Don't have time to diet? People who are busy often say that lack of time is a reason that they can't lose weight. Who has extra hours in their day to read complicated diet advice books or surf websites for the best weight-loss plan? That time investment may not be necessary.
The best tips for losing weight are the same in almost every diet and exercise plan. They are often packaged differently, but the bottom line for almost every weight-loss program is the same. If you can master these three basic principles, you'll be on your way to successful weight loss.
The best tips for losing weight are the same in almost every diet and exercise plan. They are often packaged differently, but the bottom line for almost every weight-loss program is the same. If you can master these three basic principles, you'll be on your way to successful weight loss.
3 Fast Weight-Loss Tips
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Understand serving sizes.
If you choose the right foods, but eat too much of them, your
weight-loss plan won't work. In fact, a common mistake by dieters is to
overeat organic foods and foods that are perceived to be healthy.
Portion control is an essential skill for effective weight loss.
Chicken breast is great for you, but not if you eat too much of it.
Almonds? Yep, they're healthy, but not if you eat more than you need. Healthy snacks? They are better for your body than junk food, but they'll still cause weight gain if you overeat.
Stick to these portion sizes when planning your meals:
- 1 serving of cereal = size of your fist
- 1 serving of a starch (rice, pasta, potato) = half of a baseball
- 1 serving of cheese = 4 stacked dice
- 1 serving of fruit = baseball
- 1 serving of margarine or butter = 1 dice
- 1 serving of meat, fish, poultry = a deck of cards
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Count calories. Some weight-loss plans may advertise that calorie counting
is not necessary. But the bottom line is that weight loss happens when a
calorie deficit occurs. Nearly every diet is some variation of calorie
restriction to achieve a calorie deficit.
Calorie counting may seem like a time-consuming skill. But with the availability of mobile apps like the one at CalorieCount.com,
it has become easier for people who are busy to track their calories.
If you have a smartphone, calorie counting will take no more than a few
seconds; your totals are stored so that you can review them at a later
time.
After you start counting calories, you'll learn how many calories you consume in a typical day. Most people can reduce their daily intake by 500 calories per day to see a healthy weight loss of 1 pound per week.
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Move more. Sounds obvious, right? But this doesn't necessarily mean that you have to exercise.
For some people, exercise works against them. If you complete a hard
workout in the morning and then spend the rest of day laying on the
couch, you will probably end up burning fewer calories from movement
than a person who does not exercise and who makes non-exercise activity a
part of their daily habit.
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)
is the term used by scientists to describe the calories burned from
your non-workout movement. Whether you exercise or not, be sure that
your NEAT is maximized every day. Consider some of these activities. The
calorie burn for each single item is small, but if you participate in
some movement each hour, your NEAT at the end of the day will be
significant.
- Putting away laundry = 26 kcals/15 mins
- Moving furniture, boxes = 100 kcals/15 mins
- Playing/running with your kids = 40 kcals/15 mins
- Walking while carrying a light load (<15 pounds) = 56 kcals/15 minutes
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