Useful Weight Loss Tips

There are many different ways to lose weight. You can find many studies and diets online that have different perspective on what is healthy weight loss and what is not. Many studies show how many factors affect our weight and scientists are still considering whether the weight problems are determined by a person's genetics and physiology or rather by bad eating habits and an unhealthy life style.

So, if you want to lose weight, it is up to you whether you will follow a certain approach or use certain tips. It is your job to determine which program will help you the best to become fitter and healthier.

Nevertheless, one thing is for sure. You need to be active. You do not have to work out excessively but you can use every opportunity you have to take a (power) walk or to go for a run. You need to know is that "eat less and exercise more" is not always true and not for everyone. Many studies show that each person's body reacts individually on certain calories and every person uses those calories in a different way. Losing weight and becoming fit and healthy is a long term process. You have to change your eating patterns and life style. It is hard because you might want to do something that your body is not made for.

Eat hot soup before a meal

Nutritionists advise people who want to lose weight but are not really ready to diet excessively, to eat hot soup before lunch or dinner. There are several good reasons why eating soup is beneficial. When you start your meal with a hot soup, you cannot eat it very fast. By eating slowly, your stomach will have more time to send back information to the brain that you are not hungry anymore and that you can stop eating. Food is also a good hydration, if you eat healthy soups made out of vegetables. You should avoid cream based soups to save on fat.

Eat peanuts before lunch

Eating a 20-30gr of peanuts before lunch can lessen your hunger and you can eat less of your meal. There are also several other great health reasons why you should eat peanuts. Peanuts are rich in nutrients. It is rich in niacin, folate, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and phosphorus. It is free of trans-fat. Niacin is good for brain health and blood flow. Peanuts are full of antioxidants, too.

Do not eat heavily before bedtime

If you eat before you go to sleep it is more likely that you will wake up tired. Your heart will be pumping harder in order to digest your dinner. You should go to bed on an empty stomach. That way your body will rest and you will feel fresh in the morning. Also, if you eat late at night, you will slow your metabolism which will eventually decrease your calorie burning and increase fat storage during sleep.

You can eat some healthier snacks before bed only if you are really hungry. The best snacks before bed time are those that are low in calories. Healthy options are: one cup of plain oatmeal with one sliced banana (171 calories) or one slice of whole grain toast tipped with one small slice of low-fat cheese (117 calories) or one rice cake topped with one tomato slice and a small slice of turkey breast (60 calories). Try to avoid these snacks.

Walking is not a good exercise

It is great if you walk a lot every day but it is not enough if you want to lose weight. It is certainly healthy to be active and to be mobile as much as you can. However, you have to increase your heart rate if you want your walking to have an impact on your metabolism. Power walking is a different story. If you can increase your heart rate and start sweating, it will be great for burning fat as well as detoxification.

You will probably hear from a lot of people that walking can be your daily exercise and that you do not need other kinds of exercises. This is not true, so you will probably have to consider making a program and plan when you can have a real exercise.

You do not have to associate exercise with some kind of excessive and hard work out. You can consult a trainer and find what is best for you. Maybe you can go to the gym, do aerobics and go swimming, you can do yoga, pilates or tae bo. Depending on your weight and health you can create a program that suits you the best.

Red hot chili peppers (not the band) help losing weight

If you can handle chili you should try and eat it from time to time. Chili peppers before a meal have appetite suppressant activity according to some nutritionists. People who eat chili-peppers-spiced food right before the meal eat less at the meal.

You can make an appetizer dip that can be tasty and helpful for your weight loss. They can also prevent the accumulation of fat in your organism.

Chose your drinks wisely

If you think that drinking a smoothie or a café late before a meal will decrease your appetite, you are wrong. You will still consume the same number of calories. You can have snacks, healthy snacks between meals and that can make you feel full. One study actually shows that if we have snacks between meals we will eat less during fixed meals. It is much better to have 5 meals a day and that you are never hungry than to starve yourself all the time. Then you will be craving all different kinds of food and you will eventually start eating again. If you combine proper meals and exercise you can eat whatever you like.

The best drink you can have is water. However, sometimes our bodies need refreshments other than water. Then you should make sure to drink drinks with less sugar and additives. It is the best if you drink squeezed lemon or orange juice. You can also make your own drinks. Chose fruits that will give you energy and that you like, mix them together with some water if necessary and voila! You have a healthy and tasty drink.

Weigh yourself everyday

You might think it is big pressure and too much if you weigh yourself every day. However, some studies show that checking your weight everyday can help you maintain your weight. Also, if you have meals regularly, if you exercise and if you indulge yourself from time to time, keeping track of your weight can help you see if you gained some. That way you can cut back on some foods and get back to your old weight.

A 2006 study from Cornell University found that college freshmen instructed to weigh themselves every morning gained almost no weight during the school year compared with a 7-pound gain for those who weren't given a scale. Though I'm not sure how much the scale helps me, personally.

Hunger is not good for your health

Some people believe that if you starve yourself you will lose weight until you are satisfied with how you look. It is a really wrong conviction. You might lose some small amounts of weight if you do not eat but it is actually losing water from your body. Once your body notices that you do not have a regular food intake it will start to preserve everything it can in order to function. So you can actually "scare" your body by starving yourself and it will only hide food for you.

However, there is such a thing as healthy hunger. It is good if you are hungry before you eat. You can be hungry 10-15 minutes before a meal. Food tastes better when we are hungry.

There is no such thing as bad food

Food can harm your health and weight if you constantly intake food that has great amounts of fat and carbohydrates. It does not mean that food rich in these nutrients is necessarily bad. There is enough room in your diet for your favorite food, even if it is junk food. What you need to do is to control your craving and do not indulge in these pleasures all the time. You can reward yourself with a nice cheese cake once or twice a month. You can also drink natural lemon juice afterwards. It will prevent fat from accumulating. So, you can relax. You can eat whatever you like, only if you are able to control it.

Keep yourself motivated

Sometimes you feel like you deserve your comfort food after a long period of time of excessive exercise and dieting. Sometimes you feel like sleeping in and skipping your daily exercise. Of course you can do this. However, you will not lose weight. If you want to lose weight or become healthier and fit, you will have to do these things regularly. You will have to plan your meals, exercise and do this every day. This is for you and this will make this process easier for you. You will have to proceed with every step of your plan, if you want to become your ideal self. You will have to keep your eyes on the prize.

Author Bio:
Ivan Dimitrijevic is a health blogger with strong roots in the health industry. He has published many high quality blog posts including themes like meal replacement plans and weight loss techniques, and is always trying to expand his experience in the weight loss field.