Weight Loss Tricks

There are little known weight loss tricks that can give you an edge you would not otherwise have. Most people find it difficult to safely and consistently lose weight, but it is not that difficult if you know exactly what to do and do it right. There are many techniques and little known tricks you can employ which will ease and speed up the process. The following are very effective weight loss tricks you can apply.

Weight Loss Trick 1: keep a progress report

We often defeat ourselves by being dishonest about our calorie intake, or missed exercise because of our busy schedules; this can largely be avoided by keeping a progress report and weight graph. It is easy to use squared or graph paper to plot the results of your progress, or lack of it. Weigh yourself consistently, wearing the same clothes, at a set time every day. When the graph is joined together to form a line, you will have visual evidence of your progress.

Weight Loss Trick 2: Keep a record of the food you eat.

   

Most people kid themselves by choosing not to remember all of the times they gave in to temptation and ate something they are to avoid. Then, they frown at their lack of progress in their bid to lose weight. Make a written record of everything you eat, and keep it accurate and comprehensive. Make a note of how much you eat, and when you eat it, as the body can burn calories at different rates at different times of day. If possible note down exact amount of calories consumed. The weight loss graph and diary will give you a fair view of what is producing results and what is not.

Weight Loss Trick 3: avoid junk foods

Junk food, or as some call it “fast” food, is filled with empty, useless calories. Eating this weekly can put a severe brake on your progress, as one meal of burger, fries and sugar laden drink can contain the same calories as you would get from three healthy meals. There is no way you can expect to lose weight by taking in an extra day's worth of calories every week. You are strongly advised to avoid junk foods completely.

Weight Loss Trick 4: Set a goal 

Setting up realistic goals irrespective of the amount of weight you want to lose is important. If you have a serious problem with obesity, as so many people in developed countries sadly do, it is important you do some research and find out what your optimum body weight should be. Even if that target is a long way off, it will be achievable with solid, consistent and committed effort. Everything is easier when there is a clear destination, and when a large goal is broken down into smaller ones.

You can use these simple but effective weight loss tricks to reach your target so much more easily. Take note of these weight loss tricks for they will give a boost to your weight loss success.

Menopause And Weight Gain

Speaking with most women over 50yrs you will find out that most of them experience weight gain at menopause. It is very common to put on weight at this time while some of the weight gain may be due to lifestyle changes.

The truth is that hormonal changes play a part in this, although the process is not completely understood. At menopause a woman stops ovulating, her monthly menstruation periods end, and her body produces much lower levels of the female hormone estrogen which is responsible for ovulation. Low estrogen has been shown to cause weight gain in animals and it almost certainly is the reason why our bodies change shape. While women of childbearing age store fat in the lower body, after the menopause they store it on the abdomen instead, like men. This leads to a greater risk of heart disease.

Men and women tend to find muscle turning to fat as they grow older, and the metabolism slows down. This means that you have to adjust your eating habits to avoid gaining excess weight. A person of 60 just does not need as many calories as a person of 40 and below.

If you are gaining weight at menopause, the following tips may be of help in taking care of the excess weight.

- Eat a healthy, low fat diet with plenty of fiber, avoiding sugar. Simply put eat healthy.

- Get regular exercise. As people get older their physical activity levels naturally drop. Work often becomes less physically demanding, there are no kids to run around after, and we take less active holidays and do things more slowly. 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day will help balance the effect of this.

- Maintain muscle strength and mass. Use weights for arm muscles and walking or cycling for legs.

- Accept the changes to the shape of your body. If you are not overweight, but simply have a thicker waist and slimmer legs, see it as a necessary change that has to do with nature and your age.

It is advised that you consult your doctor before starting any exercise program if you have any medical conditions or your fitness levels are low. Your doctor can also help with symptoms of the menopause and weight gain.

Weight loss tips for busy people

In order to lose weight, one must make a few lifestyle changes as well as a total commitment. What happens if you’re too just too busy? No matter how busy you might be, you can never be too busy to lose weight. You have to approach weight loss the way you approach your business; this means:

·         1.Total commitment to the cause

·        2.  Failure is not an option

·        3.  Never give up until you reach your goal

If you put as much effort into your weight loss plan as you do your job, keeping it like an appointment, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t be just as successful. If you are truly dedicated to losing the extra pounds, then you must understand that it requires a few lifestyle changes. There is nothing too drastic, just small changes that will benefit you in the future because you will look and feel better. 

Find time to do some form of physical activity each day

The first task is to find time for physical activity. It is best to find something that you enjoy doing or even rotate between of different activities so that you don’t get bored. However, if you choose a regular exercise routine, it is best to do it first thing in the morning and schedule a time each day for this. The good thing about doing your exercise in the morning is that it makes you feel good all through the day. Once you get home from work, you won’t have the excuse of being too exhausted to get it done.

Eliminate sweet treats from your daily diet

Once you have established an exercise plan, it is time to change your diet. The first thing you need to do is replace all the junk food in your meal plan with healthy options including fresh fruits and vegetables. You also need to mind what you eat at work each day. If there are no healthy options available at work, then you need to bring your own food to work so that you can still stick to your diet. Many people have issues with eating snacks. You can still snack at work or home if you want. Instead of eating something sweet or fatty, opt for a fruit plate or some delicious nuts.

Drink at least eight glasses of water each day

Water is an essential component in living healthy. It helps to keep your body refreshed throughout the day, and the best part of all is that it has zero calories. This means you can drink as much as you want and you will not gain a pound. Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. You can even have a glass before each meal so that you eat less at mealtime. 

 Limit your caloric intake

One final weight loss tip is to limit your caloric intake to at least 300 calories less than before starting your weight loss plan. This is not very hard to do. It simply means paying special attention to the portion and size of the food you eat. If you generally have seconds at dinner, then try to break out of that habit. If you usually have soda with your meals, replace it with water. If you eat after your dinner, then chose something healthy like a fruit plate. You will be surprised to know how these simple changes can make a big difference in your weight loss efforts.

HEALTH SIDE EFFECTS OF BEING OVER WEIGHT

It has been established that weight and health are strongly related to each other. When you gain weight, it pushes you out of the healthy weight range into the over weight or obese range thereby increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke,other diseases and even death. Obesity has been linked with so many medical conditions.The health side effects of being over weight are very dangerous and hazardous to life.There are numerous causes of obesity and over weight.People without a healthy eating habit stand the risk of being over weight or obese.
Here are some health side effects of being over weight:

INCREASE IN THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE

If you are over weight, your risk of heart disease doubles compared to people with normal or healthy weight.Excess weight,obesity and abnormal fat increases the risk of diabetes which is a heart disease risk factor.

OVER WEIGHT INCREASES THE RISK OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

When an over weight or obese person with high blood pressure visits a physician,the first thing the physician tells him is to get rid of his excess fat or weight. This in most cases put his blood pressure under control without any medication for blood pressure.

OVER WEIGHT INCREASES THE RISK OF DIABETES

The most deadly and hazardous side effect of being over weight can be said to be with diabetes. One study estimated that more than a quarter of new cases of diabetes could be traced to a weight gain.
Weight gain increases the risk of diabetes. It is not strange that the first recommendation in the treatment of diabetes is weight loss.

OVER WEIGHT NEGATIVELY AFFECTS BLOOD CHOLESTEROL

Another side effect of being over weight is the negative side effect on blood cholesterol level.Being over weight increases the level of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) which is a bad cholesterol. This contributes to the risk of heart disease.

It is very obvious that maintaining a healthy weight is essential for a healthy life.
The most effective way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. This you can achieve through exercise.