What Are 10 Ways to Lose Weight?

Not only can losing weight be frustrating and difficult, it can also be discouraging. With the multitude of diet plans advertised, each varying from the other, you don't know what plan is truly the most effective when it comes to helping you lose those unwanted pounds. The truth is, losing weight really isn't that confusing. You simply need to desensitize yourself from the hype and incorporate small changes that will make a major impact on your attempt to lose weight.

Start With Breakfast

• The key to losing weight is a metabolism that runs forward, not backward. Just like you have been sleeping all night, so has your metabolism. And just as you need a cup of coffee to wake up, your metabolism needs food to begin working and burning.

  Even if you are not a fan of breakfast, something light like a bowl of whole grain cereal with low-fat milk and a piece of fruit will suffice. For breakfast lovers, scrambled egg whites topped with salsa accompanied by a slice of whole grain toast and low-fat vanilla yogurt should do the trick for you.

Eat Through the Day

• Once you have started your metabolism you need to keep it going. The best way to do this is by eating small meals through the day. Five to six mini-meals are perfect for staving off hunger, keeping blood sugar levels stable to ward off cravings and keep your metabolism running faster than a freight train.

Increase Your Fiber

• Fiber is a fabulous way to fill your belly and maintain the feeling of satiety for longer periods of time. Most high-fiber foods are low in calories, which obviously works to your advantage as well. Some of the greatest sources of fiber are fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grain breads, pastas and rice. The daily recommended amount of fiber is 25 grams, though many people fall short of this every day.

Increase Your Protein

• Protein has many benefits: First, it is a terrific source of energy, and second, it helps build and repair your muscles.

  Everyone needs energy to get through the day, especially when you incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Protein will give you the energy you need, much the same way carbohydrates do. Here's the difference between the two: Protein requires more energy to digest, which means your body burns more calories during this process. In addition, your body stores any unused carbohydrates as fat; this doesn't happen with protein.

  The second benefit to increasing protein is the muscle it helps build in your body. Muscle burns fat and calories, therefore, the more lean muscle you have, the more weight you will lose. Good sources of protein include lean cuts of red meat, poultry, eggs and low-fat dairy products.

Reduce Your Calories

• This may seem like odd advice after being told to increase the number of meals you eat along with your fiber and protein intake, but it's true. If you want to lose weight, you need to reduce your calories. You need to cautious though; if you reduce them too much, your body will hold onto every ounce of fat your body has as a way of protecting itself from starvation.

  A good way to determine the amount of calories you need each day is to multiply your weight by 11. Adjust your caloric intake using this formula as you lose weight. The key is to eat nutritious foods that do not contain empty calories such as potato chips or candy bars.

Reduce Your Portions

• If you simply reduce your portions by ten percent, you will find yourself losing weight. This has a psychological effect on your brain; when you have a fuller plate, you feel inclined to finish everything on it, full or not. Therefore, using smaller plates or bowls when you eat will make you feel as though you have more than enough food, even though you have really cut down on your portion sizes.

Stop Eating at Night

• As night progresses, your metabolism begins to slow. This means everything you eat past six or seven p.m. will generally stay with you rather than fall off of you. To nix this, enjoy a small dessert after dinner such as a scoop of sherbet or low-fat ice cream. You can even make a smoothie complete with milk, fruit and yogurt; this is not only filling but tasty too.

Drink More Water

• Water serves many purposes when it comes to weight loss, the first being a metabolism catalyst. When you are the least bit dehydrated, your metabolism will not function at its full capacity. Therefore you should drink at least eight glasses a day.

  Water also helps in weight loss by filling you up in between meals, as well as before meals. If you drink a glass of water before each meal and snack, you will be less inclined to overeat.

  Finally, substituting water for high-calorie drinks such as soda or so-called juice drinks can save you a minimum of 100 calories a day; this depends on the number of high-calorie drinks you consume and how many of these you're willing to replace with water.

Exercise

• This may seem like common sense, but so many people ignore it and concentrate solely on their eating habits. However if you want to lose weight, you need to combine good eating habits with a regular exercise routine, even if it's only 30 minutes of walking a day, three days a week. Your ultimate goal should be four to five days of exercise for at least 45 minutes, but any movement is better than none at all.

Strength Training

• Last but not least you should try to build some muscle. You don't need to lift so much weight that you look like Hulk Hogan, however lifting light weights, three times a week will help you build lean muscle. This will help your body burn calories and fat around the clock, even while at rest.