Focus on calories! They are the most important factor for your weight loss.
Measure your goods!
People consume substantially more calories than they admit to. Our portion perception is way off the rocker and has continued to worsen as serving sizes have increased over the years. Measure and weight everything you wolf down for one week. You will be amazed by what you find and how much less you should truly eat for your goals.
Get real with a food log! - The best tip on rapid weight loss?
There was an exciting study that found people who track or log their food lost twice the amount of weight on the same program. It was all over the media outlets. I would definitely recommend that you start a food journal based on what is most convenient for your lifestyle. Online, pen and paper, you should use whatever method works best for you. Keep in mind, there has also been tons of studies showing that people routinely underreport their calories, food logging or not. This is particularly common in obese individuals. Regardless, you need to get real with yourself and document everything! Yes, that includes that innocent handful of skittles. And when it comes to accurate tracking, measuring and weighing your foods is absolutely necessary and should be done in conjunction with your logging. Otherwise, odds are you're going to experience problem number one, underreporting. You get the picture. It's a cruel cycle, really.
Go big first thing in the morning!
Never, and I mean never skip breakfast! Choose foods high in fiber and protein like whole grain cereal and reduced fat milk. Don't forget to throw in a banana for the extra nutrients. Breakfast really is still the most important meal of the day, just ask your grandmother. Never skipping breakfast was one of the main variables found with individuals from this very famous longitudinal study by The National Weight Control Registry for keeping weight off!
Don't forget the simple basics.
Eat more vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, fruits, and cut down on meats high in fat and oily foods.
Start off on the right foot!
Meal plan with foods you already eat, the healthy ones that is. Take the time to write down your favorite healthy foods and create a few weeks of meal plans around them. Be realistic, and don't be afraid to include a few guilty pleasures during your planning. This is a great start and allows you to be realistic with yourself and can help you set a great base.
Chew your foods slower and longer.
Aim for 40 chews with each bite and take a break midway through your meal and focus on conversing when you have company. Slow down and void shoveling. Watch the video to learn why.
Analyze your eating patterns.
Figure out the patterns that lead you to eating outside of your plan and focus in on exchanging those behaviors. This may be difficult at first, so try implementing something to temporarily to distract you like reading a book, turning on some tunes, petting your cat or even doing jumping jacks. Once the urge passes, you are more likely to avoid doing it.
Plan in advance especially when it comes to meal planning.
Individuals that take the time to map out there week are almost always more successful. Set the most convenient day for you and commit to it each week.
Remodel food hotspots!
Find the areas in your life that you grab food items the most and "remodel" the foods that are available there. For example, move all the healthy options to the forefront of your refrigerator. Hide or move back the processed options and anything else you have no business eating while dieting. Make high caloric and comfort foods difficult to get to. You can even completely cleanse your cabinets and ditch the junk foods entirely if you are worried that "remodeling" is not enough.
Eat more!
Eating more meals and snacks per day does not work for everyone. Some people just do better with three square meals. However for most, throwing in a few small snacks can prevent you from making those really "bad for you" choices when you are starving. Eat 30 minutes or so before you feel like making a Taco Bell run and you should be able to reduce binge eating, or even prevent yourself from buying that dreaded 10 pack of beef tacos.
Your problem hours are ruining your diet!
Being an entrepreneur, I always hear that the majority of my time should be focused in on that five percent of what truly grows my business. Well, the same principle can be applied to dieting here in reverse. Focus in on the 5% of your day that you make the most dietary mistakes and implement a "game plan" to change it. For most, this typically happens after a long day when you are unwinding with your family. Change that pattern for quick weight loss.
Avoiding fat!
Are you eating a lot of foods that are high in fat (especially saturated fat)? If so, it would be wise to drop them. The reason, high fat foods add excess calories to your overall diet and they are typically high in saturated fat, which will raise the level of cholesterol in your blood and can increase you risk for heart disease. Avoid any food choices that have higher than a 30% fat content. That is one tip for losing weight fast that your heart will thank you for later.
A grab away!
Keep healthy snacks and meal replacements at an arm's length. Always have access to a healthy snack in the times of need.
