Easy Weight Loss Secrets Guide - Harry Kainth (read ebook pdf .TXT) 📗

budget and make me fat!”, put on the blinkers (figuratively) and walk on by. Opt for the self-checkout too, because further studies show that impulse purchases drop by 32% when you scan and bag your own groceries.

46. Walk off those calories.

Get a pedometer and up your activity level. Take the 10,000 steps a day challenge and you will burn off about 300 – 400 calories. It sounds like a lot, but you can work your way up to it and research has shown that it will significantly improve your health.

47. Set SMART goals.

Maybe you’ve already heard about this method of goal setting. S – specific, M – measurable, A – achievable, R – realistic and T – time-based. Goals set in this way have a much better rate of success, so don’t make it nebulous: “I want to lose some weight” but “I want to lose a total of 20lbs by the 23 November, losing 1 – 2 pounds a week while eating healthy and reducing junk and processed foods”. As you move towards your ideal healthy weight, you’ll probably want to adjust your goals according to your progress.

48. Reduce the fat.

Try reduced fat versions of spreads, dairy products and salad dressings. Remember, though, that healthy fats are good for you in moderation!

49. Don’t bring it into your home.

If you don’t want to eat it, don’t let it in. We made this mistake for years, thinking we could bring in a box of cookies, or tub of ice cream and ration ourselves – it doesn’t work! If it’s in the house, you’ll eat it, so stick to the healthy foods and snacks.

50. Beware of hidden sugars!

Did you know that foods often contain hidden sugars? So even if the label doesn’t say sugar, it could still contain some of the sweet stuff! For e.g. high-fructose corn syrup, dextrin, glucose-fructose… the list goes on and on. Get to know these hidden sugars, so you can avoid them!

51. Get a meal routine and stick to it.

Okay, so we know routines are boring, but having an eating routine which you stick to will prevent you from eating unplanned snacks and meals. Let’s face it, often the most convenient foods are not the healthy option, that’s why they call it fast food, not healthy food!

52. Skip the fads and magic bullets.

Losing the weight and keeping the weight off (that’s the important part) requires a lifestyle change, but you don’t have to do it all at once: just taking small healthy steps every single day will move you closer and closer to your weight loss goals. The important part is to realize that this is about long-term changes, fad diets and diet pills may work in the short term (with who-knows-what consequences to your health) but all-to-often people end up putting the weight back on, then you have to do all the work again when you want to lose weight again! Take the long-term view and small consistent healthy decisions every day and you’ll enjoy the process and have much better success.

53. Disable food cravings.

All cravings start with a cue: it could be the sight of that gooey-sweet glaze or the delicious aroma of cinnamon. On an emotional level: apple pie could give you a feeling of comfort because it reminds you of home, or you may associate the end of the work-week with Chinese takeaway. So you can end up craving these foods when you actually want the feeling associated with the foods, e.g.: apple pie if you’ve had a bad day. You’re not craving the food, but for the emotion. So next time a craving comes up, head it off at the pass: think about the emotion you’re trying to fufill and find another way to fufill it which isn’t food-dependant. If you’re not able to satisfy that emotion fully, take whatever small steps towards satisfying it that you can.

54. Drink green tea.

This probably isn’t news to you, but drinking green tea promotes weight loss. This is because it contains a wonderful group of polyphenols (antioxidants) known as catechins. Research has discovered that not only is green tea beneficial to health, but some studies have shown that it can also prevent the accumulation of fat inside fat cells. Green tea is also a mild appetite suppressant.

55. Don’t drink your calories.

Ditch the sodas, most of them are just water loaded with sugar. Limit how much fruit juice you drink to a max of 1 glass a day – it’s high in natural sugars and thus very calorific. Alcohol is also very high in calories and contains almost no nutritional value (it’s actually a toxin), so take it easy on how much you drink.

56. Eat more dairy.

Studies have shown that the calcium found in dairy products, increases the amount of calories burnt in each cell. The basic idea is that the more calcium in the cell, the more fat that is burnt. Just make sure that it’s a low-fat dairy source. If you’re lactose intolerant you can also get calcium from other food sources, e.g.: dark leafy vegetables, almonds, oats and salmon.

57. Purge your environment.

If you’re really serious about losing weight, then you’ll need to change the messages you’re getting on what to eat: pack away the cookbooks, get some healthy meal cookbooks on your coffee table, get rid of the tubs of ice-cream and muffin mix, watch the healthy eating channels, skip the junk food TV commercials and ignore the MARKETING by focusing on your weight loss goals. Avoid the kitchen treats at work and get your colleagues on board to get healthy (but remember, it’s ultimately up to you). In other words, look around you and declare: “there’s a new sheriff in town!”

