The Best Way to Lose Weight in a Long Term Prospective

• Becoming more active is a good way to start losing weight
• Eating smaller portions can help you cut down on calories
• Drinking more water is good for your body and your weight loss
• Preparing for events they may trigger food cravings can help you deal with those feelings effectively
• Making lifestyle changes is the best way to lose weight and keep it off

If you’re like millions of Americans, you’re trying to find a way to lose weight and keep it off for good. While television commercials are full of get skinny fast claims, the reality is that the best way to lose weight is through a slower process, especially if you want to keep that excess weight off permanently. Below are a few tips.

Increase Activity

Although reducing the number of calories you consume is important, increased activity is essential if you’re going to drop pounds. Activity will help you use up more of the calories you do eat so you’ll lose weight a little faster but you’ll also be building lean muscle which will speed up your metabolism. Exercise will help tone your body up as you’re losing weight so you don’t end up being skinny but flabby. To begin, you can do as little as 30 minutes of walking per day. As your stamina increases, add some weight training to build muscles.

Reduce Portions

One of the biggest problems most people face is they don’t know what a realistic portion of food is. While you can pretty much eat as many vegetables as you want without worrying about portions, most people are going crazy on foods they shouldn’t, such as spaghetti or hamburgers. Cutting back on your portions is a good way to begin eating fewer calories. A trick you can use is to stop using dinner plates at meal time. Instead, use one of your smaller plates and fill it up. You’ll trick your mind into thinking you’re eating a lot but you’ll be eating less.

Drink More Water

One of the best ways to lose weight fast is to cut out all sugary beverages. Replace them with water. You could also substitute low-calorie sodas but these should only be consumed in moderation. Some research suggests the sweetness of the artificial sweeteners will actually trigger a craving for unhealthy foods. Water is important because it helps your metabolism, keeps your body functioning properly, aids in digestion, and makes you feel full so you’ll be less likely to get hungry.

Prepare for Your Triggers

Most of us have certain things in our lives that trigger our desire to eat badly. For some of us, stress sends us racing for large helpings of high-carb comfort foods. For others, having something to celebrate makes us want to reward ourselves without something delicious and very unhealthy. Of course, there are oodles of other reasons, too. The point is you need to recognize yours and prepare alternative ways of dealing with those triggers. For example, if stress is causing you to yearn for a super size order of French fries, drink a glass of water and do some meditation instead or go for a walk.

Lifestyle Changes

What’s the best way to lose weight? The answer is all of the above which could be classified as lifestyle changes. Fad diets may help you reduce your weight short-term but they aren’t something you can maintain permanently. Eating healthier foods, limiting your fast food consumption, and drinking alcohol in moderation are all part of this process, too. If you’re still not losing weight after giving these changes a try, consult your physician about other alternatives.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.