So here are my tips for weight loss
- Be sure you drink adequate amounts of water (varies depending on your activity level and body)
- Take a daily vitamin (not the "best" way of getting all your vitamins but probably better than nothing)
- Have a big breakfast. I actually lost some fat when I started adding calories to my diet because I increased the size of my breakfast. In fact, breakfast should be the biggest meal of your day in terms of calories. It will jump start your metabolism for the day. If you don't eat breakfast, then START!!
- Weight lifting burns a ton of calories. Compound movements like squats, dead lifts, lunges, dips, pull-ups will burn the most calories. Of course unless you have a gym membership, you might have difficulty doing some of these. However, you can still actually do some of them at home with dumbbells. In fact, I recommend this
guy's YouTube for home workouts and a few meal ideas.
- Real cardio for 30 minutes 3 times a week. If you're not elevating your heart rate and getting a little perspired then you're probably not going to get the same benefit. Also, even simple stuff like taking the stairs and parking further away adds up. You're not going to lose a ton of weight, but every little bit helps!
- Examine your sodium intake! If you eat a lot of stuff from boxes or cans (or ramen hehe), then you're probably ingesting huge amounts of sodium. Try to cut back.
- Don't go shopping when you're hungry. ^_^; You'll come back with half the store. ^_^;;;
- While we're on the topic of the store, stick to the perimeter of the store: that's where all the fresh stuff usually is. You know, dairy, produce, meat, etc.
- Reduce portion sizes. Eat more vegetables with your meal and cut your meat portion down. Eat 5-6 medium "meals" a day if you can, instead of 2 or 3 huge meals. (Depending on your calorie needs, a "meal" could be only a few hundred calories. A serving of nuts can easily fill a portion of that. Or a slice of cheese and an apple.)
- Don't spend time obsessing over the weight scale. If you really want to measure fat loss, get a set of calipers. Some stores sell them but you can also buy them at
www.bodybuilding.com. It's ok to weigh yourself, but do it every week or so. Make sure you measure yourself under the same circumstances every time. For instance I always weigh myself first thing in the morning before I've had anything to eat or drink.
- This is something my doctor recommended. If you feel like you're not getting full enough when you eat, drink a glass of Metamucil before you eat your meal. The fiber will be very filling.
- That brings me to another thing .. eat lots of fruits and veggies. Wait, I kind of mentioned that earlier. OK, make sure you eat food with lots of fiber.
- When you buy something at the store, check the nutritional information. How much fiber is in it? How much sugar? Saturated fat? How big is a serving? What percent of your calories will eating it take up? Is it worth it to use 1/4th of your calories for the day to eat a big donut?
REMEMBER always be sure to check the instructions on anything you'll be taking like vitamins of fiber supplements (Metamucil). You don't want to exceed their recommendations and get yourself sick!
