fat Cells Released When You Lose Weight?
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