We’re approaching the end of our first month in 2012, and no doubt people are scurrying to the scales to see how much weight has fallen off. Because of this, we found it fitting that our first post should involve weight loss tips. We all know someone, if not ourselves, who’ve tried the latest fad diets. But, what do these “diet sensations” really have to offer? The truth is, diets are temporary and most people resort back to bad habits after accomplishing a short term goal. If you want to lose weight fast and keep it off, here are a few tips that will lead you in the right direction.

Stick to water – Yeah, we’ve heard it all before. We’re told to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. What many people may not know, however, is that a good rule of thumb is to take your body weight and divide it by two. What you’re left with is the amount of ounces you should be drinking. For the sake of simple math, here’s an example of a person who is 210 lbs: 210/2=105. That person should be drinking 105 ounces of water which is equivalent to about 13 glasses of water. Saying no to soft drinks, even diet ones, and sticking to water will help you reach your weight loss goals even quicker!

Stick to lean meats – Fuel your diet with chicken, fish, turkey, and lean ground beef. Try grilling these meats, instead of frying them. Drizzle olive oil on Tilapia and season it to taste, then slap it on the George Foreman grill. It tastes great, and it’s good for you! If you don’t have a George Foreman grill, you should definitely invest in one or it’s counterpart. It’s a great way to get your meats cooked with less fatty grease.

Take Vitamins – Once you change the way you eat, you will definitely notice the increase in energy. Add a multi-vitamin, fish oil, and vitamin C into the mix, and you’ll begin to pump up those levels even more. An increase in energy will lift your endurance level, leaving you able to work out and exercise for longer periods.

Go for complex carbs – We all heard, during the Atkin’s craze, to stay away from carbohydrates. While the diet does work, what happens when you revert back to your old ways? Are you really going to stay away from bread forever? Stick to complex carbs; brown rice, wheat bread, etc. Stay far, far away from simple carbs; candy, soft drinks, and any anything else with too much sugar.

Don’t eat late – I make it a habit not to eat after 6pm. Don’t make excuses on why you can’t. Prepare your meals on Sunday for the week, and take them with you to work if you’re there late. Most people aren’t active past this time, so try not to eat late. If you fall into that category, you shouldn’t be eating later than 6. If you feel the need to snack later, find something healthy; a cup of yogurt or an apple with a small spoonful of peanut butter.

Have patience – Most importantly, remember that there are no quick fixes. Give yourself a realistic amount of time to lose the weight. This ensures that the weight loss is done in a healthy way, and helps to keep it from coming back easily. If you are drastically changing your diet, the weight will begin to fall off. Just switching to drinking water only can cause a dramatic effect on your body. Make one small change at a time, and watch the pounds fall off.

These are just a few quick tips that we’ve used in our own journey to weight loss. They are proven and effective. As previously mentioned, give yourself a realistic time frame to lose the weight. But, if you follow these simple steps, the weight will begin to fall off quickly. Don’t be discouraged when you hit a plateau, it’s normal to lose a lot of weight the first few weeks. After that, the average weight loss should be 1-2 lbs a week. Just remember that exercise is an important part of any lifestyle change, and when partnered with better nutrition, it enhances the process. As always, consult your physician before changing your diet or exercise routine.

One of the options they have at their disposal is low fat diets to lose weight. As you may have noticed, there are countless programs both online and offline which provide one with an opportunity to reduce his or her weight, or so they say. Without a keen eye to spot fake products, one can end up ruining his whole body by following any product that comes along.

While there are still other options that one could use to lose weight like drinking a lot of water and exercising frequently, we mostly get our breakthroughs via diet programs. This is why it should interest you to know whether taking in low fat diets to lose weight is effective or not. Bear in mind that taking a wrong diet in your pursuit to lose weight will be tantamount to gulping down high-fat and sugar products.

Dieting and losing weight:

While dieting has long been praised as a quick way to lose weight, research has repeatedly shown that taking a wrong diet will have serious ramifications on your health and weight reduction. This is because some diets will help you to drop your weight but once you have attained that, the weight comes back again and you are no better than you began. An effective weight loss program will not only help you to shed off your pounds but will also aid you in maintaining that weight.

Starvation:

Some people thing that they can reduce their weight by starving to death. The truth is different from this. Once you start starving, your body takes this as a signal to store fat in preparation for tough times ahead. You will therefore end up with an increase in fat instead of witnessing a reduction. Even if you might extend the starvation to utilize this stored fat, you will be surprised to note that our bodies make use of muscles to gain energy rather than going for fats. Fats are always stored for a rainy day, in which time you might already have starved to death literally.

Healthy fat loss:

When it comes to long-term weight loss, exercising should be on top of our list. This provides a natural way on which to boost our metabolism which in return burns up more fat to energy. This, coupled with a good nutrition, which encompasses low fat diets, will go a long way in helping you reduce your weight.

The question then arises what a good nutrition would be. Such a diet should include low fat foods, plenty of water, fruits and vegetables and other healthy varieties. Such kinds of diets always encourage you to eat plenty of food, albeit in small amounts spread throughout the day. You will be required to take these meals at regular times each day without shifting your schedule. Once you engage in this, you will realize that low fat diets to lose weight are a reality that should be taken up by the people who are keen to reduce their weight.

After all, how else did all the successful Biggest Loser contestants lose all those pounds in their first week? The former statement may sound so sarcastic but it is true. People who say they want to lose weight never mustered to lose weight on the first week because they already gave up even before the effects started to kick in. You should be consistent and persevering in your actions of losing weight. There is nothing that can stop you from losing weight if you just know how to do the hard work and learn how to sacrifice and accept pain as part of it all. After all, who has never really sacrificed anything in this world? You just have to go the extra mile to get your reward in the end.

What should be done?

Needless to say, it is exercise and diet. It is no surprise that these are the things you should do. No matter what website, book or magazines tell you, it all boils down to this two. All other stuff that they try to persuade you to do and buy should be used as aid because these things could not suffice on their own.

But by using exercise alone, is it possible to lose weight? The answer is NO. How about diet alone? The answer is yes and no. You see diet alone can help you lose weight but it cannot compare to the effects that combination of exercise and diet can do. These two things are a package. Not two entities that you could separate if you really want to get the maximum effects and optimal results.

How to Exercise?

The best way to exercise is to do what you like doing. If you like sports, go ahead and play the sport you really like. If you like dancing, enroll yourself in a dance class or buy instructional videos that can make you dance. Why is this so? The problem with exercise is that it tests your patience and will to continue because it consumes your time and energy. Am I not right? If you don’t like what you’re doing it would be easy to give up. Invite your friends to do just the same of what you do. This way, you will have a support whenever difficulties erupt.

Be smart in your food choices

Just like exercise, you eat what you want. Don’t deprive yourself with that. Just be sure you do not over-eat. Count the calories you eat. Increase your intake of vegetables and fruits. Choose dishes that are not oily, just like baked, broiled and grilled plates. Choose complex carbohydrates and not simple carbohydrates like white bread, rice, potatoes. Instead, eat wheat bread, brown rice, bagels, and whole grain cereals. Do not soak your meals with so many condiments and sodium-rich flavorings. This way, you would not store up water in your body making you feel bloated and fat. Look for good books that help you make dishes that are not just loaded with calories but also easy to make so that you’ll be more motivated to have a great diet experience.

Losing weight in a week is so possible with the right attitude and sound motivation. With that, you could transform your thoughts into a more concrete action such as diet and exercise. Everybody would be more than glad to see you succeed in this challenge of yours. More than that, you are doing so much help to your own self.