4 Tools For Weight Loss

From your bodys’ perspective, fat means survival. Long ago, when food was a struggle to get, having a surplus of fat could mean the difference between surviving the winter and not making it to spring. Your body doesn’t know those days are over and seems to almost fight back against losing fat. For most people, reduced calorie intake and increased exercise is enough to ensure weight loss but for others it’s a little harder.

Try not to get weight loss tips and advice from your friends. Some of these ideas aren’t true and may not work for you. Moreover, some of the suggested tips can actually be harmful for your body. Bottom line is that you need to be the one to decide how you are going to lose weight. If you have wisely chosen the path of diet and exercise, here some tips to help you get there:

1. It’s called “junk food” for a reason. Processed food is food that’s been taken apart and put back together in an appealing way. To do this, a lot of sugar and fat gets added in to make up for what got lost. Granola bars are a prime example. Touted as healthy, they’re jam packed with sugar and calories. If you’re lost in the woods and fighting for your survival go ahead and eat a granola bar. Otherwise, don’t.

2. Think small portions. Eating one huge meal isn’t the same as eating five or six smaller meals even if the total calories add up to the same number. If you eat many small meals throughout the day you are constantly staving off hunger and keeping your metabolism on a steady course. When you eat a small meal your body gets what it needs for metabolism and never goes into fat storage mode with what’s left over.

3. Cutting down on calories doesn’t necessarily mean little, tiny portions. By avoiding foods that are calorie packed, you can eat more and feel full quicker with a much lower calorie intake. Your brain tells you to stop eating when your stomach feels full, not when you’ve reached a certain number of calories. Don’t completely deprive yourself of everything you love to eat, though. Adding in smaller amounts of your favorite foods will keep you from feeling deprived and help stave off a binge.

4. Make exercise a part of your day. If you’re serious about losing weight, exercise is a must have. Think about it – exercise lets you eat even more because you’re burning even more. And as you workout, your metabolic rate is increasing and this rate will stay higher even when you’re not at the gym. Also, the extra muscle you gain will burn calories at an even higher rate.

Gaining all that weight didn’t happen in a short time so it’s unrealistic to think you can get rid of it in a short time either. There is no more reliable way to lose weight than by diet and exercise. Stick with it and you’ll win the battle.