58. Get a personal trainer.

Sometimes it’s easier to motivate yourself if you have someone else kicking your ass. Not only that, but you’ll also learn the correct form for your exercises, how to warm up and cool down and thus make getting injured much less likely. Personal trainers can be expensive though, so the next best option is to get hold of one of the many fantastic exercise programs out there.

59. Cook less food at a time.

Cooking just the food you should be eating, will cut down on any second-helpings which get in the way of your weight-loss goals.

60. Find other emotional outlets.

You’ve heard of comfort food? Well, there’s a clue in the name – emotional eaters often turn to foods to satisfy an emotional craving, usually the high-calorie, sugary, fat kind. In other words, the exact opposite of what you want to be eating to lose weight. The truth is though, when you turn to food to cope with stress or boredom, it doesn’t really resolve the underlying negative feelings – in fact, you can often be left feeling worse. The solution is to find out what is triggering your emotional eating and make a positive change at that level – it could be your job or relationship or something else. Until then, make a list of other non-food related activities you could do, which you believe would be a step towards satisfying those emotional needs: running, watching a sitcom, talking to a friend, reading, or anything else. And if you find activities which are moving you towards being healthier then you get even more bang for your buck.

61. Use support networks.

The Internet has some really fantastic support communities for people who want to lose weight, so no matter your specific weight loss goals are, get involved in the communities and participate. Remember though, ultimately it’s all down to you… and you can do it.

62. Recalibrate.

Most people underestimate the amount of calories they eat and overestimate the amount of calories they burn. This is where keeping a food journal is going to be your BEST WEIGHT LOSS friend: if it enters your mouth jot it down. In the beginning you will need to measure everything so that you get a good understanding of what healthy portion sizes actually look like, or use recipes that have already worked out the calories per serving for you. What happens when you do this is you begin to develop an awareness of how many calories you’re actually eating. Especially take note of calorie-dense foods you may be eating: dips, salad dressings, fruit etc. The other mistake is overestimating how much calories you burn when exercising. For example, if you spend 30 minutes on the treadmill and burn about 300 calories, you may go home and think: “I’ve worked out, I can afford to eat a few cookies…” Well, a few cookies later and you’ll have wiped out the calorie-burning effects of that workout. So, spend time getting to grips with how many calories your taking in and how many you’re burning – write it down!

63. Carry a snackable source of protein.

We’ve already shown how protein helps you lose weight, but most protein sources aren’t exactly grab-and-go, so make sure you’ve got a high-protein snack on you whenever possible. Some great options are: boiled eggs, protein powder, nuts or jerky! Keeping topped up on protein will also ensure that you lose fat and rather than muscle.

64. Stick to low GI foods.

Studies have shown that eating a diet with low-glycemic foods has a significant effect on weight loss (particularly in women) – in one study, the lower glycemic group doubled their FAT LOSS when compared to the high glycemic group. So go for the lentil soup, snack on a banana, or try some of these other low GI foods.

65. Chew more.

Studies have shown that healthy-weight people chew on average 15 times, while overweight people chew on average 12 times. So, try chewing your food more. Not only will it slow down your eating, but it also activates more of the digestive process and allows you to taste more of the foods natural flavours – meaning your less likely to reach for those extra calories in condiments.

66. Eat more protein.

Eat a high-quality source of protein with every meal. Studies have shown that protein helps you retain muscle mass and reduce body fat while you’re losing weight. Protein is also high in Peptide YY (PYY) which is an appetite suppressant. Just make sure it’s part of a balanced diet, because too much protein will put a strain on your kidneys amongst other less than healthy effects. So remember those veggies too!

67. Don’t eat too many fruits.

We love fruits, they’re a great healthy alternative to candies and cakes, but moderation is key. Fruits are packed full of natural sugars; for example grapes are almost all sugar, and there is some evidence that sugary foods actually leave you feeling more hungry. So treat fruits like

treats – don’t gorge yourself on them, try some low GI fruits and trade up some fruits for vegetables. Try snacking of snap peas, cucumber slices, celery or whatever tickles your fancy. Also try to get the most bang-per-fruit by sticking to the nutrient-powerhouse superfruits.

68. Lift weights.

You’ll get more muscle and muscle increases resting metabolic rate – that means you’ll burn more calories even when you’re not working out. So not only do you get better body composition and look more toned, but you also get fat-loss thrown in for free. If you’re a woman, you don’t have to worry about getting huge muscles – it’s a myth (women don’t naturally have the testosterone). Studies have found that when you lift 85% of your max load per exercise, for 8 repetitions you burn 8 times as many calories after your workout than if you lifted less weight for more repetitions – in other words, lift heavy (but not crazy heavy).

69. Focus on short and long-term goals.

People who sucessfully lose weight and keep it off tend to have short-term as well as long-term goals. Establish your long-term goal and then break it down into smaller, more attainable pieces – daily, weekly and monthly goals.