Long term weight loss tips for the beginner

Whenever someone decides that they want to start a weight loss regime, they are often drawn to the latest fad or gimmick. This is a shame because I have noticed from my experience as a fitness instructor that the good intentions are there but when these fads yield results they are not long term weight loss results.

Soon after the results are achieved, the weight that was lost is now back! This is always a hard pill to swallow and the dieter will have to start from square one again.

Because results were achieved by this fad or gimmicky diet before, this person will continue on this quick fix journey, bouncing from crash diet to crash diet but never get long term results.

I hate to see this happen!

If someone has the energy and patience to continue on this “yo yo” dieting path, why not put that energy into actually working towards long term success? It just takes a shift in mind-set.

I have put together some long term weight loss tips that you can use if you would like to look at a more sustainable approach to weight loss.

Long term weight loss tips #1: Don’t go on a diet, educate yourself on the food that you eat…

My definition of “diet” is:

“The food that you eat on a daily basis. Everyone is on a diet of some kind”

If you eat fast food a lot, you are on a diet of fast food, if you eat only sugary snacks, you are on a sugar diet, if you eat vegetables, you are on a vegetarian diet. The list goes on.

My point is that if you would like a healthy diet that will help you lose the weight that you don’t ever want to see again; you have to eat the right things to help you along. This may sound blindingly obvious but you would be surprised at how often this factor is overlooked!

I would always recommend that you search for the right balance of nutrition and calories. Start with the basics and then hone your knowledge; after all, you have the rest of your life to work on this. Just keep putting into practice the new knowledge that you pick up. Be in it for the long term!

Long term weight loss tips #2: You don’t have to cut out your favourite foods!

When looking at weight loss for the long term, you may think that if you embark on this for the rest of your life, you will never get to eat your favourite foods again! This is a horrible thought!

It is also not true! From experience, the best way to do this is to have a “Cheat day”. A cheat day will allow you to eat a meal that you really enjoy once per month or once per week. I actually do this myself.

I used to be a fan of a good old English fish and chip shop! This is probably one of the highest calorie meals that you can eat so it’s not great for a dieter. I cut this out for a long time and now I will struggle to eat a full-sized portion even on a cheat day.

So if you organise a “Cheat day” you will look forward to this for the first few times around and your favourite food will taste all the better, but eventually, you may even wean yourself off this bad food completely! Either way you are a winning.

Long term weight loss tips #3: Eat at least 4 times per day

Yep! Eat more food to burn more fat! Here is the theory; if you eat regularly, you will stop your body going into “Fat storage mode”. If don’t eat for long periods of time, your body will decide that you are not going to be fed and try to conserve the calories that you have given it.

I always relate this to how laptops react to not being plugged into the mains when being worked on; they go into “power saving mode”, the screen dims to save on battery power so it can last a bit longer. The laptop is not firing on all cylinders, similar to the human body.

By eating regularly does not mean snacking on donuts and cakes. You can snack between meals on carrot sticks, almonds, unflavored popcorn, salads, beef jerky, fresh fruit.

long term weight loss tips #4 Healthy substitutes for your favourite food

Everyone has a favourite food that is probably not really good for them? It is a great idea to find healthy alternatives to these foods.

Let’s look at pizza as an example. Pizza can be very “calorific” and unhealthy. A good idea is to make your own, you will have control of what goes on this, you can, you can:

• limit the amount of cheese that you put on and use a “Low fat” alternative
• Add extra veggies to the topping
• Use a thin whole meal base or even make your own if you are particularly skilled in this area
• You can even use a flattened chicken breast as the base of the pizza, this can make it super healthy! As long as you have a bit of oregano and tomato puree, you will have a good pizza taste.

If you take note of ” Long term weight loss tips #1 and you learn to be creative in the kitchen, you will find this enjoyable as well as great for your health and weight loss plans!

Long term weight loss tips #5: Prepare your food for the day

This is one of the most inconvenient parts of the whole weight loss and fitness game. Yes it will take a bit of extra time but the longer that you stick to it, the easier and quicker that it will become.

Remember that you are looking for Long term weight loss tips. If you rely on canteen food and convenience food outlets, you may come unstuck. This is why it is best to take your own pack lunch to work or school, you will have total control over your food intake this way.

If you do have a healthy option canteen that is reliable for you to visit at work, great! You can use this, but if it is hit and miss, it’s best to sort yourself out.

Get yourself into a routine, prepare your food before you go to bed, ready for the following day, you will be surprised at how quickly you will get used to this if you just perceiver.

Long term weight loss tips #6: Don’t over complicate things at the start

When it comes to diet, food, exercise and fitness, there is a whole bunch of information out there. It is so easy to be taken in by a different approach especially if you are new to this game.

The best advice that I think a newbie to weight loss should observe:

“Keep it simple, practice the basics, and perceiver. Be in it for the long term”

If you had not guessed already, I am a big fan of long term sustainable weight loss. If you are serious about your health and weight loss goals, I believe that this is the only approach that you should have.