I once had a doctor tell me that there was only one simple rule of thumb for a healthy diet. He said "pretty much if it tastes good, don't eat it!" Unfortunately, research has come to show that his advice was right on the money! So how can we live more moderately, while still taking some modest pleasure in our diet - one of the few remaining small pleasures of life? Well, it starts with a transformation of attitude. Here are 7 simple and real weight loss tips that virtually anyone can follow. That's right, 7 simple yet effective ways to lose weight today and start feeling better immediately. We're not talking diet fads here. This is just good diet sense that can be incorporated into a daily diet routine. The good news is that these diet tips do work, the bad news is these diet tips also do require some sacrifice.
1. Eliminate Soft Drinks from Your Diet. It is an amazing but true fact that far too many of us are addicted to soft drinks. By replacing soft drinks, fruit drinks, and virtually every other drink with water you will remove loads of sugar, sodium and other toxic and bloating substances from your diet. Your body will thank you and your weight will begin to drop quickly. One thing that many people don't understand is that even low calorie or no-calorie sodas, consumed in large quantities add pounds of water weight and loads of sodium. Solution: Drink Water!
2. Eliminate Fast Food From Your Diet. Easier said than done? Yes. Vital for weight loss and longevity of life? Absolutely! There should rarely be a reason to eat fast food. Cold whole grain cereal with skim milk along with a piece of fruit for breakfast is cheap and fast. A tuna sandwich with just a hint of mayo on whole wheat bread is cheap and easy to make ahead of time for lunch. Hard boiled eggs are great and portable, with a little bit of salt and pepper and a slice of whole wheat bread and a piece of fruit or some carrots and veggies, they make a great and healthy meal - particularly if you discard some of the egg yolks and just eat the egg whites.
3. Eat Beans as your Main Protein Source for at Least One Meal a Day. Canned black, kidney, or pinto beans should be rinsed to get rid of as much of the excess sodium and unhealthy additives as possible prior to eating. Then, add them to a salad, put them in a tortilla, eat them refried, or just plain with a mixture of healthy spices. Beans are not only extremely low in fat, they are also high in protein and have a perfect mix of protein and carbs, particularly when eaten with a small serving of rice. When you're not eating beans, eat lean, skin free chicken or turkey, soy products, or a modest portion of very lean beef for protein.
4. Eat More Slowly. It is a proven fact that by eating quickly, our food intake outpaces our satiation trigger. Your body will begin to alert you when it has consumed enough calories, as long as you don't shovel food down your throat faster than your body can register it. Gulping and inhaling food is a recipe for over-sized portions and weight gain.
5. Significantly Reduce the Quantity of Breads you Consume. It should go without saying that pastries, cakes, candies and other items of the like should never be part of your diet. But breads in general should be eaten sparingly. Yes, these things are all yummy. We love them. Breads are delicious. Just eat them in limited quantities. I am talking one slice here for a meal, not three or four.
5. Eliminate or Significantly Reduce Consumption of Dressings, Spreads, and other High Fat Additions to Your Meals. You would be mortified to know that the "healthy salad" you think you are eating is ridiculously high calorie and far worse than a nice lean steak, simply because of the high fat dose of ranch dressing. Better to skip the salad if it will be laden with a creamy high fat dressing. Same goes for mayonaisse, butter, cream cheese, and all the other yummy but unhealthy spreads. These high fat spreads are the kiss of death for a healthy diet and will absolutely sabotage your plans for a slim waist line.
6. Think Before You Eat. Ok, Ok, I know. All of the suggestions thus far sound rather ridiculous. Yes, I eat this way, but not everyone is willing to be so masochistic. Just eat this way some as often as possible. Go ahead and splurge once in a while. Just cut back. That is the gist of it. But always REMEMBER you need to consume about 3,500 fewer calories to lose one pound of real weight (we're not talking water weight here, which comes and goes - this is REAL weight loss we are referring to). On the flip side, you only have to consume an extra 3,500 calories to ADD a pound of weight! So for every thousand calorie Big Mac meal you consume you are going to be that much further from your goal. Just be a little thoughtful BEFORE you put anything into your system. That may be enough to help you solve your weight problems. Try it for a day. Then a week. Then two weeks. See if it makes a difference.
7. Be HONEST with Yourself. Above all else, be honest with yourself about where you are and what you are willing or not willing to do. Not everyone is willing to do what it takes to lose weight and keep themselves fit. If not, you can still make some modest progress and feel better than you have for years just by adopting some of these principles as frequently as you are willing and able.
