10 Great Weight Loss Solutions

It seems everyone today is looking for additional tips on how to achieve and maintain weight loss.  As such, I’ve decided to put together some of my favorite weight loss solutions to help you out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most studies today show that about two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.  These numbers are expected to rise in the next 20 years or so to approximately 80%.  Every day it seems we are made more aware of the various health problems associated with being overweight and obese.  In an effort to keep you out of that 2/3’s category, here are some of my best weight loss solutions.

 

1.  Drink More Water

 

Most of us do not drink enough water.  We’ve heard that many times.  One of the benefits of drinking more water is that not only are you hydrating yourself, but it often provides a feeling of fullness and helps prevent overeating.  Water is a vital nutrient for your body, and can fool you into feeling more full.  So keep a container of water on you and make sure you are drinking regularly. 

 

2.  Have Your Veggies Ready

 

When most of us reach for a box of crackers or a bag of potatoe chips, it’s sometimes more out of convenience than it is an actual desire for that particular food.  To combat the need for something to munch on, try filling a large container with foods such as celery, brocholi, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, and other healthy vegetables.  Some light salad dressing or dip can add great flavor.  Most people can eat an abundance of vegetables and not gain weight.  This is due to the fact that vegetables are made up in large part of water.  When you eat your veggies, there’s not a ton of caloric content to start with.  Once you have eaten them, your body expends a little bit of energy actually digesting the food.  When it’s all said and done, there are not a whole lot of calories left over for your body.  So eat up!

 

3.  Find A Buddy

 

Find a friend who is trying to lose weight to join you in your journey.  You can also use your spouse or significant other.  Ask each other often how things are going, what they are eating, how their workouts are progressing, how their weight loss is going, and so on.  Accountability is huge when it comes to meeting hefty goals such as weight loss, so find a good partner to help motivate and hold you accountable. 

 

4.  Find Your Motivation

 

Some people are easily motivated to work out.  We call these people intrinsically or internally motivated.  Many people are not motivated in this manner however, and so it is important to devise effective means to motivate yourself.  Some people are by their nature competitive.  In that case, finding a means to compete against someone else or a group can help keep you engaged in your workouts.  For someone looking to get in great shape for their wedding, hanging their wedding dress up where it can be seen daily can serve as a great reminder as to what the hard work is about.  Watching videos and reading articles or books about others who have triumphed and succeeded in their workout endevors can be very motivating.  Find what works for you.  When you feel your motivation waning, return to that which helps push you forward. 

 

 

5.  Reward Yourself

 

Monitor your progress, set goals, and when you reach those goals make sure to reward yourself.  Good examples of rewards are a new item of clothing, a new appliance, a trip, a piece of furniture, a massage, or a new book.  Bad examples of rewarding yourself are eating unhealthy food or to go out drinking.  There is no need to fall off the wagon when you're doing so good.  One of the best weight loss solutions is to simply congratulate yourself on a regular basis for reaching small milestones in the form of rewards. 

 

6.  Eat More Soup

 

As mentioned above, water has the ability to make us feel more full.  Eating soup can provide you with a nutritious food that is relatively low in caloric content but still makes you feel full.  Try to eat soup before the other foods that make up your meal.  By filling up on soup before you eat other foods, you are likely to eat less of those foods that have higher levels of fat and higher caloric content.  Who knew that one of the best weight loss solutions involved eating!

 

7.  Eat Slowly

 

The ability to sense a feeling of fullness is somewhat delayed.  Eating slowly can allow the time needed for your brain to correctly sense that your stomach is full.  This will in turn mean you consume fewer calories.  Less calories=less stored fat.  Sometimes experiencing dramatic weight loss means altering your eating habits as much as altering what you are eating.  Try slowing down your eating and giving your body a chance to sense it is full.  

 

8.  Increase Your Cardio

 

Remember that cardio is aerobic and as such relies upon fat as a primary source of energy.  Monitoring the amount of calories by inputting your age and weight on a treadmill or bike can help the machine you're working on to accurately calculate the amount of calories you have burned.  More calories burned translates into more weight loss.  If you don’t believe me try to find an obese marathon runner. 

 

9.  Add A Little Muscle To Your Frame

 

Women, don’t freak out.  I’m not talking about becoming a professional bodybuilder or anything like it.  Often when I tell women that we need to put a little bit of muscle on them to jumpstart their metabolism, I get looks of concern and fear.  The looks always mean the same thing; a fear of looking too big and bulky.  Let me be clear that you do not have to put on 30 pounds or more of muscle in order to experience a small spike in your metabolism.  Muscle requires more energy to be maintained than fat, so adding some muscle to your frame is just one of many great weight loss solutions.  Consider it one more weapon in your arsenal in the battle against fat. 

 

10.  Watch Your Fat Intake

 

One gram of fat equates to 9 calories.  This is unlike carbohydrates and protein which each equate to 4 calories.  You can think of calories in terms of literal units of energy.  When you consume calories they are typically used up or converted to fat for storage.  Don’t consume as many calories and you won’t have as much that requires being stored or expended through exercise.  Consume less fat, and you consume fewer calories. 

 

Final Thoughts

 

The above 10 quick weight loss solutions are just a handful of many that are out there.  I chose these because they are quick, reasonable, practical, and can be easily implemented.  In the end, your success comes down to the amount time and effort you are willing to put into your weight loss.  What you put in is what you will get out.  Good luck to you and make sure to check back in regularly for continued fitness and health related tips.