The Three Best Weight Loss Strategies
If you want to lose weight, you are probably asking yourself, "What are the best weight loss strategies?" When we consider the high failure rate among people who try to lose weight, it is clear that the best strategy is the one that gives you the best chance of reaching your goal. That strategy could be different from person to person. We are all unique and what works best for one person is not necessary best for another.
That having been said, there are certain weight loss strategies that provide the best success rate overall.
Strategy # 1: Portion Control
Portion control is key to losing weight successfully. The majority of people who are overweight have gained that weight because of overeating - often at every meal.
To lose weight quickly, ensure that the amount of food on your plate is less than you ate previously. Some suggest filling your plate as you normally would, and then remove one third of all that is there. Your aim is to eat just enough so you are no longer hungry, but you do not have that sense of fullness that you had previously.
Weight loss professionals tell us that the body experiences genuine hunger approximately every three hours. If you satisfy this hunger by eating small meals every three hours, your body will burn the calories as fuel, rather than turning them into fat as happened before.
Strategy #2: Find an Exercise Routine That You Enjoy
You may enjoy working out at the gym, and if you do, that's great. However, many people who join a gym don't stick with it. Check out how full the gyms are in early January when people start their New Years resolutions, then compare this with the attendance by the end of February. Typically, there is quite a shocking difference.
The reason that many people abandon their gym routine is because they do not consider it enjoyable or pleasurable. Forty-five minutes on a cardio machine can seem like an eternity, and even listing to music or a tape doesn't help much.
If you are bored, you will find it difficult to continue.
Instead, a better approach is to experiment until you discover an exercise routine that you enjoy. There are many choices - walking outdoors is a wonderful way to unwind, enjoy the scenery and work off some calories at the same time. Dancing, especially fast dancing, may be more your thing. Or what about cross country skiing, snow shoeing, kayaking, dragon boat racing, cycling, martial arts or almost any team sport.
Some of these exercises have an added advantage over the gym because they often demand intense energy bursts rather than consistent energy expenditure. This helps the body break down fat at a much higher rate.
Of perhaps you might enjoy a fitness class. Most communities offer an array of intriguing fitness classes, such as aquasize classes, aerobic dance, on the ball workouts, kick boxing, hooping, etc.
Strategy #3: Count Calories at First
Studies show that most dieters consume many more calories than they think they do. It is easy to underestimate the number of calories in a snack or forget to count the handfull of peanuts that you nibbled absent-mindedly at work. Counting calories accurately gives a much clearer picture. of what you are really eating from day to day.
However, calorie counting is best as a short term strategy. Obsessively counting calories and studying every food label is not something you want to do permanently. It also tends to create a rigid attitude towards food based on what you can and cannot eat.
Instead, count calories for approximately the first fourteen days that you are on a diet. During this time, check labels religiously when you shop. The purpose of this activity is not to reject "bad" foods, but rather to help you get a feeling for food. You will learn to make an educated guess regarding the calorie count of a food item.
In a short time, you will have developed this new skill of assessing an analyzing food, and this will have an impact on your food choices throughout the day. You automatically make healthier food choices and you eat smaller portions than before because you are aware of the nutritional information.
Try the above weight loss strategies and see how they help you meet your weight loss target.
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