One thing that huge numbers of people are keen to do is to lose weight successfully. Losing weight can be difficult at the best of times but something that is even more difficult is keeping the weight off on a long term basis. Plenty of people manage to lose weight by going on a diet and putting short term measures into place. However, a large number of those who manage to lose weight then go on to not only put the weight back on but also pile on a few additional pounds on top. This is why it is important to develop an effective plan to help you to succeed when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off.
Some of the things that can help:
If you are one of the many people who want to lose weight and keep it off, there are a number of key things that you need to keep in mind. These are things that will not only help to educate you when it comes to your long term weight goals but will also help to boost your chances of long term success. Some of the things to remember include:
- Make a lifelong change: The term ‘going on a diet’ indicates that you are going to make changes in the short term and then return to your current eating habits. This is great if you want to lose weight – and then pile it all back on again. Huge numbers of people tend to go on fad diets that can only ever be maintained on a short term basis without adversely affecting health, which means that as soon as they start eating normally again they begin to put the pounds back on and find themselves back at square one. What you need to do is make a lifelong change – re-educate your eating habits. Make sure you start eating healthy meals that are varied so that you don’t lose interest. Invest in recipe books to help you create more exciting meals that are still healthy.
- Portion sizes and timing: It is not just the things that you eat can affect your weight but also your portion sizes and the times at which you eat. Many people struggle to control their portion sizes and end up filling the plate to the brim and then feeling compelled to eat it all. A great solution to this is to invest in smaller plates, as you then have the satisfaction of filling them up but you will automatically be reducing the amount of food on them. You should avoid eating late in the day, as you will have little or no chance to burn off the calories that you consume. Instead, aim for a healthy, filling breakfast, a decent lunch and then a light evening meal that is consumed as early in the evening as possible rather than just before you go to bed.
- Exercise: You don’t have to become an exercise addict to lose weight but taking part in some regular activity will make a huge difference when it comes to dropping the pounds, shaping up, and keeping the weight off. You don’t even have to go to the expense of joining a gym – you can get healthy exercise free of charge by taking part in activities such as walking or cycling several times a week. You can get properly geared up by making sure you have the right gear and equipment for these activities – places such as Go Outdoors do a huge range of products for those who want to enjoy activities such as cycling, walking and running. Heading to http://www.hotuksavings.co.uk will enable you to enjoy generous savings on the outdoor products you need and you can then enjoy regular, healthy exercise without having to worry about contracts and membership fees.
- Drink plenty of water: Drinking plenty of water is important for many reasons, one of which is to keep hunger at bay. We often think that we are hungry even when we are not, and it is at times like these that we are at risk of reaching for unhealthy snacks to help curb that craving. Surprisingly, drinking a glass of water can help to fill that gap and keep you feeling full for longer, which in turn cuts the risk of snacking.
These tips are all very simple and easy to put into place yet can make a huge difference when it comes to long term weight loss success.