Losing weight can be hard, especially when you're first starting out. Here are some weight loss tips to help you out:
Track your calories using a food diary.
This makes sure that you keep to your daily goal, and can show over time what amounts worked. For example, you may find that eating 1400 calories a day helps you make your weight loss goals, but cutting it down to 1200 calories a day left you too hungry, or made you more likely to get the flu.
Track your exercise each day.
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This weight loss tip can go with your food diary or in a separate diary. Keep track of how long it was, whether it was strength training or cardio, and if it was a class or a DVD write down the name as well. This will make sure that you don't strength train the same area two days in a row, and will give you an idea of what's working. For example, if one week you did a twenty-minute walk five days a week, and the next week you did a thirty-minute walk for five days, did you lose more weight during the second week?
Be aware of the scale.
Your weight actually changes throughout the day - you weigh more at night than in the morning. A woman's time of the month also changes her weight. So, to keep from going crazy, try to follow these guidelines:
* weigh yourself in the morning, either without any clothes on, or with the same amount of clothing each time
* weigh yourself once a week - or, if that bugs you - limit yourself to once a day
* keep the scale on a flat surface and don't move it
Look at inches lost over pounds lost.
You can actually lose a lot of inches without seeming to lose a lot of pounds. This can mean that you're burning fat and adding muscle, which is a good thing. Tracking those lost inches will show you that you're making progress.
Get plenty of sleep.
This weight loss tip can sometimes be hard to achieve, but sometimes even just six hours can help. If you have too little sleep, you'll have the tendency to reach for sugar or caffeine, both of which can make you hungry and break your diet.
Have a planned "splurge" meal.
Plan a meal where you can eat anything you want, either once a week or once a month. Eat slowly, and enjoy every bite. Put down your utensils after each bite, and stop when you're satisfied - but before you're full.
Join an online forum or weight loss group.
Having someone to talk to can really help you stay motivated. You can get tips, get help when you're stumbling, and get a "good job" when you reach milestones.
Watch out for yourself when exercising on an empty stomach.
It makes sense to exercise on an empty stomach - that should make the body pull from fat stores, right? Just watch out for yourself. This is a weight loss tip I found out about the hard way. If you feel dizzy or nauseous, stop working out. Next time, eat something small an hour before exercising, like some grapes. This won't cut in too much to burning that fat and it will help you get through the workout.
If you're in this for the long haul, take breaks.
If you know that your weight loss program will take months, then give your body time to recover from training. For example, say you're going to cut your calories down to 1400 a day, workout for an hour five days a week, and do this for four weeks. After those four weeks, take one to two weeks and increase your calories, and cut your workouts to maybe thirty minutes a day. Why? Because without these kinds of breaks you can overtrain, and then you're doing yourself no good. Give your body time to recover, and to get stronger.
It's okay if you miss occasionally.
If you eat that cupcake, or skip a workout, don't give up! That's just one day! Get back to your schedule as soon as possible. It's the long haul that makes a difference.
Try one or more of these weight loss tips to make life easier while losing weight!
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