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Many people wake up one day and realize that they are overweight. The pounds may have slowly crept up on you over the years or you may have experienced a rapid weight gain. Whatever the case, now is the time to figure out how to lose body fat and those excess pounds before the problem becomes even worse. Continuing to carry around extra pounds can lead to various health risks like heart problems, joint problems and diabetes to name a few. Weight loss and fat loss are very popular topics these days and there are enough products and programs to confuse even the most savvy person.
It can be very helpful to have a specific diet program to follow because it will usually provide you with guidance on which foods to eat. Most programs will usually give you calorie guidelines that are appropriate for you and the amount of weight you want to lose. Some of the most popular programs right now are Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, and Jenny Craig are three examples of very popular diet programs that are available on the market today. The bottom line is that you need to pick a plan that will fit into your lifestyle in order for it to work long term.
You can also decide to go it alone so to speak. Some people either do not have the money to spend to join and participate in some of the organized programs or they do not want to have to weigh in at a public place. Whatever your situation is, it is possible to do it on your own but it works better if you have a buddy to help you stay with your program.
There are a few useful tips that I can offer for anyone starting a diet program. One of the most important tips is to NEVER skip a meal. Skipping a meal throws your metabolism out of balance. You will be so hungry at your next meal that you will be sentenced to overeating which can cause you to actually gain weight. You body actually functions better if you will eat five or six small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals.
Try to eat natural foods and cut out sugar as much as possible. The basic rule of thumb is that you should eat whole foods like fruit and vegetables that are not processed. Some canned and frozen vegetables can be acceptable as well. You want to try and avoid canned fruit that is high in sugar. Juices are also very high in calories and often times the healthy factor is outweighed by the large number of calories. Common sense says you should avoid sugary foods like cakes, candy and cookies. Remove them from your house to get rid of the temptation to eat them.
Keep a food journal to help you keep track of how much and exactly what you are eating through the day. Every time you eat something, write it down right. Many people are very surprised at how much food they have consumed at the end of the day. It is very easy to "forget" that handful of M & M's or Fritos that you ate sometime between 3 and 4 pm. Using a journal makes you accountable and really does cut down on the amount of food you eat during the day.
Move your body! Losing fat and weight is not easy. I wish that it was easy because then no one would be overweight. A regular exercise program is a must! Ideally you should do something every single day, even if you just walk around the block a time or two. You will have to get your heart rate up and actually sweat to get your metabolism going. Building muscle also helps to burn fat. You need to incorporate some type of weights into your routine. You do not have to become a body builder to build muscle but you have to work those muscles. One pound and two pound weights can be very beneficial to building muscle without make you muscle bound.
One of the best tips that I can offer is to start right now … today! Everyone wants to have "one last meal" before they start a weight loss program so they say "I'll start tomorrow". But usually, tomorrow never comes. There will always be some special event or celebration that you want to be able to eat at. Remember, it is a lifestyle change and you have to learn to eat healthy year round at all events. You CAN lose fat and excess body weight, but you actually have to start cutting calories, eating healthy food and exercising.
Losing fat and excess body weight is possible. Millions of people do it every year. But the most successful people made permanent life style changes. It is unhealthy to drop a lot of weight and then just gain it back because you went back to your old eating habits. The benefits of a healthy diet all year round will allow you to keep off the fat and excess weight that you lost as well as lowering your risk for developing health problems. You can do it!
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Source by Debbie Vornholt
