1. You need to establish to what extend are you overweight. Consult your doctor and get proper assessment, only then you become aware how hard you need to work on losing weight.
2. Forget about achieving immediate and sudden weight loss. Aim to lose it gradually because evidence has suggested that people with slow and steady weight loss are more likely to remain at lower weight than those who lose weight rapidly. Experts recommend that you aim to lose 1-2 lb a week.
3. Aim to lose weight by reducing calorie intake and by increasing physical activity. You will be achieving higher success if you apply these. As you consume lesser calories, excess fats are burned from the increased physical activity.
4. Set a realistic target by implementing a sensible plan for dieting and regular exercise. Review progress after two weeks for example, by eating sensibly rather than consuming diet food excessively for two months. Calorie intake of less than 1000 a day will generally do more harm than good.
5. Water has no calories so always drink plenty of it. Water is vital for your body to function properly. Do not just drink alot during the early weeks of a diet where excess fluid is easily lost.
6. Do not weigh yourself all the time as weight fluctuates on daily basis. Do it at least once a week and that is enough to review your progress. Do not give yourself a false sense of hope if the weight loss is more than usual or a sense of hopelessness if there is no change in weight.
7. Eat your share of balanced diet which contains carbohydrates, protein, some fats and minerals. The needs of your body remain unchanged just because you are dieting. Just be mindful to choose lower calories and lower quantity for each type of food.
8. Get an accurate weighing scale. Do not underestimate the importance of this if you are serious in keeping track of what you have achieved. Set your bathroom scales to zero and check they are working correctly by weighing a pre-weighted product for eg, a pound of sugar. Weigh yourself preferably without any clothes.
9. Read up on tips for reducing sugar and fat intake. These are two key elements in your diet that need to be monitored. Choose margarine with reduced fat instead of butter. Cut down on biscuits, cakes, chocolates and crisps. Use skimmed milk. Cottage cheese is better than full-fat hard cheese. Bake, grill or steam your food. Educate yourself more on this.
10. It is important that you plan all your meals. This helps you to manage your calories intake throughout the day. Try to eat small meals instead of one large meal in a single day. Eating small amounts will lessen hunger pangs. Do not eat before going to bed as this elminates the chances of burning those calories.
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Tips To Lose Weight
WHAT SHOULD I EAT?
Try and include something from each food group to get your diet balanced. Aim to eat grains, carbohydrates, proteins (and protein alternatives), dairy products, fats and a lot of fruit and vegetables. Try to take it easy on fats, carbohydrates and proteins.
Aim to eat three meals a day - especially if you have been in the habit of skipping breakfast. Have a small, nutritious snack between meals, to keep your energy levels up. To keep your weight at a healthy level, check your portion sizes - eat on a smaller plate if it helps! Have an occasional treat - you're only human and it will keep you focused on your new eating plan - but keep them occasional!
HOW YOU CAN USE FOOD TO MANAGE SYMPTOMS
You may be experiencing hot flashes, swings in your mood and be putting on weight. These can all be helped by eating right. Let's look at what you can do to help these symptoms.
HOT FLASHES
Along with night sweats, these are probably the menopause symptoms that women hate most. Waking up several times at night in a pool of sweat is not fun. Hot flashes can make you feel unwell, be embarrassing at work, make it difficult to get to sleep, and can drive you nuts.
Try and identify what triggers your hot flashes. For many women, these are coffee, tea, alcohol and spicy food. Try and reduce your intake of these. Increasing the amount of water you drink can really help. Aim for at least 8 glasses each day - it's great for your skin too!
Try to eat foods containing phytoestrogens. These are plant estrogen-like compounds that can help a lot of your symptoms. You'll find them in beans, legumes, seaweed, yams, apples, potatoes and carrots. Soy is a high source of them.
Caution: if you are a breast cancer survivor and your tumor was estrogen positive, I'm afraid you'll have to give the phytoestrogens a miss. Ironically, tamoxifen given to estrogen positive breast cancer ladies can cause horrible hot flushes. But anything containing estrogen must be avoided.
MOOD SWINGS
During menopause, hormones fluctuate and this can cause mood swings and even depression. People who are depressed often have a low level of serotonin in their brain. Eating carbohydrates can help to bring up your serotonin levels and ease the depression. Go for bagels, whole grain breads and cereals. And Omega 3 essential fatty acids such as those found in salmon, are great for alleviating depression.
WEIGHT GAIN
As estrogen levels go down during the menopause, fat in the body redistributes itself, unfortunately settling around the stomach. Muscle mass also decreases, which slows down your metabolism and can result in your weight going up. Cut down your fat intake and aim to avoid saturated fats. Broil and grill food instead of frying and if you do fry, use a little olive oil. If you are retaining water, drinking water will help to flush out your system and may help to increase your metabolism. And nothing boosts your metabolism like exercise!
After menopause, women are more at risk from heart disease. Eat oily fish, rich in Omega-3, to help your circulation. Reduce saturated fats and swap processed flour for whole grain.
To guard against thinning bones, aim to have between 1200 and 1500mg of calcium each day. Eat low fat yogurt, cheese, sardines and leafy green vegetables. Go easy on caffeine, as it can prevent the body from properly absorbing calcium.
Both Noraini Maskuri Maskuri & Rebecca Prescott are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Noraini Maskuri Maskuri has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Anger Control and Cooking Tips. Noraini Maskuri is a net business owner and owns a site on weight loss at . Noraini Maskuri Maskuri's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.
Rebecca Prescott has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Yoga Practice and Woman Menopause. To learn about , click here. Rebecca's site covers. Rebecca Prescott's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.