Long-term weight loss tips for beginners
Whenever someone decides they want to start a weight loss regimen, they are often drawn to the latest fad or gimmick. This is a shame because I have come to realize from my experience as a fitness instructor that the good intentions are there, but when these fads do work, they are not long-term weight loss results.
Shortly after results are achieved, the weight that was lost is now back! This is always a hard pill to swallow and the dieter will have to start from scratch all over again.
Because results have been achieved before on this fad or scam diet, this person will continue on this quick-fix journey, bouncing from one crash diet to another, but will never see long-term results.
Hate to see this happen!
If someone has the energy and patience to continue down this “yo-yo” diet path, why not put that energy into actually working toward long-term success? It just takes a change of mindset.
I’ve put together some long-term weight loss tips that you can use if you want to pursue a more sustainable approach to losing weight.
Long-term weight loss tips #1: Don’t go on a diet, learn about the foods you eat…
My definition of “diet” is:
“The food you eat on a daily basis. Everyone is on some kind of diet”
If you eat a lot of fast food, you are on a fast food diet, if you eat only sugary snacks, you are on a sugar diet, if you eat vegetables, you are on a vegetarian diet. The list goes on.
My point is that if you want a healthy diet that will help you lose the weight you don’t want to see again; you have to eat the right things to help you. This may sound blindingly obvious, but you’d be surprised how often this factor is overlooked!
I would always recommend that you find the right balance of nutrition and calories. Start with the basics and then hone your knowledge; after all, you have the rest of your life to work on this. Keep putting into practice the new knowledge you acquire. Be in this for the long haul!
Long-term weight loss tips #2: You don’t have to give up your favorite foods!
Looking at long-term weight loss, you may think that if you embark on this for the rest of your life, you’ll never be able to eat your favorite foods again! This is a horrible thought!
It’s not true either! From experience, the best way to do this is to have a “cheat day.” A cheat day will allow you to eat a meal that you really enjoy once a month or once a week. In fact, I do it myself.
I used to be a fan of a good English fish and chip shop! This is probably one of the highest calorie foods you can eat, so it’s not ideal for a dieter. I eliminated this for a long time and will now have a hard time eating a full size serving even on a cheat day.
So if you organize a “cheat day”, you will look forward to it the first few times and your favorite food will taste much better, but eventually you may even quit this bad food altogether! Either way you are a winner.
Long-term weight loss tips #3: Eat at least 4 times a day
Yes! Eat more food to burn more fat! Here’s the theory; if you eat regularly, you will prevent your body from going into “fat storage mode”. If you don’t eat for long periods of time, your body will decide not to eat and will try to conserve the calories you’ve given it.
I always relate this to how laptops react to not being plugged in in your hands when working on them; enter “power saving mode”, the screen dims to save battery power so it can last a little longer. The laptop does not run on all cylinders, similar to the human body.
Eating regularly doesn’t mean snacking on donuts and pastries. You can snack between meals on carrot sticks, almonds, plain popcorn, salads, dried meat, fresh fruit.
Long-Term Weight Loss Tips #4 Healthy Substitutes for Your Favorite Food
Does everyone have a favorite food that is probably not really good for them? It’s a great idea to find healthy alternatives to these foods.
Let’s look at pizza as an example. Pizza can be very “caloric” and unhealthy. A good idea is to make your own, you will have control of what happens in this, you can, you can:
- limit the amount of cheese you put on and use a “low-fat” alternative
- Add additional vegetables to the topping
- Use a thin whole-food base or even make your own if you’re particularly adept at this area.
- You can even use a flattened chicken breast as the base of the pizza, this can make it super healthy! As long as you have a bit of oregano and tomato puree, you’ll have a good pizza flavor.
If you take note of the “#1 Tips for Long-Term Weight Loss” and learn to be creative in the kitchen, you’ll find it enjoyable and great for your health and weight loss plans!
Long-Term Weight Loss Tips #5: Prepare Your Meal for the Day
This is one of the most inconvenient parts of the entire weight loss and fitness game. Yes, it will take a bit of extra time, but the longer you stick to it, the easier and faster it will become.
Remember that you are looking for long-term weight loss tips. If you rely on canteen food and fast food outlets, you may find yourself unstuck. This is why it is better to bring your own lunch pack to work or school, this way you will have full control over your food intake.
If you have a healthy soup kitchen that you trust to visit at work, great! You can use this, but if it’s unpredictable, you’re better off fixing it yourself.
Get into a routine, prepare your meal before you go to bed, ready for the next day, you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll get used to this if you barely notice it.
Long-term weight loss tips #6: Don’t overcomplicate things at first
When it comes to diet, food, exercise, and fitness, there is a lot of information out there. It’s very easy to get fooled by a different approach, especially if you’re new to this game.
The best advice I think a weight loss newbie should observe:
“Keep it simple, practice the basics and perceive. Be for the long haul”
If you haven’t already guessed, I’m a big fan of long-term sustainable weight loss. If you’re serious about your health and weight loss goals, I think this is the only approach you should have.