Balance, balance, balance!
Make sure you are consuming a balanced and complete diet. A balanced diet consists of a 50-60 percent carbohydrate content--that is fruits, vegetables, breads, pastas and rice. Of this amount, 90 percent should be in the form of complex carbohydrates which are whole grain products (brown rice, whole grain breads, pasta) and less than 10 percent from simple carbohydrates (candy, cakes etc.). Compliment this with a diet that has a 20-30 percent fat content and finally balance your diet with a 15-20 percent protein content-- that is meats, soy and dairy products. Watch the video on the right to lean why a balanced or low fat diet may be better in the long-run.
Food prep wisely!
Begin preparing your foods in ways that help to remove fat, like baking, boiling, broiling, roasting or stewing. Never fry your foods. Trim the fat off meats, and remove the skin and fat from poultry. Make healthier food selections like fruits, vegetables, cereals, pasta, dried peas and beans, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, lean meat, fish and skinless poultry. Begin reading food labels and avoid foods that are high in fat and calories. Also, ditch any foods that are high in sugars such as pastries, candy bars, pies and cakes.
Always use a shopping list, and never shop when you're hungry.
You already know why this is important. I must buy at least 20% more food while shopping directly before dinner.
Plan ahead for all of your meals.
Always think ahead of what you can do to make it easier to eat healthy. For example, at a buffet table, choose wisely. At a friend's house, control your portions sizes. When you get hungry between your meals, try drinking a glass of water or eating a piece of fruit, and stay away from the kitchen. If you really desire a fattening food, eat just a little bit and then leave it alone. However, if you don't trust yourself with it, don't eat any at all. Begin eating your foods slower. Take smaller portions and always avoid seconds. Everyday, try eating a few smaller meals instead of one main meal. Instead of overeating, find healthier ways to deal with your stress and boredom. For example, try taking up a new hobby or starting a walking plan.
Clear the candy drawer entirely out.
A few bits here and there really ad up and can deceive the dieter who can't figure out why their weight will not change. Some goes for potato chips and other sneaky foods that you really just can't have one of.
Read nutrition labels.
Avoid foods high in trans-fat (bad for you fat). Look for the words hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated for a "dead giveaway". Also, ditch foods high in sugars. Some keywords to look out for are glucose, sucrose, maltose or the current media sensation, high fructose corn syrup.
Detox your body the natural way!
Scratch the cleanse products and detox pill hoopla. Do it naturally be consuming five servings of fruits and veggies daily.
Get hydrated and drink more water for quick weight loss.
Cut down on any soda, yes that include diet, flavored drinks and replace them with H20.
Got Vitamins?
Take a good multi-vitamin to insure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals especially while dieting for fast weight loss.
Pack and snack!
Set yourself up for success by making the good stuff always accessible. Use pre-made or nature's best creations like fruits, vegetable, salads, beans, nuts and seeds. Protein bars, any whole grain based foods and lean protein sources are great choices also. Load your fridge with them. Fill your cabinets. Pack your own lunch. Have a health snack drawer at work.
Eat to fuel, not for comfort.
Do you struggle with emotion eating or using food for a reward? Either way, write down a list of planned activities that you will use instead. Next time you have a bad day try going for a walk, reading your favorite book, or pet your animals. What are some positive behaviors that you can use that will benefit your fast weight loss goals?
Cut down on processed foodstuff and exchange at least one daily meal with a bowl of steamed vegetables.
This is especially important for those looking to lower their sodium intake and total calories.
Don't fool yourself and justify dessert!
You may be working out hard and kicking some major tail on that elliptical, but don't let that warrant you the option to eat what you want. Most people burn around 200-300 calories during a typically cardio session. There is way more calories in that peanut butter triple chocolate blizzard.
Learn, learn and learn some more from your past dietary mistakes!
Don't let them predict your future. Write down your previous blunders and what you going to do different this time.
Matthew Johnson (Google+) is a certified personal trainer, nutrition expert and an on-line fitness consultant that started ChangingShape.com back in 2001.
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